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Ordinary People
Paramount // R // August 14, 2001
List Price: $29.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"Ordinary People" is the kind of sentimental picture that really doesn't get made nearly as much 20 years later - or if the genre does present an offering, it's usually a rather generic one. Although I've never been a fan of melodramatic pictures, Robert Redford's 1981 Oscar winner admittedly is one of the more enjoyable entries, providing especially fine writing, directing and acting.
The film revolves around the Jarrett family - mainly son Conrad (Timothy Hutton), who was suicidal after the death of his older brother and is now seeing a helpful therapist named Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch). Excellent as his parents, Mary Tyler Moore plays Beth and Donald Sutherland plays Calvin. There are certainly problems within the family, but - and this certainly is a problem that still exists in many families today - things are left unsaid and emotions become sour. By the end of the picture, the family will have to come to terms with what has happened to them in the past and find what road they'll have to take in the future to remain a healthy, happy family. They have to open up and listen to one another.
Again, the reason why "Ordinary People" works as well as it does is simply because Redford has shown restraint in the way he presents the simple story. Although things may seem a little bit over-extended at slightly over two hours, Redford has chosen to pull back on things like score that, if over-used, could have really made it a bit more sappy. He relies on a top-notch cast to deliver and they certainly do, especially Sutherland and Hutton. Although some have had mixed reactions to the picture, I found it to be a strong drama that thankfully kept from getting too heavy-handed.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Ordinary People" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Although Paramount has been offering up titles that appear better and better looking in recent months, "Ordinary People" seems rather average in comparison. John Bailey ("For Love Of the Game" and the recent "Anniversary Party")'s cinematography seemed to often fall on the slightly softer side. The picture looked decently well-defined, but there are some darker scenes that appeared a tad murky.
I didn't notice any problems in regards to pixelation or edge enhancement, but there were some noticable print flaws along the way. Slight marks, speckles and an infrequent scratch were visible. The picture appeared mildly grainy at times, as well. The picture didn't look shockingly dirty or worn, but it was a little spottier than I'd expected, even from a picture that's now about 20 years of age.
Colors did not look exceptionally good, either. Although "Ordinary People" is certainly not going to be a film that boasts a vibrant color scheme, the picture seemed even more depressing with the dreary looking color palette, which appeared rather bland and flat looking on this presentation.
SOUND: Although Paramount often presents the audio of older titles in a remixed 5.1 version, "Ordinary People" is presented in mono - a 5.1 presentation wouldn't have likely done much for the dialogue-heavy "People". The mono audio doesn't offer a great deal, either; although the audio was dominated by dialogue, the general audio quality of not only the dialogue but the music seemed rather thin and flat.
MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus livened by sparse film-themed images.
EXTRAS:: Originally announced for a late Spring release, "Ordinary People" was delayed until August, reportedly to add a commentary track from director Robert Redford. A few weeks before the release date, the commentary track dissapeared from press details and unfortunately, did not manage to be on the final product for reasons still unknown. After Redford's almost-complete lack of involvement with the DVD release for the Dreamworks title "The Legend of Bagger Vance", this is another dissapointment. The only supplemental feature that is included is the film's theatrical trailer.
Final Thoughts: Unfortunately for fans of "Ordinary People", the DVD release seems utterly...well, ordinary. The award-winning and well-regarded picture gets only average audio and video quality, while the main supplemental feature that was going to be included didn't end up on the final product. Hardcore fans of the picture will still want to seek out the title, but might find it a let-down.
"Ordinary People" is the kind of sentimental picture that really doesn't get made nearly as much 20 years later - or if the genre does present an offering, it's usually a rather generic one. Although I've never been a fan of melodramatic pictures, Robert Redford's 1981 Oscar winner admittedly is one of the more enjoyable entries, providing especially fine writing, directing and acting.
The film revolves around the Jarrett family - mainly son Conrad (Timothy Hutton), who was suicidal after the death of his older brother and is now seeing a helpful therapist named Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch). Excellent as his parents, Mary Tyler Moore plays Beth and Donald Sutherland plays Calvin. There are certainly problems within the family, but - and this certainly is a problem that still exists in many families today - things are left unsaid and emotions become sour. By the end of the picture, the family will have to come to terms with what has happened to them in the past and find what road they'll have to take in the future to remain a healthy, happy family. They have to open up and listen to one another.
Again, the reason why "Ordinary People" works as well as it does is simply because Redford has shown restraint in the way he presents the simple story. Although things may seem a little bit over-extended at slightly over two hours, Redford has chosen to pull back on things like score that, if over-used, could have really made it a bit more sappy. He relies on a top-notch cast to deliver and they certainly do, especially Sutherland and Hutton. Although some have had mixed reactions to the picture, I found it to be a strong drama that thankfully kept from getting too heavy-handed.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Ordinary People" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Although Paramount has been offering up titles that appear better and better looking in recent months, "Ordinary People" seems rather average in comparison. John Bailey ("For Love Of the Game" and the recent "Anniversary Party")'s cinematography seemed to often fall on the slightly softer side. The picture looked decently well-defined, but there are some darker scenes that appeared a tad murky.
I didn't notice any problems in regards to pixelation or edge enhancement, but there were some noticable print flaws along the way. Slight marks, speckles and an infrequent scratch were visible. The picture appeared mildly grainy at times, as well. The picture didn't look shockingly dirty or worn, but it was a little spottier than I'd expected, even from a picture that's now about 20 years of age.
Colors did not look exceptionally good, either. Although "Ordinary People" is certainly not going to be a film that boasts a vibrant color scheme, the picture seemed even more depressing with the dreary looking color palette, which appeared rather bland and flat looking on this presentation.
SOUND: Although Paramount often presents the audio of older titles in a remixed 5.1 version, "Ordinary People" is presented in mono - a 5.1 presentation wouldn't have likely done much for the dialogue-heavy "People". The mono audio doesn't offer a great deal, either; although the audio was dominated by dialogue, the general audio quality of not only the dialogue but the music seemed rather thin and flat.
MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus livened by sparse film-themed images.
EXTRAS:: Originally announced for a late Spring release, "Ordinary People" was delayed until August, reportedly to add a commentary track from director Robert Redford. A few weeks before the release date, the commentary track dissapeared from press details and unfortunately, did not manage to be on the final product for reasons still unknown. After Redford's almost-complete lack of involvement with the DVD release for the Dreamworks title "The Legend of Bagger Vance", this is another dissapointment. The only supplemental feature that is included is the film's theatrical trailer.
Final Thoughts: Unfortunately for fans of "Ordinary People", the DVD release seems utterly...well, ordinary. The award-winning and well-regarded picture gets only average audio and video quality, while the main supplemental feature that was going to be included didn't end up on the final product. Hardcore fans of the picture will still want to seek out the title, but might find it a let-down.
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