A family residing in a wealthy area just outside of Chicago struggles to heal following an unfortunate event. Timothy Hutton portrays the son experiencing emotional difficulties, who receives guidance from a counselor (Judd Hirsch), while Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore take on the roles of parents who appear to be coping well. Robert Redford’s directorial debut, “Ordinary People,” released in 1980, achieved considerable success. The narrative unfolds along two distinct paths: it functions as a story about growing up, focusing on the son's anxieties within his home life, at school, during therapy sessions, and in his romantic pursuits; concurrently, it explores the complexities of a marriage between the parents. This marked Hutton’s initial appearance in a film intended for theatrical release, yet his remarkable performance—comparable to Marlon Brando’s—belies that fact. It's noteworthy how straightforward, realistic narratives can prove more captivating than certain extravagant productions filled with frequent explosions. Elizabeth McGovern delivers an enjoyable performance as one of the young women the son becomes involved with. However, the scenes depicting a storm feel somewhat contrived and resemble something you might see on television, and the plot nearly succumbs to its pervasive sense of drama toward the film’s conclusion (though it doesn't quite). The movie has a running time of 2 hours and 4 minutes and was filmed primarily in affluent suburban communities north of Chicago, such as Lake Forest and Highland Park. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB