Parents' Guide to

Finding Normal

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Faith-based drama pushes small-town life, converting.

Movie NR 2014 80 minutes
Finding Normal Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 11+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Yvonne B.
Yvonne B. Parent of 14-year-old
December 29, 2022
age 18+

Worst cheesy predictable movie ever

So predictable and cheesy and the worst possible plot! The girl is ENGAGED To a man who only cares about money making and NOTHING ELSE AND THEN SHE LIKES THE OTHER GUY LUCAS I’m sorry but that is wrong on TOO MANY levels. Do not show to your kids my kids hated it because it’s so cheesy (even my 14 year old)
1 person found this helpful.
Guest1
Guest1 Adult
December 16, 2020
age 7+

Finding a Normal life

The lead character (Lisa) is intentionally off-putting, but that makes the love story hard to accept. As others have noted, big-city people are almost completely shown as less desirable people (in the tradition of the old B&W city slicker gets out-done by a country bumpkin). At times, Lisa is too ignorant or obnoxious to seem real; however, the message (if taken down a notch) is good. I might have just missed it, but I didn't hear any clarification about the judge's absent wife (at his age, being a widower would be 'normal,' but why didn't nosy Lisa ask) or, more curiously, any mention about Kim's father. I was irritated by the love interest not wearing a seat belt in his pick-up. There are a few errors, in particular the fiance's being able to drive 2000 miles overnight. The scenery is appealing, and the camera work is mostly quite well done. All the people in the town are appealing except for a few who seemed cloying.
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What's the Story?

Dr. Lisa Leland (Candace Cameron Bure) is packing up her life as a surgeon in Los Angeles to join her boyfriend's practice on Long Island. On the way, she gets a speeding ticket in the bucolic town of Normal, North Carolina, where local law enforcement discover 23 unpaid parking tickets and a warrant for Leland's arrest. Leland owes $2,000, but the city is a cash-only place that doesn't take credit cards, and the one ATM in town is broken. A kind judge, Doc (Lou Beatty, Jr.), who sees a possible successor in Leland, gives her the option of community service in lieu of cash, and as she gets to know the locals and acts as their new doctor, she begins to see a more meaningful life emerge that she never thought possible or desirable.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (5):
Kids say: Not yet rated

FINDING NORMAL has a brisk pace, some good acting and chemistry, and worthwhile messages. We all get caught up in our lives and ambitions, tending to forget how important it is to slow down, reach out, help others, be part of a larger community, and look for things that can give us meaning. And here, a self-important surgeon gets reminded that even she has to pay her parking tickets. It works to undermine assumptions we might make about people in small towns and about their intelligence or quality of life.

That said, the film takes broad swipes at people who live in cities, painting them as self-involved and spoiled, in need of a literal come-to-Jesus revelation. It also takes a dig at the ACLU for meddling in religious freedom. For Christian families, this is a no-brainer. For secular families, it has strongly positive messages but may spark questions about why the other side can only envision one right way to live.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the city versus the country. How do you think the film portrayed each lifestyle? Which did the film suggest was better? Why? Do you agree? Why, or why not?

  • Do you think the judge's decision to demand community service was a good one? Why, or why not?

  • Does the main character's decision at the end of the film ring true for you? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

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