tuc32475 Normal is a human drama about a married man who makes a decision to go through a sex- change operation. He confesses to his wife that he has been struggling with a gender disorder since he was a child. The film without a doubt explores the life of Ruth, in the most realistic and non-glamorous way possible without eliminating its emotional connection with the audience. As a truck factory worker in a very masculine working environment, and living in a very small town that is limited in such knowledge on alternative lifestyle, Ruth struggles to be accepted, respected or even looked as a human being. His relationship with his wife is explored in a non glamorous way, and clearly sets the stands for both Ruth's and his wife Irma's character, their view on the situation and their emotional journey through the process of Ruth's sex change. The reaction from their off springs is another subject that the film succeeded in representing. Both children have different reactions to their father's decision, but relate and explain their reactions from their age and characteristics. Both Irma and Ruth have great acting that transcends their emotional journey and hardship through such less explored topics on gender in film. But the film does not take the topic of gender completely foreign and stills keeps the mood of common social issues the same way it does with other human dramas, which succeeds in making it easier for the audience to consumer.

Gil_Rinion Normal is a good movie that tastefully handles the difficult topic of people who go through sex changes. Given the taboo nature of the topic in film I was surprised to find that Normal does a good job of representing the real life problems and trials that people who go through sex changes experience. It also does a good job of showing how it affects the families too. In addition, Normal changes and shows a different type of love story. one rarely seen in films. The relationship between Roy and his wife is dealt with very well and the actors do an excellent job of representing their situations. The films soundtrack and cinematography are also very good. They seamlessly flow through the film however they add but never distracts from the plot or action taking place on screen. The acting is superb in the film and Wilkinson does an amazing job at capturing the feeling of the role. Overall I feel the film is very interesting and covers a difficult topic very well. It's not the type of movie I usually watch but I did enjoy it none the less. If you like more serious dramatic pieces I believe you would enjoy this film.

bkoganbing Tom Wilkinson has been hiding a very big secret from the world. Husband and father, during a marriage counseling visit with his local pastor, he comes out with the fact that inside he feels he was born a woman. That comes as a big shock to his wife of 25 years, Jessica Lange, and their minister, Randall Arney.This revelation is quite a blockbuster for everyone all around. These are blue collar people, not terribly sophisticated and not well read into the world of transgender. Still most try to cope as best they can.Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange give a pair of beautifully matched performances in Normal. Wilkinson is a decent man, a good husband and father, a good provider, who can't keep up the pretense any more. He starts to transition into a woman, but stays at home to be the parent to young Hayden Panettiere who is just entering puberty. In fact with the estrogen treatments that Wilkinson is taking is almost like him going through puberty a second time with his own daughter.Lange is the housewife and mother, she does not in fact work, but during the course of the film does take a job for her own income. Her reaction is to castigate Wilkinson, but also to blame herself and in fact her pastor says something like that to her. His only solution is to come up with some scripture from Ephesians that he says covers the situation. Something about emasculating her man.Arney is an interesting character, transgender is not something taught at the seminary. He's trying to figure it out, but can only think and operate from a very narrow framework. Eventually Wilkinson and Lange leave the church, a most gut wrenching experience for both since they are sincere Christians. The key scene in this film is during a family reunion at Thanksgiving when Wilkinson's father, who's suffering from the beginnings of Alzheimer's. There is a deep focus shot of Wilkinson in the foreground as dad, Richard Bull, is talking about how as a kid with five daughters he was worried about having an effeminate son when he caught him trying on his mother's clothes. Bull relates he beat his son to get the effeminacy out of him.. The shot then switches to a closeup of Lange and it's worth more than ten pages of dialog as she now knows this is not either some whim of her husband's nor anything that is her fault. Excellent camera work and acting, especially for a TV movie.Although they are married and stay married, my guess is that at some point Wilkinson and Lange will part amicably. During the film in fact she does begin an affair with her husband's boss, Clancy Brown. My guess is that though she does love Wilkinson very much, Lange will miss the physical intimacy of marriage.Someone did some good research into transgender issues. There is a brief scene with Wilkinson trying to talk in a higher register now that he's transitioning. One thing I've learned from transgender friends is that one's vocal cords are set for life in puberty when one is male. There are vocal techniques to talk lower, but they have to be learned and presumably Wilkinson will learn them. People who are born female will have their vocal cords thicken with the testosterone treatmentThere are very few people that out and out hate the man for transitioning to female. He does get some hate graffiti on his truck and he does get into a fight with one of his co-workers. Mostly they just can't understand. Interesting that Hayden Panettiere reports no problems in school with peers over her dad. It's sometimes the case that the young are the most tolerant indeed.Normal is a sensitive treatment of transgender issues with some fine performances and a good story with no real ending in sight for this family.

nycritic One look at Roy and "masculine" comes to mind. Added to that, other adjectives such as "beefy" and "virile". However, Roy isn't your ordinary guy who happens to be married and with two teenage kids. Roy is a woman trapped in a man's body, about to come to terms with this predicament.Jane Anderson's NORMAL is, from its title, a question of what truly constitutes the meaning of such a term. Set in the Midwest, where values and morals are strictly on the conservative side of the spectrum, Roy's acknowledgement is one that defies explanation... or maybe not.It all depends on what side of the coin you are looking into. On one hand, if "God made you a Man, thus you must remain..." as the thought goes. But when you are Roy -- and indeed, there are many men who have come to terms that they are in the wrong gender -- such a postulate flies out the window.This, of course, comes with an immense toll on the family. Roy's decision begins to affect his wife Irma, who teeters between a vague resignation and sheer fury not at the thought that Roy states he is a woman, but at what this all means. In her mind, this is something so alien to her, and now it's being thrown at her face.Jane Anderson tackles an extremely delicate material, a preamble to what TRANSAMERICA would eventually become (since Roy's conversion into a woman is never actually seen, only his hormonal therapy that renders him not female, but somewhere in between). Less a movie about transsexualism than about the power of love, NORMAL is not for all tastes but is worth paying attention to due to the fact it is one of the first films bringing to life a subject that has until now been relegated to sordid documentaries shown only on late-night cable television. Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange take their characters and have a great deal of ease playing them -- Wilkinson never overplaying his newfound femininity; Lange never overacting to her situation -- and while somehow the ending comes a little too pat, it is something of value that it doesn't choose to exploit, nor go too far, but show things as they are and give a chance to acceptance, even when it may not be understood.