Ordinary People Script Review
(SPOILERS)
This screenplay is hailed as one of the best all time, and for could reason. From the first ten pages we know exactly what the entire movie will be about. Conrad's mother, Beth, is a woman who wants everything a certain way, but is very particular about the way they are done. Conrad's father, Calvin, is there to try and ease the tension in the family. He throughout the script he tries to play both sides of the family. In one scene he's consoling Conrad, in another he's doing the same for Beth. From first impressions he looks as though he has no spine, always happy, trying to make everything better.
As the script starts to unfold, we learn that something is wrong with Conrad. We don't know what, but by his actions and the way he holds himself, we can be sure something isn't right. We get the first glimpse of what this may be about around 20 or 30 pages in when in the middle of the night, he calls out his brothers name, "Buck."
Conrad reunites with a friend he made while in the mental hospital. We can tell this is his last string of sanity. They talk for a while and we learn she tried to kill herself as well.
The farther into the script we get, the more we can tell that Beth has not been connecting with Conrad. He often scares her and every time he tries to get close she backs away or makes an excuse why she has to leave. We still don't understand why though, and we feel as though she is just full of hatred towards Conrad.
Conrad continues to progress with his therapist, but soon everything spirals out of control. Before we know it, Conrad has quit the swim team, gotten into a fight, and lied to his parents. His life is spinning out of control and although he doesn't exactly see it yet, he knows something is wrong.
The one hope in Conrad's life rests on a new friend he makes in Jeannine. Although nervous, he asks her out. When she says yes, his whole life seems to take off for him. Soon he is happy and living life like before the "accident" that we have yet to find out about.
But this doesn't last long. Soon Conrad finds out his friend from the hospital killed he self and his life starts to crumble all over again. This is when we find out exactly what happened to Conrad's brother, Buck. I'll leave it to you to read and find out.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Conrad
Conrad progresses through the story the most, and he is our protagonist. At the beginning he portrays a kid who suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome and constantly tries to hide himself from the real world. Because of the isolation caused from the lack of attention that Beth gives him, Conrad has no self esteem or the motherly support he yearns for. By the end of the screenplay Conrad has changed to the point where he no longer blames his mother for the isolation, but embraces it. In a final attempt to reach out, he hugs his mother, getting no reaction in return.
Beth
Beth's character is much more complex than what we see at first glance. She holds in a hatred for Conrad and shows no emotion towards him. She often tries to avoid him, and when they do come into conflict she makes a point to quickly leave. She is in denial when it comes to the fact that she shows no love for Conrad. In fact, she is the one who suffers from depression. Although she masks this with tennis, parties, and friends, deep down we see that she is still suffering from the death of Buck.
Calvin
Calvin is the glue that holds the family together. He tries to avoid confrontations and tries to bring the family closer, failing at every attempt. Even when he agrees to go on another vacation towards the end, we see that he still wants Conrad to be involved. But like throughout most of the movie, is immediately shot down by Beth. By the end of the movie, the only thing he resolved between Beth and Conrad, is the destruction of the family, when Beth leaves Calvin and Conrad.
SCRIPT RATING
**** 4 out of 5.
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