Friday, March 13, 2015

March 13 - Ordinary People

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on March 13. Watch t tonight and enjoy.

ORDINARY PEOPLE      

Conrad Jarett returns home from a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt. He begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger.  Conrad’s idolized older brother, Buck died in a sailing accident and Conrad now has Survivor’s guilt and PTSD. While Conrad’s father, Calvin tries to connect with him; Conrad’s mother Beth is now cold towards him. She tries to maintain a fantasy of perfection and normality in the family. . Conrad starts dating Jeannine, but cannot get close to anyone. Beth is more interested in appearing “normal” more than helping Conrad recover. Calvin tries to referee, but things blow up when at Christmas, Beth refuses to take a picture with Conrad. They fight with Beth impliedly admitting she liked Buck better than Conrad. On March 13, 1981 [1:30:17 to 1:30:36] the Calvin and Beth leave on a trip to play golf with her brother, who criticizes her attitude towards Conrad. Conrad has a setback when he learns a friend of his from the hospital has killed herself. Dr. Berger helps Conrad break free by absolving himself of his self-imposed guilt over Buck’s death and acceptance of his Mother’s attitude. However, after Calvin finally confronts Beth over her inability to love, she leaves.

Ordinary People by Judith Guest (The Viking Press, New York, 1976) at page 138 gives this as the date

Director - Robert Redford

Producer - Ronald L. Schwary

Screenplay - Alvin Sargent

Awards – The film won the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director Oscars. Timothy Hutton won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Mary Tyler Moore was nominated for Best Actress and Judd Hirsch was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the 53rd Academy Awards.    

Released – September 19, 1980

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes

Starring –

Donald Sutherland as Calvin Jarrett
Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett
Timothy Hutton as Conrad Jarrett
Judd Hirsch as Dr. Tyrone C. Berger
Elizabeth McGovern as Jeannine Pratt
M. Emmet Walsh as Coach Salan
Dinah Manoff as Karen Aldrich
Fredric Lehne as Joe Lazenby
James Sikking as Ray Hanley

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015





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