Movie Analysis: Ordinary People

The movie Ordinary People describe the dysfunction of the Jarrett family after The oldest son, Buck, drowns in an accident and Conrad, the protagonist and brother of Buck, tries to kill himself. The movie starts with Conrad out of the hospital and trying to move on with his life. The communication in the household is disastrous, even hostile at times. Conrad and his parents, Beth and Calvin, engage in verbal silence and verbal abuse, which makes the household more dysfunctional. Using conflict management would allow the family to express their ideas and opinions in a healthier manner. This would probably lead to a growth in the bond they share. Conrad is the seventeen year old son of Beth and Calvin. He is a hard worker in school and is a part of the school swim team and choir. Conrad’s largest flaw in his personality is the way he holds back his emotions. A year after the accident, Conrad tries to commit suicide and is placed in an institution for a short time. When he gets out, he must deal with his inner demons. A scene from the movie that displays Conrad’s struggle with expressing emotions is when Beth, his mother, refuses to take a picture with him. He yells at the family to drop the idea of them being together in a picture. This is an example of attacking, because he uses loaded language that grabs the
He follows what he is told and gives into the opinions and desires of others before his own. He is passive, yet caring. He wants the best for his family, yet often fails to see the problems, or at least fails to address them. An example of Calvin’s fight or flight response is when he tells his wife he doesn’t think he loves her anymore. He does this because he is concerned about what beth said to him the day of Buck’s funeral. She tells him to wear a different outfit instead of grieving over the loss of their son. While justified in his concern over the comment she made, calling off the marriage is a bit