Berger, also played brilliantly by Judd Hirsch, helps Conrad through thick and thin. Reluctantly, he begins to see a shrink at the advice of his father. Conrad of course feels responsible, and has already tried to take his own life once before. By the end, our thoughts have been altered a bit and its a film that leaves you thinking.Ĭonrad, played brilliantly by Timothy Hutton in an Oscar winning role, is the depressed suicidal son of a couple struggling to cope with their son's drowning death. This is a powerful directing debut from Robert Redford, a great family drama that goes every which way but down. Reviewed by qdude440 10 /10 Great Family Drama It's a great film to watch WITH your kids and discuss what you see. I am a very conservative parent, and yet I found this to be totally acceptable for my 15 year-old. If filmed today, this would no doubt be a PG-13 film.
#A life less ordinary movie torrent movie
There are a few REALLY CHOICE WORDS used here and there, but otherwise this is a great movie for teens. For this to be Robert Redford's directorial debut is absolutely amazing and he surely earned that Best Director Oscar.įYI-although this movie is rated R, it is only for language. And the great Christmas photo scene-it just screams out "this is real!!". In particular, I love the scene with Sutherland at the psychiatrist's office as he talks about his marriage.and his eyes keep looking away and avoiding the doctor as he says how much he loves her. How wonderfully framed the shots were, how wonderfully the music fit in and how unflinching the movie dealt with pain. In addition, as I have watched the film several times, I keep noticing just how perfect the direction was. The film is neither manipulative nor condescending-this is the way more films SHOULD be. Again and again and again, the viewer is rewarded by a brutally honest script that is about people who would be real-not Hollywood's idea of "people". He has no miracle cure but tries his best to get Hutton, and later Sutherland, to work hard at uncovering their dysfunction. Finally, Judd Hirsch plays the therapist-and one of the most realistically portrayed therapists on film. Timothy Hutton is, despite his being the patient, the healthiest one in the family, as his suicide attempt is a strong cry for help. She is not mentally ill but has a very sick personality, as she is cold as ice emotionally and deals with problems through massive amounts of denial as well as stuffing her anger WAY down deep. He also cannot face that the family's dysfunction is mostly controlled and maintained by his very disturbed wife, played wonderfully by Mary Tyler Moore. Donald Sutherland is the enabler who denies there is a problem-even after one son dies by accident and the other attempts suicide. Therapy is not a miracle cure that takes effect almost immediately (like in GOOD WILL HUNTING) and the parents BOTH have a strong role in keeping the family sickness alive. And, having worked with dysfunctional families, this movie gets it right time and time again. Part of the reason I love it so much might be because I was a psychotherapist before becoming a school teacher (mid-life crisis, you know). Now it was not all due to him, as the story was so well-written and the acting is dead on for all the characters. It's absolutely amazing that for his directorial debut, Robert Redford created such a masterpiece. I might consider putting this movie in my top 10 list of best movies. Reviewed by MartinHafer 10 /10 One of the finest and most true to life movies ever