Customer Reviews

Normal

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Roy (Tom Wilkinson) and Irma (Jessica Lange) are a normal farm family with an estranged son and a teenage daughter. After their 25th wedding anniversary, Roy confesses that he is a woman trapped in a mans body. At this point, I expected things to get absurd, including the predictability that we will see Roy in drag. However, Director/Writer Jane Anderson allows all ssues to come the forefront; family, friends, religion, coworkers and community. What seems a destiny for ruination is full of surprises and Anderson can humble the viewer by showing how anyone can be easily misunderstood. The performances by Wilkinson and especially Lange are nothing short of amazing. The emotions run high, vivid and clear as each person struggles with this abrupt revelation that affects everyone's life. This is a precise study of empathy, understanding, the testing of relationships and most importantly - love.

"Normal" is a film where the performances by Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange are so much better than the script. This is not to say that the script by writer-director Jane Anderson is inadequate, but rather than Wilkinson and Lange give it a power and grace that transcends what was on the printed page. Wilkinson, a veteran character actor who suddenly seems to be in half the films coming out (Jim Broadhurst is usually in the other half), plays Roy Applewood, who has been married for 25 years to Lange's Irma and who finally reveals his deepest and darkest secret: he feels like a woman trapped in a man's body.

To say that this comes as a shock to everyone is an understatement. Roy is the foreman at a plant that manufactures tractors and a pillar of his church. He is also married to Irma, who, like the actress who plays her, has gotten sexier as she has gotten older. When the church throws an anniversary party for the couple Roy kisses his wife and faints. In a counseling session with their pastor (Randall Arney), Roy finally confesses that he is a woman. The fact that Roy says this in such a matter of fact manner, without the slightest trace of any affectation that would suggest being gay, is what makes "Normal" such an offbeat look at a somewhat offbeat subject.

This is not a sensationalistic treatment of the transgender topic (remember the lurid film "The Christina Jorgenson Story"?). The script is clearly sympathetic, but also manages to tell the story with a wry sensibility and to reach a level of depth that we usually do not find in such films, which tend to veer towards sensationalism and/or melodrama. This is because despite the fact that Roy starts taking female hormones so that he can grow breasts he still loves his wife. Underneath all the shock and dismay at Roy's transformation there is a love story going on, crystalized when Irma's pastor gives her permission to give up on her marriage and she replies with emotional elegance, "How can I? He is my life."

Perhaps it is not realistic that "Normal" has Roy treating his gender reclassification as if it were akin to getting a new haircut: he wears earrings and perfume to the tractor plant and wants to be called Ruth. But Wilkinson brings a sense of dignity to the part that helps carry it off and no doubt Anderson is trying to make a point. The only part that rings false for me is the dramatic exploitation of the Applewood's two children. Two, not just because you get to have one son and one daughter, but two because one will accept their father's change with curiosity while the other goes off the deep end. Of course it is the son (Joe Sikora) in the latter role and when he reads the letter written by his father to a bunch of drunks in a bar, I thought was going way too far (unless he was adopted?). The same holds true for Irma's awkward try at a tryst with Roy's boss (Clancy Brown).

Anderson wrote the hysterically funny "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom" and shows much more restraint overall with "Normal" in dealing with the satirical side of her subject matter this time around. When Irma kicks Roy out of the house, she pointedly tells him he is much too selfish to be anything but a man. Still, we come back to the performances by the two stars. Wilkinson plays this role perfectly straight as if he was changing political affiliation and not gender. In contrast Lange gets to run the gamut of emotions from disbelief and anger to acceptance and love. Wilkinson is so decent and real that you have to admire him and root for him, especially when the alternative is identifying with the less tolerant and understanding members of his family and community. But you also root for Lange to keep her husband.

But in the end "Normal" is a love story. If it were about a sex change operation then we would be getting all the nuts and bolts about how that is done. Anderson is not concerned with the mechanics; she cares about the people. In the end, Ruth and Irma care about each other and it is hard for us not to care about them as well.

"Normal" attempts to tackle a highly complex issue in the space of a feature-length movie, and this limitation makes it not a wholly successful effort. The sheer complexity of transgender issues warrants a miniseries treatment such asn HBO did for AIDS in the gay community with "Angels in America", and if "Normal" has a weakness, it's that it tried to cram too much into too brief a space. However, as the first serious dramatic treatment of a transgendered person's unique challenges, "Normal" deserves kudos, not the least for the brave performances from Tom Wilkinson & Jessica Lange. Ms. Lange in particular has a very difficult role, perched on the razor's edge between feelings of love & betrayal, and she captures this inner war brilliantly. Her face reflects all the conflicting emotions of anger, grief, bewilderment & pain, leavened with flashes of wry amusement at the ridiculousness of her situation, with grace & never, ever overacting or seeming to try too hard. Even though Tom Wilkinson's character, Roy, is the one facing the biggest outward changes, Lange reminds us that internal changes can be just as transforming, though not as evident. Her performance is the centerpiece of the film. She has gotten even more luminously beautiful over the years; we reason that if she, as his wife, can't make Roy glad he's a man, then he must really be serious.

As Roy, the catalyst for all this family trauma, Tom Wilkinson has more of a one-note performance; it seems that having made up his mind, despite 50-odd years of cultural conditioning to the contrary, Roy never looks back or even feels a twinge of doubt or regret over what he's about to do. We feel sympathy for Roy, but not nearly as much as we do for his wife, if only because we don't feel we know him as well. Our sympathy springs less from identification with his plight as it does from knowing that Roy could hardly have engineered more difficult circumstances for himself to realize his dream. His determination verges on delusion, such as when he wears perfume and earrings to work, and is surprised that his tough factory-worker colleagues slam his head into a locker. The movie ends just prior to Roy's surgery, but the odds seem stacked against him for making a successful transition; how can he, without therapy, support groups, fashion sense or seemingly any plan in place for 'after'? Does he really suppose that he'll be able to continue his life in all its outward particulars--living in the same house, working at the same job--as he did 'before'? Indeed, he seems aghast that anyone else in his life should have the gall to have a problem adjusting to his new lifestyle. These issues are not addressed satisfactorily; nor is the the problem of Roy's sex life after he becomes Ruth. Despite all of Mr. Wilkinson's best efforts, he remains a very masculine-looking man, with only the very subtlest of feminizing changes to his look or his body language. He radiates sincerety in his belief that he can become feminine, but the rest of us remain doubtful. I would've been tempted to dismiss Mr. Wilkinson's Roy as a completely unrealistic portrayal had I not recently seen a cable documentary about a MTF transsexual very like Roy: a middle-aged, burly man from the heartland with a butch job and strained family relations, whose only concession to femininity prior to his operation was bleaching his longish hair. In all other particulars of dress and manner, he was still extremely masculine. So perhaps Roy isn't as far out of the 'norm' of sexual reassignment seekers as it might seem at first blush.

Roy's family, and his life as a whole seems like a construct of TV Screenwriting 101. He's got two children, a son and a daughter, who function merely as plot conveniences and an audience for Daddy's experiment. The middle-school-aged daughter, who is coping with her own body changes provides a counterpoint to her father's concurrent body issues. To be sure the audience understands this, we are provided helpful shorthand: Patty Ann favors men's shirts, hates wearing bras & stands outside her parents' bedroom saying helpful things like "Is Daddy in drag? Can I see?" While it is not out of the realm of possibility that a teenage daughter might be able to eventually accept a transgendered parent with a minimum of trauma, it is NOT likely that she would be as glib about it as Patty Ann. Would a 13-year-old girl really be swapping makeup and waxing tips around the pool with her erstwhile dad, painting his toenails with easy familiarity like he was some kind of cool life-size Barbie, and not the person who was turning her life upside down and making her an object of ridicule among all her peers? Likewise, the opposition of the older son has the same forced glibness. Would it occur to a young man, no matter how opposed he was to the operation, to call his father a "c***" at Thanksgiving dinner? Perhaps a slew of other pejorative names, but not that one, surely. Nor would this exchange of insults culminating in a broken nose be likely to be the balm that mends the rift in their rocky relationship either, but the movie seems to suggest that after one altercation, things are all better now and the son has come around to the father's point of view. Roy's fellow townspeople, predictably, react to this metamorphosis of Roy's none too favorably. There is the locker incident. Someone writes "You are not normal" in the dirt on his truck. He is given the cold shoulder when he comes to church in a dress. However, Roy gets off very lightly, considering that his story could have an ending like "Boys Don't Cry" or "The Matthew Shepard Story". This movie was afraid to pull those kinds of punches . . .or maybe it just ran out of time.

"Normal" is a good start to a nationwide dialogue about transgendered issues, and helped pave the way for Felicity Huffman's probable Oscar nomination for "Transamerica". Despite its flaws, it depicts a transgendered individual's personal war to achieve what feels "Normal" to him, rather than being just a freak show. Better to be considered a freak show on the the outside than to feel like one on the inside, it seems to say.

I caught this on cable and found myself unable to turn it off. Its the story of a husband and father living in a quiet, rural community who can no longer take living a lie. Roy is a woman living inside a man's body. He realizes he can no longer keep this to himself, confiding in his wife and turning their marriage and the community upside down. When he begins to wear earrings to the factory and singing in the women's choir, the family begins to be quietly isolated. I feel the reason he might have been left alone could have been because of respect for his wife and children. I don't know if that would be the same in real life. I seriously doubt it but even that little bit of what I believe is naive optimism doesn't detract from this film.

What is most touching is how the daughter handles it. She instantly embraces her father. Their grown son is less able to deal with it but the scene between father and son is touching. Its Jessica Lange that steals the show as Irma. Her reactions from anger to mourning are always dead on. Wilkinson is also wonderful as the tortured Roy who can see what he's doing to his family but can't stop himself in his search for personal freedom.

The scenery in this film is amazing and the music fits each scene. I was really impressed by everything about this film and would recommend it to anyone.

5 stars and then some. Normal will stay with you long after the film has ended.

I've never written a review before, but I was so impressed with this movie, I felt like I should write something. Even though I personally don't deal with the specific issues in this film, I was deeply touched by Jane Anderson's script and the performances by Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson are nothing short of incredible - definitely some of the best work either has ever done. I do have to agree that Jessica Lange steals the show. Her reactions to what is happening to her are exactly what I imagine someone in her shoes might go through. I liked the way church issues were dealt with as well, although it wasn't surprising that Roy was treated as an outcast by the members of the congregration. Sad, but often the case.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who needs inspiration. Very powerful film.

This movie is emotionally punched. It moves with a steady pace though. It's based on a play about a man who finally finds the courage to be true to himself, ie. he opts for a sex change operation to become a woman because his inclination is there since the beginning of time. For him, he wishes to be normal and carrying on living. However, being "normal" is a subjective issue because for some, "normal" is where a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. Instead of giving him the support that he looks for, the community is giving him a hard time and even making him into a "pagan" despite his contribution to the Church community for many years. Whilst the wife is shocked in the beginning, as time goes on, she realises that she needs to look beyond the physical aspect and looking at the support and love that he has given her over the years. The movie ends by having the family reconciling with one another and moving on with life. A powerful movie that moves and touches your heart. Highly recommended. No extras in here.

When I first started watching NORMAL, it felt like a TV movie (perhaps being produced by FBO didn't help), however this feeling quickly disappeared. Having Jessica Lange in it certainly helps lift the film to a cinema like production.

NORMAL is about a country-based couple who have been married for 25 years with two children, one still at home, the other in another city. The husband (Wilkinson) announces one day that he is a woman inside a man's body and has fought this feeling for many years. The wife (Lange) naturally dismisses his claims at first, but as the weeks go on, she realises her husband is sincere in his feelings and his plans to pursue them.

It's an issue most of us don't have to tackle or get involved in. The film handles this issue very convincingly, and this is only possible by having two excellent leads. Lange is outstanding as the wife, who at first is totally opposed to her husband's claims, and as the film progresses, becomes supportive, caring and loving.

Overall, I was VERY impressed by the way the film was done, considering that I went into it thinking it was one of those over-dramatised made-for-TV movies. This film is far from that, and if you are a fan of Jessica Lange, then see it now! It will also cement the fact that Lange is one of the best actresses of our time.

DVD SUMMARY: I saw an Australian DVD version which has a widescreen anamorphic transfer. I believe the American DVD is only full-frame (which is a shame these days). Extras on the disc were an audio commentary by the director.

The accompanying song to the opening scene and several other enchanting tunes; the shots of the growing luscious green corns to signify the passing of the time; the excellent cast with Jessica Lange (Irma, the wife) and Tom Wilkinson (Roy, the husband) all contributed to the movie's sucess. Yet it was Jane Anderson, the director, script writer and the author all-in-one, who was pivotal in keeping the story leap out of the page; making a drastic twist of fate to this normal corn-belt family convincing, sympathetic; not just another cliche and tear jerker.

Tom Wilkinson has portrayed his emotional and physical change from a dutiful father, Roy, to an evolving woman, Ruth, with subtlety, dignity and elegance. But it was Jessica Lange who kept the family and Roy from falling apart. Her even temper, smile and tenacity under the adverse condition all bespoke her strength and love for her husband. She shielded her husband from being ridiculed - picking his new clothes, stood by him in church, work place and his extended family. The 11-year old daughter(Hayden Panettiere) accepted her father's switch in gender with as much intensity as the 20-something son (Joseph Sikora) shunned it. She bombarded her father with questions while the son could barely stay in the same room with his father at the thanksgiving dinner.

It was bittersweet for Roy to be accepted by his strict and unforgiving father only because the elder man suffered from dementia; yet it was upbeating to find Roy acknowledge his mother's difficult job of taking care of his father. Being able to put himself in the shoes of his mother, understand the situation perfectly and articulate it in words, Roy completed his emotional transformation to Ruth.

There are golden moments in dramatic works - theatre, cinema - which remain with the viewer - Brando and Steiger in the taxi et al - but I really feel this film has more than one. And that I guess is thanks to the superb casting of all parts but especially the rivetting performances of Mr Wilkinson and Ms Lange who are two of the finest actors working in film and have proved through a body of work they up with the greats. Its tone is pitch perfect with the ironic voice of the director felt at every turn with the terrific counterweight of the soundtrack.
But to begin at the beginning - I'm not one to rush out to see some damn self righteous film about people with sex "problems" not least "the man who wants to be a woman problem film" or another film about how traumatic it is to be homosexual or heterosexual. But drama is not just entertainment and great drama can be both entertaining and enlightening about what is termed our "condition" as humans. NORMAL does this brilliantly and demonstrates how Americans at least "normal" ones are so aroused or unsettled by sexual matters that they would rather impeach a President for exposing himself and let another one off for bombing another country (Cambodia) illegally. Undoubtedly, if your Dad comes home one night in drag it would be off putting - the glory of the film I think is the journey the character portayed by Mr Wilkinson makes in the physical sense and the journey the
character played by Ms Lange makes in the psychological sense which she has to make in a very short time indeed. It is above all else a truly great LOVE story without a dull moment. One lovely moment comes as Mr Wilkinson's character is driving home singing a hymn, then tries it in falsetto to see how it sounds and seems to relax completely into himself. A beautiful work - with some lessons in great acting for aspirants to that difficult profession.

Superb performances by Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson anchor this thoughtful and emotional drama about a farm couple in Iowa whose 25-year marriage is threatened when the husband reveals himself to be transgendered, and announces that he is planning to undergo a sex-change operation. The script skillfully avoids sensationalizing the subject by treating it with sensitivity and dignity, and presenting a balanced look at the wife's pain and confusion; the husband's longing to reconcile his body with his mind and emotions; and the disruption that the pending change causes in the relationships between the couple, their family, and the community in which they live. The resulting film is a layered and perceptive examination of what it means to be an individual human being with the attendant need to be accepted and loved by yourself, as well as those you hold dear. Most highly recommended.