bkoganbing In what could have been an average celebratory film of the American small town turned political when they named what was the villain, that organization in league with the dark forces of the universe, the American Civil Liberties Union.Dr. Candace Cameron Bure for reasons I'm still not clear on decides to drive cross country to the Hamptons to marry another pricey society doctor Andrew Bongiorno. But warrants for her unpaid tickets catch up to her in Normal, Louisiana and she's given a choice by the Grand Poobah of the place Lou Beatty, 3 days community service or some jail time. Actually Bure gets the jail time anyway as they fix up lodging for her in one of the cells. The way Otis Campbell was lodged after a night's toot. It really does look like Mayberry.Beatty is judge, doctor, coroner and a few other things and he's also black. Now that's most unMaybery like in many ways. He's thinking that Bure is a heaven sent someone to take over his practice as he is terminal as well. And pretty soon Bure is in step with the slow pace of life.But this film went from being average fodder for the Hallmark Channel when the guy who Bure is falling for Trevor St.John is representing the town in a suit filed by the ACLU. Someone from Massachusetts passing through their fair city objects to the neon cross on public land. As if anyone from the homogenized town of Normal would ever object. I would hate to be a Jew, a Moslem, a Sikh, a Latino migrant worker or worst of all gay in that place. And an organization that champions these outsiders, must be from the dark side. I'll bet there weren't 3 votes for Hillary from this place.Finding Normal's message is that this is the only way to live just be like the Stepford like population of Normal. God help you if you are not.

Tokana Hennequin Usually I enjoy movies like this; a good romantic comedy, despite the predictability. Unfortunately, though, this movie didn't pull me in the way it usually does. I did find it warming in the fact that Doc Shelby and the town, as well as the townsfolk were accepting of her, therefore they grew on her. I understood how she was better off in the town than she was in California. Unfortunately that's where all the heart- warming stuff ended. There was supposedly a romance between Dr. Lisa and Lucas, Doc's nephew or something, but I couldn't… it didn't make much sense to me.Dr. Steve is supposed to be very wrong for her, depicting her old life in California, and while we get a little glimpse of that, I don't think it was enough. There wasn't enough chemistry between her and Lucas for me to be all for their relationship, or to find that they're indeed suited to each other. That's just my opinion.I wanted her to stay in Normal and leave her old life in California behind, despite not making as much money doing house calls in Normal that she would in California. Love prevails, though, right? I wanted to see her making a deeper connection with Doc and the rest of their patients. That's all. I didn't particularly care who she ended up with.I realise, though, that other people will have other opinions, so mine, in the end, doesn't really matter.I am giving this movie a five out of ten because I found the story between Lisa, Doc and the town itself heart-warming. Would I see it again, though? Probably not.

sohrmn "Finding Normal" is not -- by any means -- a horrible film. Nor it is a particularly good film. It has decent enough production values for a TV-Movie, but the conservative religious and political views expressed in the film may not be everyone's cup of tea.Basically, the film follows a "big city" doctor who learns to love "small town" living. To be fair, the broad-based "city vs. country" stereotypes used in the film are nothing new. In fact the basic storyline is similar to Doc Hollywood (1991).People who live in the "big city" are generally depicted as being cynical, snobbish, no-good folk who do not regularly attend church and (gasp) may even support the ACLU.Rural people, in contrast, are generally depicted as being friendly, quaint, authentic, hardworking, decent folk who regularly go to church and believe that the greatest threat to America is the ACLU.Yes, this TV-Movie did not invent these cultural, geographic and political stereotypes, but they certainly do not help the audience care about the characters.Anyways, so the "big city" doctor needs to do a bit of community service in a Southern small town. To the film's credit, the town is not racially segregated....Although the film does seem to borrow a bit from Andy Griffith Show."Doc Shelby" -- one of the main actors in the film is arguable the best character -- in terms of development, acting and writing. You really do believe that his character plays a leadership role in the community and, faced with his own mortality, wants to make sure that the town will not be without a doctor.Most of the other characters rarely move outside of the "big city" and "country bumpkin" stereotypes.This is probably why one of the funniest lines in the film is when it gives characters lines, which are critical of judgmental people and stereotypes. It occurs early on in the film, when the "big city" doctor sits down for dinner and, yeah the irony is just hilarious.In terms of its religious and political viewpoints, the film waits awhile to hit the audience over the head with them.In fact, Netflix did include film in their "faith and spirituality" genre, which may have caused the film to be seen by audience members who are not fond of conservative politics or the religious right.Yet, the message in the film gradually becomes clear; the "big city" doctor needs to be "saved" from the evils of big city life. How will this occur? If you did not know that this film was designed for a (conservative) Christian audience, then the right-wing hole that the film digs itself into may be hard to stomach.Everyone in the town assumes that the "big city" doctor is nominally Christian and have nothing with expecting her to attend church as part of her community service.The main "hot button" story line element has the small town fighting against the evil ACLU, in order to keep a Christian cross on public land.The complex issue of religious freedom and church-state separation is basically reduced to an accusation that anyone who does not agree with the cross being on public land -- by itself -- is unAmerican tyrannt.Granted, if you are a conservative Christian who shares the belief that religious freedom should only apply to your church, then the film's weak efforts at a "court room" drama may appeal to you.Probably the biggest problem with the film is that nothing really major happens -- in three short days -- to explain the huge -- almost absurd -- shift in the "big city" doctor's personality and values.Beyond the legal dispute, the big city doctor saves the life of a young girl and plays phone tag with her big city finance.The problem is that we already know that the big city doctor is quite good at being a doctor. While she does, rather quickly, fall in love with a local boy, that is not really enough to explain the radical shift in her personality and values.In the end she ditches her big city finance -- who may or may not be a stereotypical, big city, ethnically-ambiguous, non-Christian character (read Jewish).No doubt the finance is more concerned with his career then the woman he loves, but so to is the woman herself.The problem is that the woman goes from an Independent career gal, to the type of women who believe that women should be less focused on their career and more focused on being a good and obedient wife.It is a pretty significant change, which is never really explained or justify in the film.he only thing standing between Dr. Lisa Leland (Candice Cameron Bure) and the wedding of her dreams in the Hamptons is a 2600-mile drive from Los Angeles to Long Island.

Larry W Mayes A doctor (Candace Cameron Bure), eager to reach her new life in another city, is caught for speeding and when the license is run, is found to have a number of outstanding violations. At her hearing, she is held without in the town without incarceration until the fines are paid off and her car impounded as a precautions for a potential flight risk. Without local access to her regular means of cash for emergencies, the judge, being the town's secretly ailing physician, has an opportunity for some leisure in his remaining days and uses his less than willing detainee to tend to his many patients who need to be seen on regular rounds during his brief absences. Without a hotel and an open jail and without the use of her car, uses available transportation and the available jail cell each night as her hotel room and during the day makes rounds to his many patients. Over the short time the doctor (Bure) reflects on initial hardships and those she has met and begins to look at life in this small town and the contrast of the life of as a city physician, a physicians's wife while being drawn to a local man. A light romance that injects a twist on the Doc Hollywood. With some funny moments this warm, light romance is a keeper that I will see again and again.