Leaving Normal

Reviews below are mostly right. This is a movie about hope, struggle, faith and miracles, everything Thelma and Louise was not. One woman who commits to everything, for a few minutes, another who commits to nothing, fall in with each other, to search for a place for them themselves. This is Frank Capra of the 90's. We may not always know where we are going, and sometimes we might just have to trust, but there is a place for us. If you follow the twelve step philosophy, you can find all twelve steps played out in here. (These are two women who came out of dysfuctional families). The characters are unforgettable, the humor warm and wild, and the relationship that builds from the first ten minutes to the last second of the closing credits should not be missed. I watch this movie every few months and remind myself that if we hang in there, there is a place for us, and almost always,it isn't what we ever expected. I have owned 7 copies of this movie and often give it as gifts. IF you missed it, watch it again. It's there!

When I watched Leaving Normal, I found that Meg Tilly and Christine Lahti made the perfect best friend team. Tilly and Lenny von Dohlen made the perfect couple, yet funny with it. Von Dohlen has some funny moments and he is very, very sweet with it (especially when he's crying in the truck after reading a sad story). This a very underrated movie that has an excellent cast.

It dumbfounds me why anyone thinks that two women driving off a cliff is what women should do to have a good time. I find anyone who approves of 'Thelma & Louise' comatose? Moronic? I mean.. I mean..what is wrong with all of you who like that movie?

'Leaving Normal' results in no deaths. In fact, it brims with life. There are a number of wonderful surprises that a viewer won't anticipate. The women have the chops to see things through to a better life, even against the odds. Happy happenstance plays a big part.

The cinematography is superb. The actors were perfectly cast and expertly directed.

No, there is no such place as Normal, Wyoming...except maybe on a psychological landscape. Leaving Normal is the story of an unusual journey and friendship. Meg Tilly as Marianne Johnson is a wide-eyed naif who has never made a good decision in her rambling life. Christine Lahti (now seen on ER) is a cynical cocktail waitress whose choices haven't been much better; together the two somehow cobble a relationship that enriches both, as well as some oddball others. They travel to Alaska, where each finally has the room she needs to build a life. You will probably find this movie in the comedy section of your video store, but it doesn't really belong there, even though some of the dialogue is HILARIOUS. Some nice cinematography, particularly the 4th of July scenes and the aurora borealis. The coffee mug motif is pretty cool, too. Will appeal to anyone who liked Thelma & Louise or Fried Green Tomatoes but wished the heroines of these would have been alive at the end. See it!

I saw Leaving Normal during its original theatrical release and watched it again recently after purchasing the film on DVD. My friends and I really enjoyed this film when we saw it back in 1992, when we were big into early 90s quirk with films like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Gas Food Lodging, Simple Men and Surviving Desire. Leaving Normal fits quite neatly into this group of films. It also reminds me of one of my all-time favorite and most watched films, which also happens to be a story about an unlikely female friendship, Bagdad Cafe (1987).

It's difficult for me to assess Leaving Normal with any sense of objectivity. When I watched it again recently, I was overcome with a sense of nostalgia for the early 90s when I was in my early 20s and was yet to make some pretty dumb decisions with my life (it all turned out okay though). I don't think the film has aged especially well (I'm thinking about some shoddy matte paintings) and its quirkiness may just annoy some people, but it has enough to offer the casual viewer to be entertaining. If you are fortunate enough to be open to its sincere message about the universe having a place for everyone (if we will just let go and allow ourselves), then you may find that you bond with Marianne and Darly and all the offbeat characters they meet on their journey towards wholeness. You may then find that you make a space for this little film in your heart, like most of the other reviewers on this site.