Reviews

This movie is emotional because of the great interpretations of lead actors as Jack Nicholson, Debra Winger and the wonderful Shirley MacLaine. The film is not so wonderful until the discuss between Aurora, a divorced and hurt mother who lives without feeling of love and his no-young neighbour. The final sequence of the movie with the death of Aurora's daughter is so intensive and sensitive. Moreover, the directing of James L. Brooks and the score composed by Michael Gore allows to the movie reaching a statu of "a great oeuvre".

This is such a brilliant movie.

The different interpretations of the lead actors are wonderful : Donald Sutherland is so touching and Mary Tyler Moore embodies a mother who lost her "faculty of loving", If I may say, with the death of her first son. Timothy Hutton delivers a masterly performance at the age of 19-20 of the brother and son, respectively, who doesn't find his way of life since the accident but who begins to integrate himself in the "real world", as it is said in the movie, at the end. The fact that the mother leaves the house tears the family.

We cannot suppose if the mother will be able to go back to her husband and her son or if she will not return.

However, the final reconciliation father-son gives a note of hope.

The score "Canon in D major" offers to the movie a gold case. This type of movies is very specific at the time of the 70's-80's : a simple and so great movie about "Ordinary people".