Recognizing Ritual Problems In The Movie Ordinary People Directed By Robert Redford

Predicting Divorce PART II Group 1 - Veronica & Steve.

Recognizing Perpetual Problems In the movie "Ordinary People," directed by Robert Redford, the Jarrett family faces a lot of problems, mainly because they can’t talk about their feelings after losing their oldest son, Buck. Calvin wants to connect and understand everyone, but Beth often hides her emotions and tries to keep things looking normal. This difference in how they cope with grief creates tension and shows that they have deeper issues about how they see family and emotions. While Calvin wants to feel close to his family and heal, Beth is more focused on being in control, which only pushes them apart. The Jarretts' grief is like a never-ending argument that they can’t resolve—similar

Some of their conflicts, like how they manage daily chores, could be fixed with better communication, but if they don’t address these issues, it just creates more tension. Emotional Impact: The emotional effects of all these conflicts are really deep for the family. Relationship expert, John Gottman, mentions six signs that could predict divorce, and we can see these signs in the Jarretts' interactions. Calvin often feels ignored when he tries to share his feelings, and instead of listening, Beth criticizes him. This creates a cycle of resentment; Calvin ends up feeling lonely, while Beth feels overwhelmed by the emotions around her. Since they can't approach their feelings openly, it creates a toxic environment, one that is filled with misunderstandings rather than love. Every time Calvin tries to bring up an issue, Beth shuts him down, which just adds more anger and sadness. On top of this, their son Conrad is struggling with guilt and self-worth, making the emotional struggle even worse. Their unresolved feelings about Buck create a heavy sadness that stops them from healing. Stalemate Situations The film also shows several times when the

Their failure to talk openly leads to hopelessness, especially for Beth, who feels alone in her grief. Root Causes of Gridlock The main reason behind the Jarrett family's troubles lies in their different values and beliefs. Beth seeks control and perfection, while Calvin craves emotional connection and understanding. Conrad struggles with feelings of inadequacy, which makes things even more complicated because Beth hides her own pain. She wants her family to look perfect, so that people don’t know what they are passing through. Even though they might not fully solve these issues, they could work through them with open communication and a willingness to get help. Sometimes, it can be tough to tell the difference between problems that can be solved and those that just keep coming back. For example, the Jarretts’ ongoing issues with expressing their feelings illustrate a perpetual conflict, while specific daily frustrations could be easier to solve. When an ongoing problem leads to gridlock, signs include feeling rejected, having endless pointless discussions, being stuck in your views, like Beth’s refusal to see a therapist, saying she doesn’t want any more changes, conversations lacking humor, like Calvin’s uncertain smile when Beth told him that she loves him, he barely manages to say it back