The word "ordinary" could easily describe this Paramount DVD edition of the Oscar-winning film Ordinary People. Starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, and Timothy Hutton, the Academy Awards were much kinder to this family drama than Paramount is to this disc. Sporting a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, this title suffers from excessive grain, imperfections, and age. The images often look very flat and dull, with colors suffering from bleeding and fading. Considering this title is over 20 years old, some flaws can be forgiven, but this transfer could easily have been cleaned up to look more presentable. Most black levels are even, though some edge enhancement is noticeable. Audio for Ordinary People is presented in Dolby Digital Mono 1.0 (in both English and French) and is adequate, though definitely nothing impressive. Since this is a dialogue-driven film, the mono track suffices just fine. The dialogue, musical score, and minimal effects are usually clear and concise with no distortion present. Hiss is heard in some spots during the film, but once again age has more to do with this imperfection than the audio transfer. Also included on the disc are English subtitles. For a movie that won four coveted Oscars, it's baffling that Paramount has decided not to include any real substantial bonus material on the disc. Besides an anamorphic theatrical trailer, Ordinary People is as bare as they come. Someday down the road this acclaimed drama deserves better treatment than what Paramount has dished out this time around.