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*Normal*
Normal
Genre	Drama
Based on	Looking for Normal; by Jane Anderson
Written by	Jane Anderson
Directed by	Jane Anderson
Starring	Jessica Lange; Tom Wilkinson
Music by	Alex Wurman
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Thomas J. Busch; Cary Brokaw; Lydia Dean Pilcher
Cinematography	Alar Kivilo
Editor	Lisa Fruchtman
Running time	110 minutes
Production companies	HBO Films; Avenue Pictures
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	January 21, 2003

Normal is a 2003 American made-for-television drama film produced by HBO Films, which became an official selection at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.^[1] Jane Anderson, the film's writer and director, adapted her own play, Looking for Normal. The film is about a fictional Midwestern factory worker named Roy Applewood, who stuns his wife of 25 years by saying he wishes to undergo sex reassignment surgery and transition to a woman.

In an HBO interview, Anderson was asked "Were you drawing on any sources when you were researching this? Or was it purely out of your imagination?", to which she replied "Oh, it's my imagination, it's all fiction." She also said that she wanted to use the play "as a metaphor for a study of marriage", calling transition the "ultimate betrayal".^[2]

Plot

Roy Applewood (Tom Wilkinson), after fainting on the night of his 25th marriage anniversary, shocks his wife Irma (Jessica Lange) by revealing plans to transition into a woman named Ruth. While Ruth tries to keep the family together, Irma's initial reaction is to separate from her. Patty Ann (Hayden Panettiere), their daughter, is more accepting, but Wayne (Joseph Sikora), their son, struggles with the transition. He mocks Ruth after receiving an explanation letter.

The movie follows the fictitious story of the character Ruth in the depiction of her transition. She buys women's clothes, wears earrings and puts on perfume. She finds graffiti on her truck "You are not normal". Her mother decides not to tell her father. She is kicked out of the church choir. Irma finds Ruth in the barn with a gun to her head. She invites her back home. Her teen daughter just got her period and doesn't like being a girl. Their son Wayne comes home for Thanksgiving and ends up in a fist fight with Ruth. The son yells obscenities at her and then cries in her arms. After a year passes she goes in for surgery with full support from Irma.

Ruth faces ostracism at church and at work. She finds understanding from her boss, Frank, but not from her minister. In the end, Irma discovers that love transcends gender and the family survives.

Cast

Jessica Lange as Irma Applewood
Tom Wilkinson as Roy / Ruth Applewood
Clancy Brown as Frank
Hayden Panettiere as Patty Ann Applewood
Joseph Sikora as Wayne Applewood
Richard Bull as Roy Applewood Sr.
Mary Seibel as Em Applewood
Randall Arney as Reverend Dale Muncie
Rondi Reed as Roy's Sister Beth

Reception

Robert Pardi of TV Guide, reviewed the film and stated "Writer-director Jane Anderson tries to shoehorn her own play into the TV-tragedy", "but it's an awkward fit" and "Although the performances are superb, the film's detachment doesn't suit the bizarre material".^[3]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 7 reviews, and an average rating of 7.2/10.^[4]

Awards and nominations

Normal was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, won one Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for another five.

Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson both received acting nominations for the Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Satellite Awards.^[5]

Year	Association	Category	Nominee	Result
2003	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Tom Wilkinson	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie	Jessica Lange	Nominated
		Outstanding Made for Television Movie	Normal	Nominated
		Outstanding Main Title Design	Antoine Tinguely, Jasmine Jodry, Jakob Trollbeck, Laurent Fauchere	Nominated
		Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special	Hallie D'Amore, Linda Melazzo, Dorothy J. Pearl	Won
		Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special	Jane Anderson^[6]^[7]	Nominated
2004	Directors Guild of America	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movie for Television	Jane Anderson	Nominated
	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Television Movie or Miniseries	Normal	Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Tom Wilkinson	Nominated
		Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film	Jessica Lange	Nominated
		Best Miniseries or Television Film	Normal	Nominated
	Gracie Allen Awards	Best Female Lead – Dramatic Special	Jessica Lange	Won
	Satellite Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Tom Wilkinson	Nominated
		Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film	Jessica Lange	Nominated
		Best Miniseries or Television Film	Normal	Nominated