Robert Redford’s (in his directorial debut) Ordinary People, the 1980 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, is a heart-wrenching story of internalized pain, displaced guilt and the journey to self acceptance. Littered with powerful performances Ordinary People is a simple story of personal tragedy and a family’s attempt to come to terms with what happened and how to move forward.

Among the takeaways from this movie are:

• Pain needs to be expressed in healthy ways, not internalized
• The ability to forgive others, and ourselves, is a vital element of a complete life
• The truth can be painful but must always be seen open and honestly

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