So I just got back from dying-from-cancer-land with the last movie, and now I’m off to my-brother-died-and-now-I-hate-myself-and-also-want-to-die-ville. Damn, man. These Oscar films are tough. Does every single one have to be such a downer? Even The Sound of Music had to insert an escape from Nazis at the end. Can’t we all just tra-la-la to the big night to collect our golden trophies without offing anyone or ourselves in the meantime?

In Ordinary People, Donald Sutherland is a father playing the middle man to his wife and son, who have seemingly lost all connection with each other after the death of the family’s oldest son/brother, Buck. Conrad (Timothy Hutton), is the newly suicidal and depressed son who is barely hanging on and dying (not literally, but he might as well have!) for acknowledgment and love from his cold-hearted bitch of a mother (a role in which Mary Tyler Moore nailed…who knew!).   

The film also sparks the directorial debut of Robert Redford, a name which has been continuously popping up here and there along my quest. I still don’t really care about him. But hey, good job Bobbo!

Oh, man. There goes my blasé attitude again. Seeing as I’m going to be watching over 80 movies, it’s hard to get excited about everyone and everything. Robert Redford seems to be Victim Numero Uno in my utter sensory overload. Maybe he will seek redemption further down the line, but I’m also completely certain that he doesn’t give a flying fuck about what I think. But it’s cool. My mom still likes him.

I know I shouldn’t really expect any “uppers” on this trail, but it’d be nice for the Academy to throw me a bone on this one. Hopefully the 2012 winner isn’t a complete buzzkill. Oftentimes, because of the tone and content of most of these films, I really have to mentally prepare before diving into a new installment. There’s only so much familial death and infinite sadness a guy can take. And even though Ordinary People probably shouldn’t be seen as close to a viewing of Terms of Endearment, it still really was a fantastic portrait of a broken American family.  

Quest speed: Cruisin’.
Mood: Less overwhelmed, more enthusiastic.