Introduction
This is a film about the sudden death of a
teenager and the psychological effect that the loss has on each
remaining family member. It provides a portrait of
depression, and possible post-traumatic stress disorder, in a
teenager, in the context of a family that can’t communicate
effectively.
Ordinary People also captures the
essence of the relationship between patient and therapist as the
process of psychotherapy is shown to unfold between the teenager
and his psychiatrist. One interesting anachronism in the film is
that the psychiatrist is seen smoking during almost every session,
reminding us just how much has changed since 1980.
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| Based on a book by Judith Guest and directed by
Robert Redford in 1980, Ordinary People won four Oscars
and attracted critical acclaim. After the film’s release, Redford
also received many letters of praise from psychiatrists in America,
who were pleased that their profession was shown in a better light
than was usual in the movies.
This film was Robert Redford's directorial
debut and he is quoted as saying about it: "Ordinary
People has lots of colors. It is a picture of behavior, about
something of depth. It has to do with the family unit, which
interests me. And with people who keep their lives in perfect order
— they interest me. It's about the effort to communicate by a young
person through the fog of social structures he's raised in. I don't
know what this picture will say to teenagers but I hope it has a
message for their parents. I hope it tells them loud and clear to
listen to what their children have to say."
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The Film
Ordinary People is set in
upper-middle class suburban America (Illinois), where the Jarrett
family have lived a seemingly ‘perfect’ life until the sudden death
of their eldest son, Buck, in a boating accident which also
involved their younger son Conrad, who survives.
The film begins with scenes that show the
family trying to get on with their lives but revealing that just
below the surface lies a profound lack of communication. Mother,
Beth, is desperate to keep up appearances in public and show that
all is now well. It becomes apparent, however, that Conrad is
struggling with insomnia, flashbacks, isolation at college and an
inability to ‘play happy families’. His father, Calvin, seems more
attuned to his son’s difficulties and encourages him to seek help
from a psychiatrist, Dr Berger. At this point it becomes clear that
Conrad has been in hospital for four months following a suicide
attempt.
The ‘back story’ is told through Conrad’s
twice weekly therapy sessions with Dr Berger and reveals that Buck,
a successful athlete, was always his mother’s favourite while
Conrad struggled to feel love from her. This feeling of
rejection by his mother seems to have worsened since the death of
Buck and the film shows us evidence to support this belief.
Conrad is gradually enabled to express many
unspoken feelings about the relationship with his mother as well as
his survivor guilt and rage about the boating accident and his
brother’s death. The complex transformation that begins to
take hold in Conrad is well illustrated and leads to changes in his
father Calvin too.
We see Conrad begin to recover optimism as he
starts dating a sensitive, nonjudgmental girl from school but an
unexpected event threatens his improving mental state. He
turns in crisis to Dr Berger at this point and is helped to
recognise the damaging effect of his unspoken resentment and anger
toward his mother. In the confrontation that follows between Conrad
and Beth we find out that she never visited him in the psychiatric
hospital. This exchange is witnessed by Calvin, who begins to
question his relationship with his wife as he observes her coldness
toward Conrad.
The final scenes are not ‘Happy ever after’
but are grounded in Calvin and Conrad experiencing the beginnings
of an honest and truthful relationship between parent and teenage
child.
Relevance to the field of Mental Health
This film, in the broadest sense, explores the
varied responses of different personality types struggling to work
through their grief. It is also about a family trying to deal with
the aftermath of their surviving son’s suicide attempt and ongoing
depression. It highlights the importance of good
communication within families as the film gradually uncovers the
significant difficulties that were present between the members of
the Jarrett family before the accident. Under stress these
difficulties become magnified.
Ordinary People provides a wonderful
starting point for a discussion about the indications for
individual
psychotherapy and family therapy and accurately illustrates the
psychological resistance of a family member to any form of outside
intervention that can so seriously interfere with the healing of
the whole family.
By using the scenes of the therapy to tell the
‘back story’, the film cleverly mirrors the way in which
information is often revealed over a period of time during
psychodynamic psychotherapy, with neither the therapist nor the
patient knowing the complete story at the start. It also
demonstrates the importance, to the therapist, of observing when
and how a patient chooses to disclose particular information and
offers a very good understanding of the processes involved in
discovering hidden emotions and allowing them to find
expression.
Finally, Ordinary People highlights
the stigma that still surrounds psychiatric treatment for many
people and perhaps helps us to understand why there is an urgent
need to encourage awareness amongst young people about depression,
suicidal feelings and the help that is available. For an
excellent review of the topic of self-harm in adolescents, I can
recommend the article by Alison Wood in Advances in
Psychiatric Treatment last November.
There is plenty of information for young people about all aspects of mental health
on the Royal College of Psychiatrists website and a
booklet is available to download on Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Services (CAMHS), specifically for young people in the
UK.
Any member of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists interested in recording their view about the
portrayal of the psychiatrist in this film or any other film can
cast a vote in the survey set up by psychiatrist, Dr Peter Byrne,
at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/50films,
in preparation for a Top 50 Psychiatry Film series beginning in the
BJPsych in 2011.
(Thanks to my colleague D.G. for suggesting
this film to me).
Further information about Ordinary
People can be found at IMDB, and a short
trailer can be viewed here.
The DVD is available to purchase at
amazon.co.uk.
Minds on Film blog is written by Dr Joyce Almeida.
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