Ordinary People (1980)

We’re rated PG this time. Pretty fam-friendly.

Are you ready for some grief? Well, the world is a terrible place run by terrible tyrants, so probably. Let’s try this again. Are you ready to hear us yammer on about people who are too stilted to deal with their grief? The Next 182 Project ordinaries up its people and argues that Mary Tyler Moore’s neglectful mom character just has an inability to communicate and show emotion. Those are some bad flaws, but they don’t make her a villain. She—like Donald Sutherland’s Calvin and Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton’s Conrad—is just broken by a family tragedy. Empathy, people! Robert Redford’s imperfect, but heartfelt movie is all about that. Anyway, Raging Bull is the classic that most people remember from 1980, but this 40-year-old winner of Best Picture remains very fine in a completely different way. Quiet flick, big impact. Hit it!

Well, Actually…: Color Of Night was the only movie Richard Rush directed after The Stunt Man and it did indeed “score” him a Razzie nomination. Also, Bev’s right that Pachelbel’s Canon is popular music for the bridal march because it’s also in the great I Love You, Man.

Sparkplug Coffee probably can’t keep a shattered family together, but they DO offer a one-time 20% discount if you kindly use our promo code (“top100project”) when you head to the check-out.

Twitter tweets, yeah? @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis

LINKS:

Coming Attractions Trivia Answers: ??? and ???

Rotten Tomatoes reviews

1980 U.S. Box Office

1980 in film

1980 Academy Award winners and nominees

Oscar acceptance speeches: Best Picture and Redford and Hutton and the script

Links to: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Kramer vs. Kramer and Terms Of Endearment and Good Will Hunting and American Beauty and The Mary Tyler Moore Show

YouTube links: A collection of tense Beth/Conrad scenes and a date with Jeannine and Conrad finds out about Karen and Conrad reveals what happened to Buck and Calvin doesn’t love Beth anymore

February 17th on the Next 183 Project: Spotlight