Ordinary People

  • (0:02)   Walking Bridge Seen In The Opening Credits / Still Searching For This Location

  • (0:02)  Gazebo Seen In Opening Credits / Southwest Corner Of Where E. Center Avenue And E. Scranton Avenue Meet, Lake Bluff (Note: It Looks To Be Part Of Artesian Park)

  • (0:02)  Church Seen / First Presbyterian Church; 700 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest

  • (0:03)  School Exterior / Lake Forest High School; 1285 N. McKinley Road, Lake Forest

  • (0:10)  The Family House / 1199 Lincoln Avenue S, Highland Park

  • (0:14)  The Swimming Pool / Lake Forest College; 555 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest

  • (0:16)  Dr. Berger's Office / 1866 Sheridan Road, Highland Park

  • (0:30)  The House That Hosted The Party / 880 N. Green Bay Road, Lake Forest

  • (0:37)  Conrad And Karen Meeting At A Restaurant / Walker Brothers Pancake House; 153 Green Bay Road, Wilmette

  • (0:48)  Calvin Walking In Downtown Chicago / They Are Walking East Along The North Side Of The Chicago River With The N. Wabash Avenue Bridge In The Background, Chicago

  • (1:03)  Conrad Happily Walking Through A Park And Singing To A Deer Statue / Triangle Park; 401 Walnut Road, Lake Forest (Note: He Is Walking In A Southwest Direction)

  • (1:15)  Calvin Jogging / Forest Park Path Running North, Lake Forest (Note: The Scene Begins Near The Intersection Of The Path And Spring Lane)

  • (1:23)  Scene In The Mall / Northbrook Court Mall; 2171 Northbrook Court, Northbrook

  • (1:26)  Jeannie's House / 308 Scott Street, Lake Forest

  • (1:32)  The Golf Course In Houston / Still Searching For This Location

35 comments:

  1. the mall scene is at Neiman Marcus in Northbrook Court mall (same mall as seen in Weird Science) located in Northbrook, IL

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  2. Was the family home used in Ordinary People located in Highland Park, IL, or in Lake Forest, IL. Thanks. Brian

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  3. The house where the party was located is 880 Greenbay Road Lake Forest. The party with filmed during the day with black cloth over all the windows.

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    1. I assume you mean 880 N. Green Bay Road? It looks like the right house if so. Thank you for the info as I have now added it to the page.

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    2. A few days ago, I snapped a picture of the party house at 800 Green Bay.

      I'd be happy to share it on this page.

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    3. 880 is correct, my high school friend lived there at the time.

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  4. The golf course scene was filmed at Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest.

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  5. Do you know where the grandparents' house is located?

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    1. I read that the bathroom scene in the grandparent's house was shot in the actual Jarrett house (the interiors of which were actually constructed in a warehouse just out of town--the scenes inside were extensive). Since the exterior of the grandparent's house is never shown, I'm betting that the interiors (which were brief) were also shot within the Jarrett house.

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  6. Golf course scene in Houston filmed at Apple Valley Country Club in Apple Valley, CA

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  7. The exterior of the grandparents' house actually is shown, albeit for a split second and only partially. It shows up about an hour and a half into the movie, when Conrad learns that Karen killed herself. He runs out of the house at night.

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    1. Yes! You are correct. I have heard that although much of the film was shot in sequence (with the exception of the therapy scenes) most of the night exteriors were shot at about the same time. This must have been both hectic and exhausting.

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  8. A million thanks for all of this great work.

    Can anyone verify where the town square is located that Conrad runs through at night and calls Berger?

    I had been at the downtown in Lake Forest where the railroad station is located and it seems to resemble the town square depicted int he film.

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    1. I *finally* made my long-dreamed of journey to Lake Forest, in '96. After surveying the Square, I, too, assumed the night scene you mentioned was filmed there.

      I happened by a real estate office nearby and the women associates there gave me a brief rundown of some of the film locales.

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  9. I believe you are correct. BTW--the flashbacks of the boating accident were filmed at the much-used Blue Sky Tank in front of the huge cyclorama at Paramount Studios. The tank (which when drained is just part of the parking lot) doubled for San Francisco Bay in Star Trek IV and innumerable other ST projects.

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    1. And that is correct, too, Tim.

      I remember taking a tour of Paramount lot back in the late 80s and the guide said as much.

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    2. I used to live across the street from Paramount--when I saw the fake blue sky through the bus windows, I knew I was at my stop...

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  10. I'd like to add a footnote to the above location of "Calvin and Ray Walking In Downtown Chicago". The building alongside their path was once the iconic Sun-Times. Since torn down, The Trump Int'l Tower is now in its place.

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  11. i was at the Walker Bros Original Pancake House when the filming of Karen and Conrad meeting took place. It took a week to film that scene. What a lot of equipment to film a 37 second scene

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  12. Since next year will be the 40th anniversary of Ordinary People commencing principal photography, would anyone on this page be interested in doing a group tour?

    Of course, early-to-mid October would be in ideal keeping with the film's exterior Autumn scenes.

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  13. That would be great. Do you live in the Chicago area?

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  14. I actually think the golf course scenes were filmed at Deerpath Golf Course 500 Deerpath, Lake Forest, IL 60045. It seems like the trees have no leaves on them and I heard back in the day that it was filmed there. Check it out.

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  15. I grew up in Lake Bluff 1956-1966, born in Lake Forest Hospital. We're there any other scenes filmed in Lake Bluff besides the Gazebo in the beginning?

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  16. A few days ago, I snapped a picture of the party house at 800 Green Bay.

    I'd be happy to share it on this page.

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    1. Hi, you can send it to me if you want and I can place it in the exact spot. Thank you

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    2. across from west park

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  18. The bridge could be one in east Lake Forest that has since been restored. It is a public bridge over a ravine that has been closed to automobile traffic and connects a semi-private section of Walden Road with a public but very lightly used residential street, Bluff’s Edge.

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    1. yes, that's where I would have guessed too. Off Sheridan road before westleigh.

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  19. How funny you should post these two comments on the day that TCM will air OP during their Sutherland tribute tonight.

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  20. Mine is the above comment regarding the Sutherland tribute on TCM. I'd forgotten to use my name.

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  21. I grew up going to Walker Brothers Pancake House all the time. They have a signed photo of Robert Redford behind the desk.

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