Ordinary People (1980)
Honestly, when listener Eric commissioned “Ordinary People,” we were worried the episode would be dry, academic and morose. Instead, this 1980 Oscar winner led to uncontrollable laughs.
The quality certainly is there: A Robert Redford-directed drama starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton. But you know how it goes when the Shat Boys get rolling.
In this episode, the Shat Crew explores Japanese breakfast, whether you can save French toast, “the three lives,” and what real therapy looks like. Gene complains that he can’t relate to the problems of the rich, and Dick explains why he wants to try everything on the menu.
Plot Summary:
In the 1980 drama Ordinary People, directed by Robert Redford, Timothy Hutton delivers a powerful performance as Conrad Jarrett, a teenager grappling with guilt, grief, and depression following the accidental death of his older brother, Buck. The film centers on the seemingly perfect suburban family, the Jarretts, who are struggling to rebuild their lives after the tragic loss. Mary Tyler Moore stars as Beth Jarrett, Conrad’s emotionally distant mother, who is more concerned with maintaining appearances than confronting the family’s pain. Donald Sutherland plays Calvin Jarrett, Conrad’s compassionate father, who is caught in the middle, trying to hold his fractured family together.
As Conrad returns home after a stay in a psychiatric hospital following a suicide attempt, he begins sessions with Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch), a compassionate psychiatrist who helps him confront his emotions and the deep-seated guilt he feels over his brother’s death. Through their sessions, Conrad starts to open up about his feelings of inadequacy and his strained relationship with his mother, who has buried her grief under a cold veneer of control.
Meanwhile, the tension between Beth and Calvin intensifies as they struggle with their contrasting ways of coping. Calvin seeks understanding and connection, while Beth withdraws further, unable to face the reality of her family’s emotional turmoil. As secrets are revealed and wounds are exposed, the family reaches a breaking point, forcing them to confront their grief and decide whether they can find a way to heal together.
Ordinary People is a deeply emotional exploration of family dynamics, loss, and the journey toward healing. Join our podcast review as we discuss this Academy Award-winning film’s poignant performances, its impact on audiences, and whether its themes of trauma and recovery still resonate today.
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