Finding Normal

Found this one on Netflix a couple of years ago and don't even remember why I added it to my list. None of the cast members were known to me. Might have been looking for some lightweight escapism.

This provided. It seemed like the kind of rom-com that Reese Witherspoon might have made, and there is more than a passing resemblance between Candace Cameron Bure and Reese. Something about this movie drew me in. I especially liked Lou Beatty Jr. as the judge. There weren't many false notes in the movie, all the way up to and including the "message" contained in the courtroom sequence. Agree or disagree with the legal issues, they don't take up a lot of time and won't cause you any trauma. I'm not the least bit religious and strongly support separation of church and state. Despite that, there was much more to like about Finding Normal than to dislike, and I have recommended it to a lot of my friends.

This film begins with a female doctor by the name of "Lisa Leland" (Candace Cameron Bure) leaving Los Angeles to drive all the way to New York to be with her boyfriend "Steve" (Andrew Bongiorno) who also happens to be a doctor as well. And judging from their rather selfish attitudes it appears that the two of them are just right for each other. However, things become a bit more complicated when Lisa is pulled over for speeding in Normal, Louisiana and after a quick check is discovered to have a number of other unpaid parking tickets. As a result, she is summoned to appear before the judge named "Doc Shelby" (Lou Beatty Jr.) who sentences her to 72 hours of community service as the town doctor. Having never been to a small town she soon learns that there is another side of life that she never imagined existed. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was essentially a clone of "Doc Hollywood" which incorporated a Christian message in its theme. Although I have no problem with that, I must admit that it lacked the zest of its predecessor to a great degree and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Depending on your view of life and how to live it, you may agree with certain things here or not. It is important for some to have and reach certain goals to be happy - or to make others happy. Being in a small town also means everyone knows everyone (sounds cliche but also true).

So what do our characters want here? Or rather is it achievable? In movies I reckon everything is achievable anyway, that aside though, the movie is a journey and a character building one at that. More or less only thinking about herself at first, there is more to discover for our main character (no pun intended). A nice little movie - but surely not for everyone.

This is a light-hearted movie that is inspiring if you like a "dreams come true" type of movie. It emphasizes happiness but faith definitely plays a part as well.

A New York City doctor drives coast to coast through small town North Carolina and gets caught in a speed trap. Her punishment is to spend 3 days in Normal, where she learns about trust, manners, love and God.

She gets to know the residents of this small town and starts to understand their way of life.

Meanwhile, her possibly fiance, back in New Yawk, continually reminds her that she is costing him $2500/visit while she is not with him.

It's sort of your typical predictable movie, but it is still worth watching.

It would be good for the whole family to watch it together.

Good acting all around.

Trevor St. John as the judge, doctor, and preacher is a cross between Morgan Freeman and Kieth David. Good actor.

My wife and I enjoyed the movie.