Rating: 
Summary: Defining "Normal"
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Drama or farce?
Review: The acting of Tom Wilkinson as the transgender MTF was quite good, and the acting of Jessica Lange was superb. I wanted to like this movie a lot, but.... it just doesn't cut it (please excuse this poor attempt at humor). I have to disagree with the Amazon.com reviewer's opinion that the humor and the drama don't get into each other's way in this film. The makers of the film can't decide what the focus of the film is about, whether to play it for laughs or for pathos. Of course, in some fine dramas the humor and the pathos can both reinforce each other. But that doesn't happen here. And aside from Lange and Wilkinson (and their daughter), the acting is very wooden, so much so that the movie is occasionally unintentionally funny. Once I decided to watch the remainder of the movie as a farce, I laughed a bunch at the high point of the movie: where the daughter gives a speech in front of her class at school on what happens in a gender-reassigment-surgery. Her demonstration broke me up.
I think it will be quite a while before Hollywood makes a good movie on this subjuect. In the meantime, there are some very educational books on the subject of transsexualism, some of which have both pathos and humor. My favorite is "The Woman I Was Not Born to Be, A Transsexual Journey" by Aleshia Brevard.
Rating:
Summary: Making Us Think
Review: The HBO film Normal is definetly good. The film really does open your eyes to some interesting points. I think choosing to make Roy an older man that appears as any other older man was a great choice, it shows that some one suffering from gender dysphoria wouldn't just be some freak. The character Roy shows what it is like to be a person suffering from a stigma he has no control over, which I think people suffering from other stigmas can relate to. I suffer from depression which makes me dmamged goods to some others, while I don't really have much contol over how the chemicals in my brain work, and this is how I related to the film. The film shows how the small town reacts when Roy does not fit into what is, "normal"/ how his children handle this and the confusion and anger( confusion because she still loves this person and anger for thousands of reasons) that Roy's wife goes through. The film is definetly good, but I wouldn't call it a, "must-see". Don't get me wrong I think the script is well-written and believable and it is a great cast- it is deffinetly a movie you will appreciate- the film is everything it should be, but there is something missing throughout the film. While you wonder how it will end, it's not like you are wondering what will happen next throughout the whole movie. You could probably see the beginning, end and a few bits and peices of the middle and be satisfied- I know I could.
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this one!
Review: This is a superbly crafted story about the power of true love to overcome all obstacles. The unusual storyline completely drew me in, and the marvelous performances by Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson made the characters believable throughout their journey. You won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Fantabulous
Review: This is one of the greatest movies ever made, it is probaly my favorite movie. The characters are well played out. I am not going to describe what happens in the movie, but before I watched this movie, I did not really believe in sex changes or quite understand them. I am a homosexual, yet I still thought of transexuals as "weird". This movie opened my eyes up. This movie really gets to you. You get to know the characters, and understand what it is like for transexuals and what the actually go through. This is a movie I will always have in my collection, and recommend to friends.
Rating:
Summary: "Oh Roy, what we do for love..."
Review: Well, it had one of the best opening credits scenes I've ever seen- great stuff. Its a movie about this couple who have been happily married for 25 years and are still devoted and in love. And then the husband comes out and says hes a woman trapped in a man's body and wants a sex change. Its about how they deal with it.
Its actually a really well done film... really good acting, well shot, well written, its a good one. Serious, and very adult- not adult like porn, just adult as in... yeah, you get it.
Rating:
Summary: superb
Review: What a surprise joy this movie was - absolutely realistic and believable. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Jessica Lange always top notch
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Speechless
Review: Words cannot describe my disgust for this movie. In a day and age of fruits, queers, and weirdos running amock, they have to be encouraged with this Hollywood trash. Imagine being married to a man for 25 years and then he tells you (in front of your preacher) that he can no longer live as a man, he's really a woman. Well that sets the pace for this disturbing film. The wife decides to stay with him, but she's be better off splitting. Meanwhile the 'man of the house' endures abuse at work, at church, and from his son who comes home for Thanksgiving. Imagine being a boss at a plant and a senior employee comes in and hands you a pamphlet on how to deal with sex-change patients. Watch as a hapless wife helps this weirdo pick out clothes. Watch a confused son ask his father if mom is now a lesbian since the couple still sleeps together. This movie is not 'powerful' or 'thought-provoking' as many claim it to be. It is a sick, twisted story that is a product of our times. 'The Passion of Christ' can cause a great controversy, but this film is OK? Hollywood is sick.
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