Ordinary People is a 1980 American film drama that marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. The story concerns the disintegration of an upper middle class family in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the death of the oldest son. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent was based upon the 1976 novel by Judith Guest.

The film was a critical and commercial success, winning that year's Academy Award for Best Picture and various other major film awards.

Synopsis

The Jarretts, an affluent family, try to return to normal life after the attempted suicide of their youngest teenage son, Conrad, who has recently come home following a four-month stay in a psychiatric hospital. Alienated from his friends and family, Conrad, having left the hospital, chooses to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger, who learns that the boy had been involved in a sailing accident that killed his older brother, Buck. Buck, a superior athlete and student to Conrad, clearly came first in everyone's estimation (including Conrad's). Conrad's father, Calvin, awkwardly struggles to connect with his surviving son, who is tormented by clinical depression, survivor guilt, and posttraumatic stress disorder. His wife Beth, who clearly loved Buck more, has shut off her emotions and has become obsessed with maintaining the appearance of perfection and normality.