Normal (2007)

0% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(632 ratings)

The massive fences designed to protect the unhappy suburbanites who populate a posh Vancouver neighborhood from the outside world don't prove nearly as effective as the psychological barricades they erect following a tragic accident in director Carl Bessai's simmering small town drama. After popular… More The massive fences designed to protect the unhappy suburbanites who populate a posh Vancouver neighborhood from the outside world don't prove nearly as effective as the psychological barricades they erect following a tragic accident in director Carl Bessai's simmering small town drama. After popular high-school student Nick is killed in a drunk driving accident, all those touched by the tragedy gradually find their lives beginning to unravel. Nick's grieving mother Catherine (Carrie-Anne Moss) simply locks herself away in her son's room and refuses to permit anyone else entry into her chamber of sorrow. For those directly involved in the accident, the pain is almost too great to bear as well. When Nick's best friend Jordie (Kevin Zegers) -- who was driving the car at the time of the accident -- returns home from juvenile detention, his overbearing stepmother clings to him with every ounce of her energy as his domineering father makes the boy a target for his unchecked rage. But Nick's friends and family aren't the only ones whose lives have been torn asunder by the accident, because as the other driver -- a failed writer named Walt (Callum Keith Rennie) -- gradually falls into an alcoholic haze, his already troubled marriage continues to disintegrate as he becomes unable to provide his autistic brother with the attention he so desperately needs. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Carl Bessai
Written By: Carl Bessai, Travis McDonald
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 28, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Oct 7, 2008
Studio: Bankside Media

Critic Reviews

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
A predictable ride from the get-go.
Philip Marchand, Toronto Star
[The unhappy characters] are not richly developed, but it seems characteristic of this genre to highlight one-dimensional individuals.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a well-intentioned misfire...
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
While the acting is often fine, the setting and storylines don't have enough depth to be original. . . . for all its smooth touches and sharp emotions, this Canadian film still [doesn't have] enough big-screen originality.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
It's actually kind of depressing to watch good actors wasted in this fashion.

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Featured Audience Ratings

♥˩ƳИИ &

CAST: Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, Tygh Runyan, Andrew Airlie, Cameron Bright, Camille Sullivan DIRECTED BY: Carl Bessai SUMMARY: A deadly car accident brings together a group of previously unrelated people, each of whom is forced to deal with the… More
CAST: Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, Tygh Runyan, Andrew Airlie, Cameron Bright, Camille Sullivan DIRECTED BY: Carl Bessai SUMMARY: A deadly car accident brings together a group of previously unrelated people, each of whom is forced to deal with the emotional fallout. MY THOUGHTS: "The film was well acted by all, I especially liked Tygh Runyan in this film. His fear broke my heart. But what he in the end was very brave. I was annoyed with a couple characters, like the mother who lost the son and the step-mother. I get the mothers loss, but she was so into herself and her own grief that she didn't take any notice of her other son and his grief, she was just selfish. The step-mom is just disgusting, how she manipulated the father and sons relationship just because she was lonely. Found her to be quite pathetic. But in the end its a movie with a story-line that I have seen before. It's sad and really awful how it affects everyone. The tragedy links all these characters and the way they are coming to terms with how it affected them all. But it was good enough for a rent and I love Kevin Zegers. So it was worth the watch.. ; }
Bannan i

One of the very reasons I like those under the radar telefilm canada flicks. More on this later. It's different, it's sad...and it's got a lesson in it...more or less. What the hell does <B>normal</b> mean anyways? See: Mersault...re: L'Etranger.
Red L

An interesting movie. I find it interesting how the various people who are only related through a fatal car accident deal with the death of the teenager. Almost everyone blames themselves, yet everyone's reactions are quite different. One thing that drove me nuts -- until… More
An interesting movie. I find it interesting how the various people who are only related through a fatal car accident deal with the death of the teenager. Almost everyone blames themselves, yet everyone's reactions are quite different. One thing that drove me nuts -- until 2/3's of the way through the movie I did not understand the connections between the players. It was almost enough to make me switch channels to an easier movie.