Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton. The story concerns the disintegration of an upper-middle-class family in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the death of the older son in a boating accident. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent was based upon the 1976 novel Ordinary People by Judith Guest. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning that year's Academy Award for Best Picture as well as three other Oscars, including one for Timothy Hutton.