“Ordinary People” quotes
(1980)
Robert Redford
directed this movie
in 1980
Title Ordinary People
Year 1980
Director Robert Redford
Genre Drama
Year 1980
Director Robert Redford
Genre Drama
Plot – Since his elder brother Buck died, Conrad Jarrett is no longer a good kid to his parents. He is 16 and falls into depression, attempting suicide and spending a period in a hospital. His only friend is Karen. Back to school, he's tormented by a confused sense of guilt. Dr. Berger, a valid psychoanalyst, tries to help him overcome his complexes. His spiritual disorder begins indeed from his brother's accident, but concerns his relationship with the mother. Even Jeannine, a girl he has met in the choir, helps him. While Conrad seems to recover, his father distances his wife by his son, convinced that Beth's attitude harms Conrad. Father and son then hug and console each other.
All actors – Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton, M. Emmet Walsh, Elizabeth McGovern, Dinah Manoff, Fredric Lehne, James Sikking, Basil Hoffman, Quinn K. Redeker, Mariclare Costello
show all“Ordinary People” Quotes 29 quotes
- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: I just want to talk about something I always remembered.
- Beth Jarrett: Why do you want to remind me?
- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: Because I've always wondered, in some needling way, what it mattered what I wore. I was crazy that day. We were going to our son's funeral and you were worried about what I wore on my feet. I'm... (continue)(continue reading)“You need everything neat and easy. I don't know. Maybe you can't love anybody. It was so much Buck. When Buck died, it was as if you buried all your love with him, and I don't understand that, I just don't know, I don't... maybe it wasn't even Buck; maybe it was just you. Maybe, finally, it was the best of you that you buried. But, whatever it...” (continue)(continue reading)
“Don't admire people too much. They'll disappoint you sometimes.”
“- Ward: Beth, we don't want anything from you; Audrey, Cal, Connie and Me, we just want you to be happy.
- Beth Jarrett: Happy! Ward, you tell me the definition of happy. But first you better make sure your kids are good and safe, that they haven't fallen of a horse, been hit by a car, or drown in that swimming pool you're so proud of!
- Audrey:...” (continue)(continue reading)- Dr. Berger: Maybe you were stronger. Did it ever occur to you that you might have been stronger? How long are you going to punish yourself? When are you going to quit?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: Oh God, I'd like to quit...- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: You tell her to stop it! You never tell her a goddamn thing! And I know why she never came to the hospital because she was too busy going to goddamn Spain and goddamn Portugal! Why should she care if I'm hung up by the balls out there!
- Beth Jarrett: Maybe this is how they sit around and talk at the hospital, but we're... (continue)(continue reading)- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: I made a 74 on a trig quiz.
- Beth Jarrett: Oh really? Gosh I was awful at trig.
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: Oh. Really? You took trig?
- Beth Jarrett: No... wait a minute... ha, did I take trig? Huh... anyway, I bought you two shirts, they're on your bed.- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: You are beautiful. And you are unpredictable. But you're so cautious. You're determined, Beth; but you know something? You're not strong. And I don't know if you're really giving. Tell me something. Do you love me? You really love me?
- Beth Jarrett: I feel the way I've always felt about you.- Dr. Berger: It hurts to be mad at him, doesn't it?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: God, I loved him. It's not fair. You just do one wrong thing, and...
- Dr. Berger: And what was the one wrong thing you did? You know. You know.
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: I hung on. I stayed with the boat.
- Dr. Berger: Exactly.- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: Connie! Your mother did come to the hospital, you know she did, she had the flu and couldn't come inside but she came to the hospital!
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: She never would have had any flu if Buck was in the hospital, she would have come if Buck was in the hospital!
- Beth Jarrett: Buck never would have been in the... (continue)(continue reading)“A little advice about feelings kiddo; don't expect it always to tickle.”
- Jeannine: Hey, you stand behind me in the choir, you sing well, you have a lot of energy.
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: Oh you do... I mean, I do?
- Jeannine: I mean that's a good thing.- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: You're really weird, what do you feel, huh? Do you jerk off, or jack off, or whatever you call it?
- Dr. Berger: What do you think?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: What do I think? I think you're married to a fat lady and you go home and you fuck the living daylights out of her!
- Dr. Berger: Sounds good to me.- Dr. Berger: What are you thinking now?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: That I jack off a lot.
- Dr. Berger: So what else is new? Does it help?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: For a minute.- Jeannine: Why did you do it?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: Uh... I don't know. It was like... falling into a hole. It keeps getting bigger and bigger and you can't escape. All of a sudden, it's inside... and you're the hole. You're trapped. And it's all over. Something like that. It's not really scary... except when you think back on it. 'Cause you... (continue)(continue reading)- Jeannine: Did it hurt?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: I don't remember, really.
- Jeannine: You don't want to talk about it?
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: I've never really talked about it. To doctors. But, not to anyone else. You're the first who's asked.- Beth Jarrett: How do I hurt you? By embarrassing you in front of a friend? "Poor Beth, she has no idea what her son is up to, he lies and she believes every word of it".
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: I didn't lie!
- Beth Jarrett: You did! You lied every time you came into this house at 6.30! If its starting all over again, the lying, the covering up... (continue)(continue reading)- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: Some things happen in this world, people don't always have the answers for them, you know! I don't know what I'm yelling at you for.
- Conrad "Con" Jarrett: No, that's good! Haul my ass sometimes! You know, the way you used to do with him!
- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: Oh, he needed it! You were always so hard on yourself, I... (continue)(continue reading)- Beth Jarrett: I want this to be a nice Christmas.
- Calvin "Cal" Jarrett: I do too. I want all of them to be nice Christmases.
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