ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)
Story length excluding credits: 120 min.
Directed by Robert Redford
Writers: Judith Guest (novel), Alvin Sargent (screenplay), Nancy Dowd (uncredited)
Donald Sutherland (Calvin)
Mary Tyler Moore (Beth)
Judd Hirsch (Berger)
Timothy Hutton (Conrad)
Elizabeth McGovern (Jeannie)
Scott Doebler (Buck)
Dinah Manoff (Karen)
Helpful Link to an analysis of the book: http://www.bookrags.com/notes/op/
MORAL-PHYSICAL PREMISE STATEMENT (MPPS)
For those that don't need to wade thought the long analysis here's my take on the MPPS for ORDINARY PEOPLE.
A shorthand version:
Demanding perfection leads the loss of love and friendship;
but
Allowing imperfection leads to the gain of love and friendship.
but
Allowing imperfection leads to the gain of love and friendship.
A longer version, more instructive:
In the presence of stressful situations that are beyond our control:
Embracing idealism and demanding perfection
leads to the repression of feelings,
and the loss of love, friendship, and happiness;
but
Embracing reality and allowing imperfection
but
Embracing reality and allowing imperfection
leads to the expression of feelings,
and secures love, friendship, and happiness.
ANALYSIS
The Moral-Physical Premise Statement (MPPS) tells us what a successful movie is REALLY about. Analyzing such a film requires
