Please Note: Paramount Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Post. The opinions I share are my own.

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You can also check out our reviews for the other releases in the ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray line by clicking on each title below!

Paramount Presents #1: Fatal Attraction (1987) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #2: King Creole (1958) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #3: To Catch A Thief (1955) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #4: Flashdance (1983) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #5: Days Of Thunder (1990) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #6: Pretty In Pink (1986) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #7: Airplane! (1980) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #8: Ghost (1990) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #9: Roman Holiday (1953) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #10: The Haunting (1999) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #11: The Golden Child (1986) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #12: Trading Places (1983) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #13: The Court Jester (1956) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #14: Elizabethtown (2005) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #15: Love Story (1970) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #16: The Greatest Show On Earth (1952) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #17: Mommie Dearest (1981) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #18: Last Train From Gun Hill (1959) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #19: 48 HRS (1982) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #20: Another 48 HRS (1990) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #21: Almost Famous (2000) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #22: A Place In The Sun (1951) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #23: Bugsy Malone (1976) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #24: Nashville (1975) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #25: The Sheik (1921) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #26: Breakdown (1997) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #27: Vanilla Sky (2001) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #28: Ragtime (1981) (Blu-ray Review)

Paramount Presents #29: Harold And Maude (1971) (Blu-ray Review)

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The acclaimed and multiple award-winning film ‘Ordinary People’ tells the story of a family that finds itself being torn apart after the loss of their eldest son causes everything to change. The film follows their surviving son newly released from the hospital after a suicide attempt as he tries to find some sense of normalcy in the wide open world while still struggling with the tragedy. Soon after giving therapy a chance he discovers a connection with his new doctor as he begins to open up. Meanwhile, his parents try to find a balance when their relationship becomes increasingly strained, especially with their drastically different attitudes toward their surviving child.

The emotional and touching 1980 masterpiece ‘Ordinary People’ makes its debut on Blu-ray here in the states as the thirtieth entry in the ongoing line of Limited Edition ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray releases which showcase notable films from Paramount’s expansive and decades-spanning library freshly remastered on Blu-ray with collectible packaging and extras. ‘Ordinary People’ definitely makes a perfect addition to the line and this thoroughly moving tale of one family’s decline after a terrible tragedy still hits all the right chords today and for the most part never shows its age (aside of course from the actors themselves). A remarkably powerful film that will have you hurting one moment and then warmly touch your heart the next, it’s certainly well deserving of its many awards and a film that isn’t to be missed if you haven’t previously had the pleasure. Directed by Robert Redford and based on the novel of the same name by Judith Guest, it also features unforgettable performances by Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, and of course Timothy Hutton who became the youngest actor to ever win a Best Supporting Oscar for his riveting portrayal of the family’s struggling son.

This new ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray release of Robert Redford’s masterful directorial debut ‘Ordinary People’ will almost surely be a must own for dedicated fans of this gem who should be nearly ecstatic about what it has to offer. Bringing the film home on Blu-ray in the US for the first time ever and with a fantastic new high definition video presentation from a new 4K film transfer that was overseen by Redford, paired with a Dolby TrueHD mono soundtrack, collectible packaging and a couple of notable extras new and exclusive to the release, it’s another outstanding offering from the ‘Paramount Presents’ line, serving up a true classic in impressive quality that never disappoints.

Overall, the ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray release of the phenomenal 1980 film ‘Ordinary People’ finally sees it arrive on Blu-ray here in the states for the first time ever and with quality that should truly thrill fans who have been awaiting its high definition disc debut. Sporting a gorgeous new high definition video presentation from a new 4K film transfer overseen by Robert Redford, paired with a highly competent Dolby TrueHD dual mono soundtrack and a couple brand new extras; not to mention the usual collectible packaging featured on each of the Limited Edition ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray releases, it all comes together to make for a quite rewarding Blu-ray debut of this masterpiece that aside from being a bit light on the extras is worthy of this remarkable film. If you’re a fan of ‘Ordinary People’ and already considering a purchase, this release is definitely highly recommended!

VIDEO:

The ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray release of ‘Ordinary People’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation of the film from a new 4K film transfer overseen by Redford, with its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. This newly remastered presentation looks spectacular as a whole and offers a clean, sharp and nicely detailed presentation from start to finish. Never suffering from any unexpected issues or troubles to be uncovered throughout, while still retaining plenty of grain and welcome elements of its original film source, it holds up splendidly and offers a rewarding presentation that never disappoints. Overall, this is a fantastic new high definition video presentation that should easily thrill fans of this outstanding film.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a 2.0 channel Dolby TrueHD Mono soundtrack. This mono (or dual mono) soundtrack delivers a clean, crisp and well balanced audio presentation throughout. It captures the music, dialogue and other auditory elements splendidly and keeps them from ever overpowering or contradicting one another; always ensuring that any dialogue or other key audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously with others remain clean, sharp and fully audible with no problems arising throughout. Overall, this is a solid 2.0 Dolby TrueHD mono soundtrack that delivers nicely across the board and shouldn’t disappoint in the slightest.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray release of ‘Ordinary People’ features the usual collectible packaging included on all of the Limited Edition ‘Paramount Presents’ Blu-ray releases, featuring a slipcase that opens up to feature a large version of the original theatrical poster, along with more photos on the inside of the interior Blu-ray case (see the included beauty shot from the studio at the bottom of the review for a look inside). The disc itself also includes a couple of brand new extras in the way of retrospective interviews: ‘Swimming in the Rose Garden: Timothy Hutton on Ordinary People’ (running approximately 11 minutes in length) and ‘Feeling is Not Selective: Judith Guest on Ordinary People’ (running approximately 5 minutes). The film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (approximately 2 minutes) is also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 7.5/10

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The Acclaimed & Award Winning ‘Ordinary People’ Arrives Home on Blu-ray March 29, 2022; Newly Remastered as part of the ‘Paramount Presents’ line from Paramount Home Entertainment

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