At first, Norman may seem like another familiar coming-of-age story, but there are some dark themes (cancer, death, grieving, pain and depression) and enough insight to give it some depth, therefore setting this independent film from director Jonathan Segal and screenwriter Talton Wingate apart from the other, more conventional, teen movies. Norman is the film's troubled main character, a bright but quiet and alienated high school senior who is having difficulties dealing with the tragedies happening in his life. His mother was recently killed in a car accident. His father is dying from terminal gastric cancer and has chosen to decline further treatment so he can spend more time at home with his only child. Seemingly unable to cope with all the challenges that...
- 6/19/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Chicago – His eyes are at once weary and sardonic, brooding and vulnerable. He doesn’t know how to cry for help, apart from crying wolf. He resists the spotlight when it’s placed upon him and yet still craves attention from his peers. He’s deeply cynical about life in general, yet is prone to falling for the sweetness of a pure-hearted soul. And he’d probably be well adjusted if it weren’t for the enormous weight on his shoulders.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
He’s Norman, the titular subject of Jonathan Segal’s terrific indie dramedy, which is finally making its theatrical debut after garnering acclaim on the festival circuit. Unlike many high school outcasts in modern film, Norman has the look, the behavior and the attitude of a real teenager. His uncommon intelligence and natural wit are apparent in his dialogue, but he’s not scoring hyper-stylized punchlines like Juno.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
He’s Norman, the titular subject of Jonathan Segal’s terrific indie dramedy, which is finally making its theatrical debut after garnering acclaim on the festival circuit. Unlike many high school outcasts in modern film, Norman has the look, the behavior and the attitude of a real teenager. His uncommon intelligence and natural wit are apparent in his dialogue, but he’s not scoring hyper-stylized punchlines like Juno.
- 10/20/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Hear The Song "Hospital" From The Score Below For his sophomore feature film, director Jonathan Segal has rounded up quite the array of talent both in front of and behind the camera. To help tell the story penned by Talton Wingate, he's got veterans Richard Jenkins and Adam Goldberg to slot into supporting roles around his young leads Dan Byrd ("Cougar Town") and Emily VanCamp ("Brothers & Sisters") and to power it all, none other than Andrew Bird has written an original score. The result is "Norman" and it promises to be a quietly affecting drama about the pain of…...
- 9/30/2011
- The Playlist
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.