Ordinary People

Dinah has a small but important role in this poignant, powerfully acted motion picture. It centers around a family being torn apart by tension and tragedy when the son of an upper-middle-class couple drowns in a boating accident. Conrad, the younger son who survived the accident, struggles with suicide, guilt, and his relationship with his unloving mother who seems to blame him for the death.

We learn (without being shown) that while spending time in a hospital, Conrad befriended a troubled young lady named Karen (Dinah). In need of someone to talk to, he calls Karen up and the two meet at a diner. He is surprised to see that she has seemingly overcome her problems and is doing great in school, she is even secretary of her drama club. As she leaves the diner, Karen says "Let's have a great year. Let's have the best year of our whole lives, ok! We can you know. This could be the best year ever!" Later Conrad calls her again to talk and is told that she has killed herself.

Dinah only appears in about five minutes of this film. It won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director--Robert Redford, Best Supporting Actor--Timothy Hutton, and Best Screenplay Adaptation.

Cast includes Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton.

     

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