Oscars: Every Best Picture Winner Ever Ranked From Worst To Best

41. Ordinary People (1980)

Ordinary People DI
Paramount Pictures

Robert Redford's directorial debut is a generally wonderful adaptation of Judith Guest's novel, providing insightful observations into the state of the modern American family, accentuated by excellent performances from Mary Tyler Moore and young Timothy Hutton (the latter winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar yet his career curiously stagnating afterward).

Ordinary People gets a lot of flak for beating out both Raging Bull and The Elephant Man for the big gong - and justifiably so - but if you can approach it without that baggage, it is a pleasantly stripped-down Best Picture winner free of over-the-top sentiment or awards-baiting bombast.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.