Donald Sutherland in Ordinary People

I didn't like the movie that much. I realize it was good but I've got plenty of other options if I want to watch people be bitchy and depressed for a couple hours.

 

Ordinary People is a TREMENDOUS film.

Maybe part of the reason is in the title itself. Sutherland got shafted because he played an ordinary person whose life gets turned upside down by the death of a son and the aftermath that ensues.

Trouble is, DeNiro, Duvall and Hurt all played larger than life characters that truly dominated the screen that same year.

To Rossi's point, Sutherland was a supporting actor in an ensemble performance. It was Hutton's story all the way in that film.

 

Hirsch was also amazing as the shrink.

 

Agreed.
By the way, I thought that movie was a breakthrough for Judd Hirsch, who had to make himself believable as the shrink, to audiences who watched him every week as Alex Regar in "Taxi."

Edit: Mizzou and I were posting pretty much the same thing at the same time! Unlikely to happen on a political thread ...

 

An excellent effort by a young Elizabeth McGovern, too.

 

Ordinary People is a great film. Working against was the fact that it was in no way a "feel-good" film. But I'd echo the thoughts of those above: Sutherland, MTM and Hutton were all fantastic.


The scene on the golf course was incredible acting with MTM and Sutherland. I still get the chills when I think of how MTM played so very much against type. Her character was really a cold-hearted bitch.

 

allow me to chime in what a splendid movie redford directed here in "ordinary people." marvelous ensemble cast, all great, with mtm by fay the biggest surprise. she had been pigeonholed as a comedienne gor obvious reasons but totally nailed the role of stepford wife/ice queen.

sutherland was tremendoys but wouldn't have won in any acting category due to the unreal competition. but a marvelous film.

 

No, someone confused winning "Celebracadabra" with the Oscars. Surprisingly, I'm not sure Sutherland has ever been nominated for an Oscar. The guy is helping me get through Gene Hackman's retirement.

 

Fuck, I forgot about her...

 

I think Elliotte was mixing up C. Thomas Howell with Timothy Hutton.

 

Allow me to revisit what I consider one of the single most memorable exchanges ever made in the movies, even if it didn't involve Sutherland. It made clear the value of someone, someone who felt he was without value.

Hutton: "You just do one wrong thing, and..."

Hirsch: "Um-hmm. And what was the one wrong thing you did?"...(Pausing for encouragement, he adds): "You know. You know."

Hutton (looks at Hirsch in fear/desperation following an agonizing flash of insight): "I hung on. I stayed with the boat."

Hirsch: "Exactly. Now, you can live with that. Can't you?"

Hutton: "I'm scared! I'm scared."

Hirsch: "Feelings are scary. And sometimes they're painful....If you can't feel pain, you won't feel anything else. You know what I'm saying?"

Hutton: "I think so."

Hirsch: "You're here. You're alive. Don't say you don't feel that."

Hutton: "It doesn't feel good."

Hirsch: "It is good. Believe me."

Hutton: "How do you know?"

Hirsch: "Because I'm your friend."

I wasn't somebody who saw that movie right when it came out. But nonetheless, that film impacted me, and that one scene has stayed with me for years. Just really powerful stuff, mesmerizing and unforgettable.