Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film, the first feature directed by Robert Redford. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of a wealthy family in Lake Forest, Illinois, after one son dies in an accident and the other attempts to die by suicide. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton.

Plot

The Jarretts are an upper-middle-class family in Lake Forest, a wealthy suburb north of Chicago. They are trying to return to normal life after experiencing the accidental death of their older teenage son, Buck, and the attempted suicide of their younger and surviving son, Conrad. Conrad has recently returned home after spending four months in a psychiatric hospital. He feels alienated from his friends and family and seeks help from a psychiatrist, Dr. Tyrone Berger, who discovers that Conrad was involved in the sailing accident that killed Buck. Conrad is now dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and is seeking help to cope with his emotions.

Awards