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Ee ------------------ a I TT TN A Liv "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2001-9 Ordinary People still remains a powerful experience SCREENING ROOM By John Foote ORDINARY PEOPLE (Ve Ledevy) : Directed by Robert Redford Now on video and DVD Based on the best-selling novel by Judith Guest, this film explores the impact of death, grief, and flight on an upper class, highly dysfunctional family in the Chicago suburbs. Winner of four Academy Awards back in 1980, the film was well directed by Robert Redford, who made his directorial debut with it, winning himself both the Oscar and the prestigious Directors Guild Award. Oddly enough, it was the first of three straight Oscars that would go to actors stepping behind the camera, with Warren Beatty winning in 1981 for Reds, and Richard Attenborough in 1982 for Gandhi. Ever since, Oscar smiles on actors who have the courage to direct films and make them work. Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, and Mel Gibson have won Oscars since, often for films that were not the best of the year. Redford's win comes with question a mark because that same year Martin Scorsese pushed the limits of cinematic art with his explosive biography of Jake Lamotta in Raging Bull (1980). Regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, it seems downright silly that Raging Bull was not the best film of the year, and Scorsese best director. Yet watching Ordinary People, one can see how the Academy was swayed by the gentle power of Rédford's film, and the courage of the actors in the lead roles. While I still maintain that Raging Bull is a greater film, Ordinary People certainly remains a powerful experience. The Jarrett family has suffered the death of their eldest son, Buck, killed in a boating accident that the younger son, Conrad (Timothy Hutton), survived. Racked with guilt, Conrad attempts sui- cide and is sent to a mental hospital to deal with his demons. The film opens just a few weeks after he returns home, goes back to school, and tries to deal with his life that has been smashed to pieces. Chief among the issues he is dealing with, is his relation- ship with his mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), a coolly distant woman who can- not display affection to him. This does not go unnoticed by Cal (Donald Sutherland), her husband, who feels for his younger son, and tries constantly to reach out to him, suspecting the boy is still tormented. The situation escalates out of control "when Cal begins to understand that part of Conrad's problem is his mother, and the indifferent manner in which she treats her son. A visit to the boy's therapist reveals that like his son, Cal has never fully come to terms with losing his eldest son, and harbours deep rooted resent- ment towards his wife. Redford's greatest strength as a direc- tor is with the actors, who deliver superb performances on every level. In a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance Timothy Hutton captures the angst of Conrad, but also his agony in having survived the ordeal. His haunted eyes speak volumes, and this edgy performance deservedly won the Oscar for supporting actor. In a daring move, casting against type, Mary Tyler Moore is outstanding as the stand-offish mother, who is quietly griev- ing for her favourite son, while trying to understand her youngest's violent actions. As a woman who cannot stand a mess, which her life has become one, she is secretly coming apart at the seams, all the while keeping up a strong front. Moore was nominated for an Oscar for her performance and the role seemed to pave the way for a marvelous movie career for the actress, but it simply did not come to pass. Donald Sutherland was the only cast member not nominated for an Oscar, and oddly enough he strikes me as the most deserving. His Cal is a loving father and husband, devastated by the death of his son, and resentful of his wife that he was never allowed to grieve. He was dealt a double blow when Conrad attempted sui- cide, and is still reeling from that horrific ordeal. He overdoes his concern for the boy, but it is always sincere, and their final exchange together on the back porch of their home will break your heart. When he confesses his love for his son at the end of the picture, the look in his eyes will not allow the audience to remain dry eyed. This is not a showy perfor- mance, unlike many that Sutherland became famous for giving, but rather a subtle, realistic character in utter pain. How Sutherland was overlooked for an Oscar nomination for best actor is beyond me, and one of the great injustices in Academy history. Ordinary People has a muted quality that confounded some audiences and reviewers, yet it is there for a purpose. That final, jarring scene between Conrad and his therapist, nicely portrayed by Judd Hirsch, drips with emotion, and had we had emotion before that, it would lack the power it has. As an actor, Redford was always some- what muted, rarely taking chances with his personae, but here he encourages others to take those very risks, and it beautifully pays off. Ordinary People was the first of several films he has since directed includ- ing The River Runs Through It (1992), and the Oscar nominated Quiz Show (1994). The DVD contains the widescreen pre- sentation of the film plus interviews with cast about the making of the film, and in particular, the director's approach. THE SHOOTIST Directed by Don Siegel now on DVD/ video (****) The last great American western of the seventies, before the era of Heaven's Gate (1980), was Don Siegel's nostalgic drama The Shootist (1976), which was the last film of John Wayne. Cast as John Bernard Books, Wayne Turn to Page 10 GRAN Ti URISMO' [ wl . 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