Fuga per un sogno

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.

While this road trip movie isn't as good as Thelma and Louise, it really shouldn't be compared. The two films are very different. While Thelma and Louise are on the run the police, Mary Ann and Darly (the two main characters of Leaving Normal) are only on the run from themselves. Meg Tilly and Christine Lahti play the title characters with just the right touches of naivete and cynicism. Mary Ann is leaving a bad marriage (her second) and Darly is heading to Alaska to reclaim land from an earlier marriage. Their paths merge in Normal, Wyoming and they set out on a road trip that changes both of them. A few of the scenes (thankfully very few) don't seem to work - almost as if they were added for comic effect. Both actresses give great performances. If you can overlook a few plot problems (their new overweight friend Sixty-six seems to find a rich man and leaves all of her belongings behind with Mary Ann and Darly all in the same day) I think you'll find this movie to be an enjoyable and touching tale. The tag line of the movie is: Sometimes the only way to find where you're going is to lose your way. I don't know about you, but in my life that has been true more than a few times. Oh, be sure not to miss the best scene in the whole film. When returning to their car with coolant after it has overheated to find the car stripped and their possessions strewn everywhere Mary Ann (always trying to believe things will work out) says, "We'll still get there. We'll still get to Alaska." Cynical Darly gets the best line in the film, "You're just like a punching bag aren't you, Mary Ann? Knock you down and you get back up. I bet you're one of those people who say when life gives you lemons make lemonade. Well, guess what, sweetheart, life hasn't given us lemons, it's given us SHIT!" I laughed so hard the first time I watched this scene and it's still a line I quote on one of those days when nothing seems to go right. Rent this movie and you won't be sorry.

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 really liked this movie. When I saw the cover in a local video rental, I thought it would be a cheezy Thelma & Louise knock-off. I was wrong.

I was impressed by the performances of Lahti and Tilly. While a bit odd and quirky, the characters were also real. Both women annoyed me at times but I could also feel sympathy for them. Some parts of the movie were kind of dreamy and surreal, which gave the film more character. The wilderness backdrops were breathtaking. I laughed my butt off on several occasions.

In all, this was a really cool movie. It's not for all tastes but I think it's worth viewing.