Good family film that touches on race issues.
347739
It was a cute film. A little slow at first, but as the movie went on it was filled with cute humor and a good story line.
624038
This movie was funny and lighthearted. It gave a great message on what family means and what is important. This is a must see film.
2850050
This film is a great family and cultural viewpoints creation. It takes the viewer on a emotionally packed journey through the various conflicts that can arise,and creates a tension that is resolved in noteworthy ways. A fun trip through food and culture differences that make the story a great story.
178334
It was a different look at what the cross means. Since there were some many people that had different things happening in their life, and how it affected that part of their life. This allow it to show that God is involved in everything that happens in your life, no matter how small or large the problem maybe. I highly recommend this as a good family film. It was fast paced and no boring.
2129409
A really good family movie about learning what is really important in life, family and loved one and not the job or how much money you make
6422
My family thoroughly enjoyed this movie. We were emotionally moved and encouraged with what one woman can do if she has the will-power. We were particularly interested in the story since it is based on true life in Virginia, which is where we live. There is violence and adult themes that might not be suitable for children. The adults in the family viewed it before allowing the older children to watch, and then we watched it with them.
587636
Very Good movie about child responsibility, parenting, marriage and morality. We have watched it several times. It is funny that the Baptist pastor is dressed like a Catholic priest.
4604490
Enjoyed the film very much. It lets you have a birds eye view on migrant workers lives and their difficult lives. I especially liked the Hispanic methods of making you part of the family. I also liked Kevin Costner working for day as a migrant worker and experiencing the hard work that they perform. Good movie and liked the ending shots that  showed those kids as grown up established members of society continuing to give back and running with the new group of high school  runners.
1119737
I really liked this movie for a gentle change with a family centered theme.
4564750
This was a very good family friendly movie. There were some excellent lessons about ridiculing people who are different, recovering from deep losses and respecting others.

It is all about relationships and how deep personal losses don't have to destroy your life. There was some cute dialogue between the little boy and Jonathan Toomey as the new nativity set was carved.

This is not the Bourne Identity, so don't expect fast paced action. This is more about human beings than car crashes and pyrotechnics.

The only reason I didn't give it a better review is that there could have been more chemistry with the actors. The emotions were a little flat, so it is not as good as it could have been.
3725562
I think where people have a problem with this movie is that it actually portrays people of color as, well, people, as multi-layered, as imperfect, as battling their own demons. There is no "protagonist" because this isn't a fairy tale - this is real life. This movie is excellent at portraying what POC go through in surviving daily life. It's really a taste though and deals with a small segment of upper middle class but it is important as it highlights where the most racism is - the place that it's most overlooked. More racial violence happened in the North than in the South post-Civil War because people didn't consider themselves racist.
If you didn't like this movie, I highly recommend reexamining yourself and not the movie.
3130182
This was a pretty good family movie to watch with my boys.
3888354
The best part of this movie is that it is set in a real-life area. It show the struggles that a family goes through.
3121837
This film probably didn't do as well at the box office because most moviegoers go for fun, not to get depressed. It's films like this that are best experienced at home. And it's a film that is an excellent jumping-off point for discussion with young (10 and above, though the two boys whom the film revolves around are only 9) children about the holocaust - which, all too often, seems to be losing its place in history.

I won't go into the detail of the plot as that is covered elsewhere on the Amazon site - and in other reviews. It is also important NOT to know how THIS story ends. (We all know how the holocaust ended.) It gives the film its impact.

In the standard "Making of" documentary (20 minutes) in the Special Features, we learn from both the Writer/Director, and the author of the book on which the film is based, that they want the film to be watched by families together and used as a discussion tool. The film is rated PG-13 "for Thematic Material involving the Holocaust". There is violence in the images of injured people (and the makeup is very graphic) but much is implied. We learn what is going on in the "work camp" by seeing fleeting images or hearing sounds.

At 94 minutes, the film is brief enough so that children will not get bored. It is NOT a film that, in my opinion, should be watched by children under 16 without a parent or other adult to answer questions they might have, or better yet, ask questions of the children to see that they understand.

Miramax made the production in partnership with BBC Films and nearly all the cast are British. (We learn in the documentary that that the woman playing the mother seems to be the sole American among the lead actors.) I did have a small problem at the beginning getting used to the British accents of all these characters who are supposed to be in Germany. (I guess I'm used to actors having German accents in films about the Holocaust.) But, after a while, I accepted it and moved on.

I have not listened to the director's commentary. And the deleted scenes included in the bonus features don't add much, but it's good they are included.

This is not a perfect film but well worth using as a teaching tool. The more that the younger generation knows about the Holocaust the better the chance that it will never be repeated.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
554902
We enjoyed this movie as a family. The overall message is positive and the places visited are quite varied and beautiful and of course the birds and bird call are interesting.
3620431
Every family isn't perfect, and has its issues. Some families have scars and pain that threaten to destroy them, like the family in this film: three ordinary people.

I had never seen Ordinary People until recently. I was a teen when it appeared in movie theaters. The film got Academy Awards for Director (Robert Redford, his first directing venture), Adapted Screenplay (Alvin Sargent), and Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton). Mary Tyler Moore was nominated as Best Actress for her very solid performance as the complex and flawed Beth Jarrett. Judd Hirsch got a nod for Supporting Actor.

What strikes me about this film is that it is brimming over with tension.
Wife and mother Beth maintains her well adjusted appearance at all costs, even if it means alienating her immediate family. She has swept her pain and grief under the rug. Wound up very tightly like a perfect bow on a gift, she is chiefly concerned with keeping up appearances and a life that seems normal and content. She shuns the truth and emotions. Vacations and golf help her stay numb and distracted. Her husband Calvin knows that things are not right, but will not admit it to himself. He is in denial about his family, and about how he truly feels.
The film's core is teenaged son Conrad; he is eaten up by his massive guilt over a family tragedy. Normally it should be the best time of his life. But he is a walking open sore, a raw nerve. Beth and Conrad are both repressed in many ways. She keeps a frosty distance from him, not even showing her child affection of any kind. He loses the friendship of his best buddy in school because of his angst and antisocial tendencies. Ironically, a good friend is the one thing that Conrad desperately needs at the moment, although he doesn't realize it. He refuses to reach out to others to help him endure the immense pain and conflict. There is heavy dysfunction in this family.

Every performance is exceptional among the four main characters. But I believe the most interesting has to be Mary Tyler Moore's role. It is not easy to convey what her character is about. She has to walk a thin line between mother and monster. This is not a big, showy role. Far from it. There are so many subtle qualities and nuances to the character. Everything Moore does is spot on: body language, posture, expressions. It must have been a real challenge for this actress, after years of playing perky Mary Richards in a sitcom on TV. She really showed her acting chops here in Ordinary People.

I must confess that throughout this film I felt a growing hatred for the character of Beth. But then I realize that she has gone through hell and just doesn't know how to cope any longer. She is a sad soul, and the worst part is that her life seems so normal from the outside... but inside she has died a bit. And it's damage that can't be undone.

This is such a simple movie but it is so powerful. It's a very realistic portrayal of a family that's crumbling. If you like good drama and haven't seen this, it's well worth viewing.
2365975
This film starring Maggie Smith is a wholesome, family friendly ghost tale. I would put it in the category with A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and Anne of Green Gables. In this story, the past and present overlap from time to time. The movie has a good moral message about kindness. Basically, a British boy stays with his paternal Grandmother during World War 2 while his mother tries to find his father who is serving in the war. The Oldknown family's ancestral home where he stays is a large manor on grounds that once had an abundance of servants, but now has only one cook and a groundskeeper. Via spontaneous time travel,  the boy encounters the people who lived there and gains a good understanding of his fanily and their ancestral home.