Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Richard Bull | ... | Roy Sr. - Roy's Father | |
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Mary Seibel | ... | Em - Roy's Mother |
Danny Goldring | ... | Church Friend Pete | |
Jessica Lange | ... | Irma Applewood | |
Tom Wilkinson | ... | Roy 'Ruth' Applewood | |
Hayden Panettiere | ... | Patty Ann Applewood | |
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Randall Arney | ... | Reverend Dale Muncie |
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Rich Komenich | ... | Co-Worker Bob |
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Kirk Anderson | ... | Machinist |
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Christian Ambrose | ... | Band Member #1 |
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Joe Foust | ... | Roadie #1 |
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Sean Rice | ... | Band Member #2 |
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Mickey Tuman | ... | Roadie #2 |
Joseph Sikora | ... | Wayne Applewood (as Joe Sikora) | |
Clancy Brown | ... | Frank |
In the countryside of the United States of America, Irma Applewood and her husband Roy Applewood have been happily married for twenty-five years and they are model citizens in their community. Roy brings Irma to meet Reverend Dale Muncie, who is their pastor and friend, to tell that he is a woman trapped in a man's body and he will have a sex-change operation. Now Roy has to face the deception of his wife and the intolerance of his colleagues, members of his church and his son Wayne. But Irma loves him and after the impact of the news, she understands and supports him with their teenage daughter Patty Ann (Hayden Panettiere) and Roy's boss Frank ('Clancy Brown') that is their friend. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In "Normal", an HBO feature film, a middleaged midwestern farming community family man (Wilkinson) reveals his plans to change gender. The film spends the entire run examining the reactions and adjustments of his family, coworkers, and community as he begins the process of transforming himself from man to woman up to but not including the required surgery. The result is an even, well managed, and delicate drama in which all the characters are exquisitely understanding and empathetic though the guy-to-gal protag does become a bit of a pariah as he moves from aftershave to perfume and there are periodic flare-ups as folks work to get their heads around the notion of a transgender in their midst. Though well executed, there's nothing particularly surprising in the film making it a lukewarm watch for all but those with an interest in the subject. (B)