The Accidental Tourist or Ordinary People

I can't say which is "better," but like Accidental Tourist much more because Ordinary People seems to lack a basic sense of humor. Roger Ebert's review said, "I've never seen a movie so sad in which there was so much genuine laughter. The Accidental Tourist is one of the best films of the year." I've watched it 4-5 times over the years and I love it each time. I find Ordinary People a little too somber to want to return to it. But both address similar issues very intelligently and compassionately.

I thought Ordinary people was one of the best dramas of all time. It has a climax, a very dramatic climax. They made the bad guy MTM which is astonishing (she always plays the good-gal!) Just about everything in ordinary people was perfect. When I first saw ordinary people I had just finished up as a high school swimmer so I really identified with conrad, here's some brilliant dialogue involving conrad:

LAZENBY: You want to talk? The guy's a nothing. He's a zero upstairs. You used to know that about him, Con. Ever since fourth grade, you've known it!
CONRAD: So?
LAZENBY: So you just make yourself look stupid when you let him get to you like that!
CONRAD: So I look stupid, is that it?

The ending to ordinary people was a total shocker, I did not expect it but the audience had to accept how the problem was solved in Conrad's family ... ten stars ...

The Accidental Tourist, I'm a huge fan of Anne Tyler's novels and for me this one is particularly touching.

Apples and oranges. What are we comparing here? The stories abd characters are totally different. This one had a cute dog so that gives it the edge for me.