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 will have you crying and laughing. Actually, the book & the movie will have you experiencing ALL emotions. Cea had a remarkable upbringing with tragedy & triumphs. You will swear the acting you are watching in the movie was playing out in real life before your eyes. You will want to hug every Cea and protect her. Everyone around you in the theatre will fade away. And that's what a great movie experience is all about. All of the actors did a fantastic job. From the moment the movie started, other than the laughter in spots, a hush fell across the packed theatre until the very end. After the movie, I had a couple conversations with people about the movie and the books. One in particular was with an older gentleman (before & after the movie) who loved the first book, but didn't know there was a second book. He was quite excited to go and purchase Nearly Normal & delve into that one. The only unfortunate part about the movie is there is never enough time to cover the entire book...Or maybe there is...do I hear sequel or maybe even threequel?! (LOL Is that a word?). My wish is for everyone near and far, big city or small town, is to get the chance to see this well written, directed and portrayed movie in person on the big screen. Love to every "Cea" in the world. <3.

'North of Normal' is such an appropriate title for this film. The perception of what we feel is 'normal' can be a reflective thought after watching this movie. It was a treat to have a peek into this unique upbringing. I appreciate the honesty and vulnerability of the characters It makes me want to know more of this captivating story.

There are so many mother daughter stories out there - this one, despite the tenacity of the relationships, showed love and compassion and at a deep level.

How each character showed their love was interesting to observe and easy to relate to.

I recommend seeing North of Normal.

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.

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.