After the older of two sons dies in a boating accident, the younger son struggles with survivor's guilt and tries to kill himself. Mary Tyler Moore, as the mother, goes into a shell and cares more about keeping up appearances than nurturing her son and husband. All she cares about is her golf game, getting away on vacation, and making sure nobody knows the "horrible" secret of her son seeing a psychiatrist!
Ordinary People is certainly a misnomer because these people are wealthy! They live in the wealthy suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois. Vacation at the drop of a hat? Sure no problem. See a psychiatrist? Sure money is no object. Calvin the father turns out to be the true nurturer, and helps Conrad through his struggles and suicide attempt as Calvin realizes that he is on his own with trying to pull his son back from the brink and he will get no support from his wife .
I just rewatched this one recently, and it hasn't aged well although I can't put a finger on exactly why that is. It still rings true on an emotional level and is probably one of the more unfairly forgotten of the Best Picture Oscar winners. If Mary Tyler Moore is embedded in your memory as sweet Mary Richards and Donald Sutherland is equally enshrined there as over-sexed surgeon Hawkeye Pierce, this film will correct that.
Ordinary People is certainly a misnomer because these people are wealthy! They live in the wealthy suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois. Vacation at the drop of a hat? Sure no problem. See a psychiatrist? Sure money is no object. Calvin the father turns out to be the true nurturer, and helps Conrad through his struggles and suicide attempt as Calvin realizes that he is on his own with trying to pull his son back from the brink and he will get no support from his wife .
I just rewatched this one recently, and it hasn't aged well although I can't put a finger on exactly why that is. It still rings true on an emotional level and is probably one of the more unfairly forgotten of the Best Picture Oscar winners. If Mary Tyler Moore is embedded in your memory as sweet Mary Richards and Donald Sutherland is equally enshrined there as over-sexed surgeon Hawkeye Pierce, this film will correct that.