North of Normal

From the opening scene of North Normal, I felt drawn in and gently swept into this captivating movie with its' beautiful scenery and its' complex and endearing characters. I fell in love with Cea Person's books and I was excited and a little nervous to see how her story would be portrayed in film. This movie surpassed my expectations. I was blown away by the wonderful quality of acting and the artful cinematography. I laughed, cried and I came away with much to think about. The relationships and the sensitive subject matter were thoughtfully and creatively handled. It felt real, raw and yet, somehow, beautiful at the same time. My husband has not read Cea's books and he is more of an action/adventure movie guy. Amazingly, he was swept up in the viewing experience as much as I was! There was plenty of adventure to keep him involved and he found the dynamics between the main characters to be captivating and authentic. Bravo!

North of Normal was and has been my favourite book since I read it a few years back and it's my number one go to book to recommend to anyone looking for a book recommendation. When I heard that it was going to be made into a film, I was ecstatic, when I found out it was being filmed in my hometown, I was over the moon with excitement. The movie followed the book well, the book I was able to paint the pictures of what was happening in my head, the movie brought those photos to life. It showed the struggles and the triumphs, the good and the bad, and I hope that it gets released to the general theatres for more people to be able to enjoy this beautiful movie. It will now be my go to book and movie. Hopefully they'll be able to make Nearly Normal the sequel one day too on film.

Just saw the movie this evening and can't stop thinking about it. Same feeling when I read the book. The actors were perfect, and truly reflected what I envisioned each character to be like. Right from the beginning I was drawn in to the evolving relationship between Cea and her Mother. That bond was strong, but sadly not enough. I admired Cea's resilience, determination (and sense of humour) throughout and it was skillfully portrayed. The cinematography was also amazing and captured the essence of the story. Great music too! Looking forward to watching the movie again. And hope there will be a sequel.

Wonderful adaptation! As a huge fan of Cea's books I have been eagerly awaiting the movie release. I was very impressed with North of Normal on screen. Incredible cinematography, brilliant casting and acting, great screenplay. It was magical to see Cea's story of strength, resilience and survival come to life. As in her books I was deeply moved by the relationship between Cea and her mother in the film. This very complicated connection was portrayed beautifully by all the actors. Cea's unwavering love and loyalty shone through. Great portrayal of Cea's relationship with her grandfather too. Highly recommend.

This movie was so heartfelt, cinematically beautiful and engaging. I laughed, I cried and I totally connected with the protagonist. I love the way delved into the characters and showed every aspect of their world. As a lover of nature, the scenic shots of northern Canada were beautiful and they truly captured the essence of alternating living and mindsets. Though a lot of the story stems in tragedy there is an uplifting and captivating presence about Cea that always has me routing for her. This movie is Truly a MUST SEE if you love coming of age stories, nature and beautiful cinematic experiences.