Norman (2011)

64% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(427 ratings)

Norman Long is a high school loner, a self-aware and darkly funny teen who's just trying to handle his daily existence. In the wake of his mother's sudden death, Norman must now also deal with the reality that his father is starting to lose his battle with stomach cancer. Norman, depressed and… More Norman Long is a high school loner, a self-aware and darkly funny teen who's just trying to handle his daily existence. In the wake of his mother's sudden death, Norman must now also deal with the reality that his father is starting to lose his battle with stomach cancer. Norman, depressed and angry, unintentionally gets caught in a lie that he, in fact, has stomach cancer. Soon his complete distortion of the facts spirals out of control. Part coping mechanism, partially as a way to feel closer to his father, and to a certain degree to prepare others for his possible suicide, Norman begins to imitate his father's debilitating physical symptoms, dramatically affecting his life and the world around him. -- (C) Official Site

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Segal
Written By: Talton Wingate
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 21, 2011 Limited
Studio: Independent Pictures

Critic Reviews

Joel Brown, Boston Globe
Byrd and Jenkins earn the film its critical points, but the screenplay has too many moments that feel network-TV-bland.
Andy Webster, New York Times
There's something sweet about Jonathan Segal's modest high school drama, "Norman," despite the contrivances of its protagonist's predicament and its stacking of the emotional deck.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
There's a winning emotional truth in the father-son scenes in this Spokane-shot sleeper, directed with skill and sensitivity by Jonathan Segal.
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
For first-time screenwriter Wingate and Segal, in only his second feature (2004's "The Last Run), it's impressive work - they never overplay the pity card, opting for insight into the complexities of growing up instead.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
For me, Richard Jenkins is the heart of "Norman." How often I've admired him; even in unworthy roles, he has such strength, he never seems the need to try.
Benjamin Mercer, Village Voice
Although Norman succeeds in fleshing out its troubled main character, the actions of his peers are consistently harder to accept.
Marshall Fine, Hollywood & Fine
A small film with nicely etched performances, assembled in a way that is consistently engaging and surprising. How many movies can you say that about?
Kate Erbland, Boxoffice Magazine
A disquieting outing with little in the way of honest payoff.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
The director, Jonathan Segal, skillfully builds on the tension that this situation creates, though he can't quite make Wingate's ending click. Still, Segal is so good with his actors that you may not mind.
Sam Adams, AV Club
Perhaps there was a disjuncture between director Jonathan Segal and screenwriter Talton Wingate, or the two first-timers didn't realize how difficult their movie-world premise makes it to take anything else in the film seriously.
Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
A would-be dark, self-congratulatory dramedy that lacks both transgressive laughter and honest engagement with its themes of death and teen depression.
Nina Mashurova, Boston Phoenix
The trapped animal look in Norman's eyes feels more and more like an appropriate reaction.