Ordinary People and Family Systems
As you read you will learn information of the 1980 movie Ordinary People, the theory of family systems, and how they relate to one another. I will describe some basic information about the movie as well as key points that I feel will connect to the idea of family systems. I will also touch base on strictly the theory of Family systems for a better understand of the characters and plot of the movie.
The movie, Ordinary People, is about a family that is currently suffering the unexpected death of their son, Buck, due to a boating accident. Shortly after, their youngest son and now only child, Conrad, tries to committee suicide by slitting his wrists, but was saved by his father, Calvin, who found him in the bathroom. Conrad was with Buck on the boat and witnessed his brother’s death. He then stayed in a hospital for four months, and during his stay there his mother, Beth, never came to visit him. Briefly after he is released he starts seeing a therapist, who eventually becomes Calvin’s therapist as well, named Dr. Berger. Dr. Berger progressively forces Conrad to feel all the emotions he was holding in and overcome them. You see the struggles the family goes through individually as well as a whole, trying to hold themselves together. Conrad let’s the guilt of his brother’s death eat away at him. At one point during the movie Conrad says, “it has to be someone’s fault, otherwise there’s no point.” Meaning that he blames himself for his brothers death all on his own, but also feels that he owes it to his parents for there to be someone to blame. The Mother repeatedly caused me to feel anger. I truly believe she was strictly a selfish woman, cared too much about her social status, and didn’t love her son. In the movie you learn that she cared for her oldest son Buck more than she did Conrad. Because of Conrad’s current state love from both parents is truly needed considering the shame he feels he brought upon them. Beth’s bitter feelings and lack of love
The movie, Ordinary People, is about a family that is currently suffering the unexpected death of their son, Buck, due to a boating accident. Shortly after, their youngest son and now only child, Conrad, tries to committee suicide by slitting his wrists, but was saved by his father, Calvin, who found him in the bathroom. Conrad was with Buck on the boat and witnessed his brother’s death. He then stayed in a hospital for four months, and during his stay there his mother, Beth, never came to visit him. Briefly after he is released he starts seeing a therapist, who eventually becomes Calvin’s therapist as well, named Dr. Berger. Dr. Berger progressively forces Conrad to feel all the emotions he was holding in and overcome them. You see the struggles the family goes through individually as well as a whole, trying to hold themselves together. Conrad let’s the guilt of his brother’s death eat away at him. At one point during the movie Conrad says, “it has to be someone’s fault, otherwise there’s no point.” Meaning that he blames himself for his brothers death all on his own, but also feels that he owes it to his parents for there to be someone to blame. The Mother repeatedly caused me to feel anger. I truly believe she was strictly a selfish woman, cared too much about her social status, and didn’t love her son. In the movie you learn that she cared for her oldest son Buck more than she did Conrad. Because of Conrad’s current state love from both parents is truly needed considering the shame he feels he brought upon them. Beth’s bitter feelings and lack of love