Interestingly, Donald Sutherland was originally cast to play the psychiatrist, but convinced Redford he'd be more effective as the father. He was right. Not a single weak link in this cast. Extraordinary movie.
Donald Sutherland is a great actor. I still remember his role in " The Kelly's heroes" as Odd Ball and many other films. But his portrayal of Calvin Jarret on this film is really brilliant. He deserved an Oscar.
Donald Sutherland absolutely shines in this scene, I can sense uncertainty with the nervous chuckles, body language, taking the step to open up, yet ultimately the character holds his own terms within himself as he knows that Dr Berger's full undivided attention is there. Both he and Hirsch are brilliant here,.. Redford truly directed a psychological masterwork
An amazing film about the complexity and fragility of family relationships in the wake of tragedy. It's ironic that Beth, who makes repeated statements about her own character as if they're a point of pride ("I can't go around hugging everybody all the time") is unwilling to admit the most profound truth about herself: She resents her youngest son for surviving the accident that killed her favorite son. Her husband wants desperately to believe they are still a happy family unit, ignoring all signs to the contrary. Conner internalizes his mother's coldness, acting out in desperate, suicidal ways until, with the help of a psychiatrist, he is able to process the experience and forgive his brother for dying, himself for surviving, his mother for her inability to love, and his father for his inability to see the truth. This is film making at its best with superb, nuanced performances all around.
I love the way everyone interprets these characters differently. This story is like holding a mirror up. Everyone identifies and reads Beth differently. I see her sympathetically because she can’t change. The others will be able to change and adapt but she won’t, because she can’t look at herself. It’s sad.
Ratso444 Very true! It’s one of those movies that can be interpreted in many ways. I’ve never seen Beth as a villain, although many people do. I see her almost as a victim of her own upbringing - emotionally unavailable, locked-up tight. I do believe she loves Conrad - there are a couple of scenes that show it - but they speak different languages, and Beth is terrified of losing more than she had already lost.
I identify with how each one of the characters deals with immense tragedy in their own way. I think each one of them is trying to heal in the way that feels "right" to him/her. Life is unfair as Conrad says and Dr. Berger agrees. Berger would to tell each of them... "Why don't you let yourself off the hook". Conrad will eventually say ""It's not that easy"
When Calvin says, "I see her not being able to forgive him," that's the underlying secret that clouds the whole movie, finally exposed. The mother can't forgive her son for living while her favorite son died, maybe even blames him a bit, and Conrad can't forgive himself for having lived either.
I think the underlying secret goes deeper than the accident. Cal misreads the situation here a bit, me thinks, but Jud Hirsch's character has the finger on the right pulse. Conrad does say ' My mother and I don't get along' and I think that's been going on for quite a while even before the accident. I think the underlying secret is Conrad not being able to feel any love from his mother and Beth unable to express it the way he wants it- which is actually referenced in the movie. Truth be told, Beth has difficulty expressing her love to anyone. Conrad's rage boils down to: why am I not worthy of love? which in turn makes him feel guilty, like he's wrong for not being worthy of love, which also leads to see him situations in black and white with no nuances. The resolution of the story is fantastic and very truthful I think.
@@ASTROFILMM True. The issue with his mom was probably playing out long before the accident. The accident just really brought everything to a boil. Had the accident not happened, life would have probably gone along with no one questioning anything. Conrad's issues would have probably gone untreated for years.
Very possibly - I suppose we all have our perspectives - but I suspect you're right. God what a film - what an experience - maybe especially for people like me who come from a f*cked up family. I wonder if trainee shrinks have to watch this film.
@@ASTROFILMM Hmm, from what I saw in the movie Beth is able to show love for Calvin. It's Conrad she is very distant from. I notice when Calvin mentions that Conrads mother can't forgive him the shrink, Berger, seems a bit taken aback. It's very revealing and does give some context about Conrad's issues with his mom.
Me too, and for exactly those two reasons. Can't believe people are here watching this after so so many years. Not all movies stand the test of time so well.
I just happened to catch this on cable with my dad when I was suicidal in college 30 yrs ago--he didn't know what I was going thru. We were a loving but driven upper middle class family. He watched Conrad empathetically --it meant everything to me. To all these actors and Redford-thank you.
Damn. Going through clip after clip of this movie. It's extraordinary. The writing and acting is so honest. And I love reading the comments. It means a lot to a great many people.
Mary Tyler Moore commented herself in interviews on how people viewed Beth differently . She expressed that she saw her character as one who didn't know how to show affection or handle her loss of her son. This movie centers around Conrad in how he treats himself and those around him as he tries to deal with the guilt he feels over surviving while his brother Buck didn't . The relationship between he and his mother is very awkward so much that one could get sweaty palms just watching .
one of my favorite movies with extraordinarily fine performances and a brilliant directing debut by robert redford...one of the few movies i can watch over and over again...its that good...for me anyway.
Simply a magnificent scene, in a superb piece of filmmaking by Robert Redford. Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore - both cast against type - are part of a perfect ensemble. And thank you, Judd Hirsch!
Janelle Kirkland That always stood out to me. Psychiatry wasn't accepted back in the earlier '80's like it is today. So, in a way, he was piggy-backing off Conrad to understand his grief. This will always be one of my all time favorite movies. Always.
@@m.e.d.7997 def, he started to get the mother & he put it mildly for conrad that he can only control himself & can't expect more love or affection then she is capable of giving. I mean when Calvin said " she loved buck " notice he never says she loves conrad.
"I used to think I was a lucky person before the accident." That's so heartbreaking, from his POV he had achieved the perfect life for any man, married, good kids, good job....
I love the way this scene brilliantly builds to its point. Cal has told himself he doesn’t believe in psychiatry but he understands Conrad is getting better. He goes, telling himself he’s there just to explain things to help Dr Berger but when he gets there opens up about how he’s feeling till eventually he realises why he’s gone there, concluding with Bergen’s invite for them to talk. Perfect scene.
Donald Sutherland is such a great actor!! He did so well in this film for playing a submissive type of guy compared to all of his other "bad guy" type of characters.. They all did a FAB. JOB!! Well done Redford!!!!
These two play so well off of each other. Sutherland all nervous and herky jerky and Hirsch playing it relaxed and cool. Then at 2:40 Sutherland admits that his wife can't forgive Conrad and you see Hirsch sit up in his chair for the first time, like he knows he's getting to something and then Sutherland, realizing what he said, starts to make excuses for his wife.
So true. He looks completely leveled. Great acting without saying a word. I wish we could have seen what calvin & the dr got into when he says " I want to talk about myself " he needed help & saw that dr Berger was helping conrad so he wanted help too. They must have talked a lot about beth bc that is what made him ask Beth about her caring about his shoes & shirt the day of the funeral. Beth could not handle letting herself grieve buck so she focused on something mundane. I think it was the only way she knew how to cope. I often wondered what if buck survived & conrad died. I also felt the worst at the end for calvin. The woman he thought he knew & loved never existed. Conrad has his life ahead of him & is learning how to be a better stronger person. I kept thinking conrad is gonna go away to college start his own life & possibly have a family of his own leaving calvin alone. I'd like to think calvin met someone. Beth I cant imagine what happened to her. She went home to houston where her family lives. She is now without the appearances anymore. No husband & no kids bc I doubt she ever talked to conrad or calvin again.
Brilliant performances by both actors but Sutherland hits the perfect tone with Calvin. Of the three family members he feels the most but is still utterly lost how to pull things together.
I just love how everybody ended up in the psychiatrist's office chair but the mother, who was actually the one with the root cause of the family dynamic problem.
Boy, everything came together with this film. Judith Guest filled this story with great humanity,plus the resolutions are fantastic and very hopeful while feeling true and not phonied up. Redford got to the core of the novel and understood that all we are is emotions, Judd Hirsch is from another planet, that's how good this character is. Sutherland is great, Hutton as well, Mary Tyler Moore very good as well. The planets aligned rightly so this time.
4:19 "I came here to talk bout myself." The father always thinks about others, and never thinks about himself. He just realized that this is a problem.
what I like about the scene is great acting and no music- yes this movie has music but plays it in the right place and lets dialogue and acting take over the movie (not so much modern films when all about the sound track). Remember this scene as a kid
What a wonderful dad calvin is. So glad donald played the dad not the shrink as was intended. I love the part when calvin admits he came there bc he needs to talk to someone. Great movie & I hope more people study this film. Man Calvin's face in the car after the therapy session he just looks destroyed. Probably realizes his wife has to go. He knows that conrad will never move on & neither will he as long as beth is there. She acts like everything is normal when she really is as fragile as glass. I hope more shrinks & therapists on yt look at this film. I see a million videos on good will hunting when this movie has so many layers. I'd love to know if Beth Is a narcissist or what bc she def has a serious personality disorder. I feel sorry for her bc she is so ice cold & their has to be a reason she is like that. It cant just be that shes loved buck more than conrad & resents him for being the one who lived instead of her favorite Bucky.
The movie received positive reactions from the psychiatric community for its honest portrayal of a professional. Hirsch was superb in the role. Sutherland aced this scene. I particularly enjoy his pause at 4:05 when he sees the trees in the forest.
Was the key moment in their conversation when Sutherland says "I see her not being able to forgive him."? Hirsch seems taken aback by this comment. I'm guessing that Conrad didn't tell him this? I know he mentions in one of their conversations "My mother and I don't connect, I've told you that!". Perhaps Hirsch is just surprised by this revelation from Sutherland?
Good for Calvin! He is realizing that the real problem that is taking place is with his wife, and not with his son. Conrad is so much like his mother. But Conrad is receiving help, while Beth is still in denial.
DONALD ONE OF MOVIES BEST DAD !! AND NO OSCAR NOMINATION OR WIN FOR THIS !! SHAMEFUL !! AND ANOTHER AWESOME DAD PART IS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE !! RIP MR KLUTE 😂❤
Its a great scene. Many of the comments below are very accurate. Its very interesting how Cal is the one character who does see things and is willing to confront them. Jared accuses him earlier in the movie of not being able to see things, but its really Jared and Beth. Therapy was Cal's idea. He also quickly explains the dynamic to Dr Berger and identifies his sense of urgency to somehow fix the problem. He also knows he has a problem with the way Beth really is, yet he is still there to confront it. He does love her, but he realizes her shortcomings can't be ignored anymore. He is there to face the music he knows is bothering him
I liked Ordinary People because of Timothy Hutton and Mary Tyler Moore . Hutton was the youngest actor to win an academy at the time . 1980 was a great year and the beginning of my favorite decade .
Who would've thought Mary Tyler Moore would be the absolute perfect choice for Beth. What a vile woman and a terrible mother - she was absolutely amazing
And she had to shed off an image of a decade and a half of being one of the most liked people from Dick Van Dyke and her own show. You never would have expected this from her. Initially you would have thought what a bad case of miscasting here. But to see her at such a polar opposite and so effectively done is what makes it so great.
Robert Redford was living in Malibu while preparing to direct this movie and saw Mary Tyler Moore walk along the beach in front of his home, and started to wonder what the dark side of May Tyler Moore would be like as Beth and she nailed that character. Still one of my favorite films.
J M Yes, I read where it was because of his age he was not nominated for Best Actor. That, and also because they didn’t think he could win in that category. It may have changed but, for instance, Judy Garland was given a special Oscar for The Wizard of Oz but she wasn’t nominated for Best Actress in 1939. Too young.
Beth is the main character. Take her out of the movie and what do you have? A tragic story but no central character who thinks everything should revolve around her. I will say though that she did attempt to get Conrad back to playing tennis.
@@ratso4443 also, because he would've been up against De Niro. They wanted Timothy to win, so they put him in the supporting category. Too bad Judd was in the same category because he was FANTASTIC!!!!😎❤
It wasn't luck; it was God's providence, and that's what's so heartbreaking about this godless, secular movie. And what's so heartbreaking is that the church by and large, even the so-called "Reformed" church, has become part of the world, and pastoring had been replaced by professional, outsourced, paid psychiatry.
He’s a phenomenal actor .... especially in this movie. Beyond that, if it’s his general appearance you have a problem with, I’m sorry. God made him that way.
RIP, Mr. Sutherland, and thank you for one of the best performances in one of the best pictures ever made.
The mother is who needed to go to the shrink more than anyone.
Yes, and she defiantly fought against it. She did not want to look in the mirror.
She certainly did. But it was as though she didn't want to face her feelings in the eye, and as Calvin says at the end ''You're not strong Beth''
Yep. She was horrible
She of course didn’t think she had a problem
Interestingly, Donald Sutherland was originally cast to play the psychiatrist, but convinced Redford he'd be more effective as the father. He was right. Not a single weak link in this cast. Extraordinary movie.
Agree. Donald played a superb Cal.
I gotta tell you, Judd Hirsch is great, and Donald Sutherland is spectacular in this film. Amazing acting.
Donald Sutherland is a great actor. I still remember his role in " The Kelly's heroes" as Odd Ball and many other films. But his portrayal of Calvin Jarret on this film is really brilliant. He deserved an Oscar.
Carmen G. S. Yes he did .... absolutely
I never knoew that about this film. Thanks for sharing!
As a kid, growing up in a divorcing family, i didn't want to watch this movie.
Decades later, i can appreciate it for the great movie it is.
One of the most brilliantly acted movies ever made.
Donald Sutherland absolutely shines in this scene, I can sense uncertainty with the nervous chuckles, body language, taking the step to open up, yet ultimately the character holds his own terms within himself as he knows that Dr Berger's full undivided attention is there. Both he and Hirsch are brilliant here,.. Redford truly directed a psychological masterwork
Well put. There is no part of this scene in which you can see the "acting" ... it's seamless
This is a super accurate portrayal of what it's like in most therapy sessions. With a good therapist, who draws you out with the right questions.
I worked in the field and the therapy scenes are the most accurate portrayal of therapy I have seen in any movies.
@@elgatothecatseye8409 when I saw this it hit home. As a second son it had a huge impact on me. I bet other second sons feel the same way.
An amazing film about the complexity and fragility of family relationships in the wake of tragedy. It's ironic that Beth, who makes repeated statements about her own character as if they're a point of pride ("I can't go around hugging everybody all the time") is unwilling to admit the most profound truth about herself: She resents her youngest son for surviving the accident that killed her favorite son. Her husband wants desperately to believe they are still a happy family unit, ignoring all signs to the contrary. Conner internalizes his mother's coldness, acting out in desperate, suicidal ways until, with the help of a psychiatrist, he is able to process the experience and forgive his brother for dying, himself for surviving, his mother for her inability to love, and his father for his inability to see the truth. This is film making at its best with superb, nuanced performances all around.
Excellent, thought-provoking comment. Thank you.
I love the way everyone interprets these characters differently. This story is like holding a mirror up. Everyone identifies and reads Beth differently. I see her sympathetically because she can’t change. The others will be able to change and adapt but she won’t, because she can’t look at herself. It’s sad.
Ratso444 Very true! It’s one of those movies that can be interpreted in many ways. I’ve never seen Beth as a villain, although many people do. I see her almost as a victim of her own upbringing - emotionally unavailable, locked-up tight. I do believe she loves Conrad - there are a couple of scenes that show it - but they speak different languages, and Beth is terrified of losing more than she had already lost.
I identify with how each one of the characters deals with immense tragedy in their own way. I think each one of them is trying to heal in the way that feels "right" to him/her. Life is unfair as Conrad says and Dr. Berger agrees. Berger would to tell each of them... "Why don't you let yourself off the hook". Conrad will eventually say ""It's not that easy"
Excellent analysis
When Calvin says, "I see her not being able to forgive him," that's the underlying secret that clouds the whole movie, finally exposed. The mother can't forgive her son for living while her favorite son died, maybe even blames him a bit, and Conrad can't forgive himself for having lived either.
I think the underlying secret goes deeper than the accident. Cal misreads the situation here a bit, me thinks, but Jud Hirsch's character has the finger on the right pulse. Conrad does say ' My mother and I don't get along' and I think that's been going on for quite a while even before the accident. I think the underlying secret is Conrad not being able to feel any love from his mother and Beth unable to express it the way he wants it- which is actually referenced in the movie. Truth be told, Beth has difficulty expressing her love to anyone. Conrad's rage boils down to: why am I not worthy of love? which in turn makes him feel guilty, like he's wrong for not being worthy of love, which also leads to see him situations in black and white with no nuances. The resolution of the story is fantastic and very truthful I think.
@@ASTROFILMM True. The issue with his mom was probably playing out long before the accident. The accident just really brought everything to a boil. Had the accident not happened, life would have probably gone along with no one questioning anything. Conrad's issues would have probably gone untreated for years.
Very possibly - I suppose we all have our perspectives - but I suspect you're right. God what a film - what an experience - maybe especially for people like me who come from a f*cked up family. I wonder if trainee shrinks have to watch this film.
@@mimibarn They should watch it.
@@ASTROFILMM Hmm, from what I saw in the movie Beth is able to show love for Calvin. It's Conrad she is very distant from. I notice when Calvin mentions that Conrads mother can't forgive him the shrink, Berger, seems a bit taken aback. It's very revealing and does give some context about Conrad's issues with his mom.
This has always been one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Two great actors with fantastic dialogue. RIP, Donald Sutherland.
Me too, and for exactly those two reasons. Can't believe people are here watching this after so so many years. Not all movies stand the test of time so well.
I just happened to catch this on cable with my dad when I was suicidal in college 30 yrs ago--he didn't know what I was going thru. We were a loving but driven upper middle class family. He watched Conrad empathetically --it meant everything to me. To all these actors and Redford-thank you.
Damn. Going through clip after clip of this movie. It's extraordinary. The writing and acting is so honest. And I love reading the comments. It means a lot to a great many people.
Mary Tyler Moore commented herself in interviews on how people viewed Beth differently . She expressed that she saw her character as one who didn't know how to show affection or handle her loss of her son. This movie centers around Conrad in how he treats himself and those around him as he tries to deal with the guilt he feels over surviving while his brother Buck didn't . The relationship between he and his mother is very awkward so much that one could get sweaty palms just watching .
RIP Donald Sutherland
I love this scene so much. I could listen to these two talk all day.
one of my favorite movies with extraordinarily fine performances and a brilliant directing debut by robert redford...one of the few movies i can watch over and over again...its that good...for me anyway.
Simply a magnificent scene, in a superb piece of filmmaking by Robert Redford. Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore - both cast against type - are part of a perfect ensemble. And thank you, Judd Hirsch!
I love how he says ... I came here to talk about myself ..... GOOD !!! Why don't we?
Janelle Kirkland That always stood out to me. Psychiatry wasn't accepted back in the earlier '80's like it is today. So, in a way, he was piggy-backing off Conrad to understand his grief. This will always be one of my all time favorite movies. Always.
Judd Hirsch was worthy of Oscar in this film, jesus who wasn't?
i still find it absurd how Donald Sutherland never received a nomination for an Academy Award
I believe after his meeting with Dr. Berger, Calvin began to read between the lines.
I think Dr Berger did too.
@@m.e.d.7997 def, he started to get the mother & he put it mildly for conrad that he can only control himself & can't expect more love or affection then she is capable of giving. I mean when Calvin said " she loved buck " notice he never says she loves conrad.
@@natalieps2387 Cal was right when he said they should all go into therapy. He was into it; not Beth.
"I used to think I was a lucky person before the accident."
That's so heartbreaking, from his POV he had achieved the perfect life for any man, married, good kids, good job....
This is where he realized what Beth was doing and how toxic she was this set up that powerful ending.
That performative tie adjustment at 3:35 is genius. I learned more about subtext and body language from this movie than any Psych or Lit class.
I love the way this scene brilliantly builds to its point.
Cal has told himself he doesn’t believe in psychiatry but he understands Conrad is getting better. He goes, telling himself he’s there just to explain things to help Dr Berger but when he gets there opens up about how he’s feeling till eventually he realises why he’s gone there, concluding with Bergen’s invite for them to talk.
Perfect scene.
Donald Sutherland is such a great actor!! He did so well in this film for playing a submissive type of guy compared to all of his other "bad guy" type of characters.. They all did a FAB. JOB!! Well done Redford!!!!
He plays a nice, good guy on "six degrees of separation" (1993)
What an amazing cast. Thank you Robert Redford
Robert Redford was not only a great film director but he was able to get the best acting from the cast.
He's still a great film director.
I feel he is a better director than actor. Even though I did not like "Argo", Ben Affleck is also a better director than actor.
you know Donald was the ''glue'' and also lost. great man, great role, great movie.
These two play so well off of each other. Sutherland all nervous and herky jerky and Hirsch playing it relaxed and cool. Then at 2:40 Sutherland admits that his wife can't forgive Conrad and you see Hirsch sit up in his chair for the first time, like he knows he's getting to something and then Sutherland, realizing what he said, starts to make excuses for his wife.
I think I saw this in the very early 80s as a kid. Much older and wiser it might be time to watch it again as an adult.
Superb acting! RIP Donald Sutherland. ALWAYS believable in his roles. SO important to good story telling.
All the acting in the movie is superlative, and this scene is incredible. Both actors are utterly believable.
Very good, very subtle acting by Sutherland.
Incredible performance on his part
It’s an insult that he didn’t get nominated at least.
Acting royalty here.
Donald Sutherland should have gotten best actor for this shit. Such a great, understated performance.
I'd sure love it if they had just showed the 2 actors talking in character for an hour and they added it to the movie. I wouldn't complain at all.
A simply brilliant performance by Donald Sutherland. His performance is so personal and so real.
The look on Sutherland's face in the garage...without words
So true. He looks completely leveled. Great acting without saying a word. I wish we could have seen what calvin & the dr got into when he says " I want to talk about myself " he needed help & saw that dr Berger was helping conrad so he wanted help too. They must have talked a lot about beth bc that is what made him ask Beth about her caring about his shoes & shirt the day of the funeral. Beth could not handle letting herself grieve buck so she focused on something mundane. I think it was the only way she knew how to cope. I often wondered what if buck survived & conrad died. I also felt the worst at the end for calvin. The woman he thought he knew & loved never existed. Conrad has his life ahead of him & is learning how to be a better stronger person. I kept thinking conrad is gonna go away to college start his own life & possibly have a family of his own leaving calvin alone. I'd like to think calvin met someone. Beth I cant imagine what happened to her. She went home to houston where her family lives. She is now without the appearances anymore. No husband & no kids bc I doubt she ever talked to conrad or calvin again.
Brilliant performances by both actors but Sutherland hits the perfect tone with Calvin. Of the three family members he feels the most but is still utterly lost how to pull things together.
I just love how everybody ended up in the psychiatrist's office chair but the mother, who was actually the one with the root cause of the family dynamic problem.
Boy, everything came together with this film. Judith Guest filled this story with great humanity,plus the resolutions are fantastic and very hopeful while feeling true and not phonied up. Redford got to the core of the novel and understood that all we are is emotions, Judd Hirsch is from another planet, that's how good this character is. Sutherland is great, Hutton as well, Mary Tyler Moore very good as well. The planets aligned rightly so this time.
Acting is so good here.
4:19 "I came here to talk bout myself." The father always thinks about others, and never thinks about himself. He just realized that this is a problem.
what I like about the scene is great acting and no music- yes this movie has music but plays it in the right place and lets dialogue and acting take over the movie (not so much modern films when all about the sound track). Remember this scene as a kid
What a wonderful dad calvin is. So glad donald played the dad not the shrink as was intended. I love the part when calvin admits he came there bc he needs to talk to someone. Great movie & I hope more people study this film. Man Calvin's face in the car after the therapy session he just looks destroyed. Probably realizes his wife has to go. He knows that conrad will never move on & neither will he as long as beth is there. She acts like everything is normal when she really is as fragile as glass. I hope more shrinks & therapists on yt look at this film. I see a million videos on good will hunting when this movie has so many layers. I'd love to know if Beth Is a narcissist or what bc she def has a serious personality disorder. I feel sorry for her bc she is so ice cold & their has to be a reason she is like that. It cant just be that shes loved buck more than conrad & resents him for being the one who lived instead of her favorite Bucky.
The movie received positive reactions from the psychiatric community for its honest portrayal of a professional. Hirsch was superb in the role. Sutherland aced this scene. I particularly enjoy his pause at 4:05 when he sees the trees in the forest.
Was the key moment in their conversation when Sutherland says "I see her not being able to forgive him."? Hirsch seems taken aback by this comment. I'm guessing that Conrad didn't tell him this? I know he mentions in one of their conversations "My mother and I don't connect, I've told you that!". Perhaps Hirsch is just surprised by this revelation from Sutherland?
Wish I knew what the Hell I was doing here? I think I came here to talk about myself? ......Ok WHY DON’ T WE?
Brilliant and heartfelt in every way. Best of the best...
How many Beths I ve met in real life.Soooo so many Beths! 💆.
2:33 The moment Berger realized the root of the entire thing
Good for Calvin! He is realizing that the real problem that is taking place is with his wife, and not with his son. Conrad is so much like his mother. But Conrad is receiving help, while Beth is still in denial.
Watching Sutherland trying to justify his wife is pretty relatable
DONALD ONE OF MOVIES BEST DAD !! AND NO OSCAR NOMINATION OR WIN FOR THIS !! SHAMEFUL !! AND ANOTHER AWESOME DAD PART IS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE !! RIP MR KLUTE 😂❤
I can relate to, “ I used to feel lucky”
Just think Donald Sutherland played sergeant oddball in Kelly’s Hero’s 10 years before. I saw both movies in a theater with different girlfriends.
Its a great scene. Many of the comments below are very accurate. Its very interesting how Cal is the one character who does see things and is willing to confront them. Jared accuses him earlier in the movie of not being able to see things, but its really Jared and Beth. Therapy was Cal's idea. He also quickly explains the dynamic to Dr Berger and identifies his sense of urgency to somehow fix the problem. He also knows he has a problem with the way Beth really is, yet he is still there to confront it. He does love her, but he realizes her shortcomings can't be ignored anymore. He is there to face the music he knows is bothering him
Excellent movie. I miss three pieced suites. Not sure if I'd look as good now as in 1980 ish.
He should have been nominated for this role.
Conrad, assuming he graduated in 1980, would be 62 this year.
A line that a lot of people miss, yet an important one, is at 2:59. It tells a lot about Beth’s history with her second son. Listen carefully.
Donald great actor no Oscar 😢
I liked Ordinary People because of Timothy Hutton and Mary Tyler Moore . Hutton was the youngest actor to win an academy at the time . 1980 was a great year and the beginning of my favorite decade .
Ironically Donald Sutherland played a psychiatrist in a 1989 movie called Lost Angels. He did a great job in that role, too.
Who would've thought Mary Tyler Moore would be the absolute perfect choice for Beth. What a vile woman and a terrible mother - she was absolutely amazing
And she had to shed off an image of a decade and a half of being one of the most liked people from Dick Van Dyke and her own show. You never would have expected this from her. Initially you would have thought what a bad case of miscasting here. But to see her at such a polar opposite and so effectively done is what makes it so great.
Shame no special movie/ tv hits after her performance. She kept playing in movies but nothing brilliant.
Robert Redford was living in Malibu while preparing to direct this movie and saw Mary Tyler Moore walk along the beach in front of his home, and started to wonder what the dark side of May Tyler Moore would be like as Beth and she nailed that character. Still one of my favorite films.
American Beauty would have had a better ending if there had been Psychiatrist.
Great actor RIP
I wonder if Conrad and the girl he was dating stood a chance ..
So who's the main character in this movie?
Conrad, the son, is the main character, but it’s really about the whole family dynamic.
But he won an oscar for best Supporting Actor ?
J M Yes, I read where it was because of his age he was not nominated for Best Actor. That, and also because they didn’t think he could win in that category. It may have changed but, for instance, Judy Garland was given a special Oscar for The Wizard of Oz but she wasn’t nominated for Best Actress in 1939. Too young.
Beth is the main character. Take her out of the movie and what do you have? A tragic story but no central character who thinks everything should revolve around her. I will say though that she did attempt to get Conrad back to playing tennis.
@@ratso4443 also, because he would've been up against De Niro. They wanted Timothy to win, so they put him in the supporting category. Too bad Judd was in the same category because he was FANTASTIC!!!!😎❤
Neither do I
240? Thanks for nothing.
It wasn't luck; it was God's providence, and that's what's so heartbreaking about this godless, secular movie. And what's so heartbreaking is that the church by and large, even the so-called "Reformed" church, has become part of the world, and pastoring had been replaced by professional, outsourced, paid psychiatry.
I can't bear Donald Sutherland. He's such a creepy guy.
Why animal house?
Why Amimal House?
He’s a phenomenal actor .... especially in this movie. Beyond that, if it’s his general appearance you have a problem with, I’m sorry. God made him that way.
If you are referring to solely to his round as President Snow.... :/
No, he is not. Maybe you are the one. Nothing creepy about Donald.
Amazing scene