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Leaving Normal streaming

1992 Movie United States Drama, Comedy 110 min Ages 17+
By: Edward Zwick With: Lenny Von Dohlen, Brett Cullen, Christine Lahti, James Gammon, Meg Tilly

For her entire life, twenty-seven year old Marianne Johnson has been on the move, the decisions which she's made as an adult which have been total failures, such as her second most recent marriage to Curtis Johnson, which brought her to Normal, Wyoming. However, she has an optimistic view of life, always believing that each decision she makes will be the right one. She is a linear thinker and despite being bright in this regard, she has no life or job skills, never having had a paying job besides a short stint in the army where she met Curtis. Conversely, thirty-eight year old Darly Peters wears her failures openly on her sleeve, she bulldozing her way through life. Currently a cocktail waitress in Normal, waitressing which dominates her resumé, Darly receives news that her ex-husband, who she left eighteen years ago, has died and has deeded the house which they were building at the time in remote Palmer Valley, Alaska to her. She believes this house will be the first time in her life she will feel settled. Seeing in Marianne a stranger in need, Darly offers Marianne a ride to Portland, where she will be staying with her judgmental sister and brother-in-law. As that move to Portland also proves to be another disaster in Marianne's life, she decides to accept Darly's invitation to go to Alaska with her. Along the way, they get into one adventure after another, meeting people who may affect their view of life. What will also affect their lives is Darly's Alaska past which leads to life in Alaska not quite what they were expecting.

Filmium rating
65%

Mood

Adventurous
Bittersweet
Empowering
Reflective
Touching

Cast & Crew

Edward Zwick
Ed Solomon
Meg Tilly
Brett Cullen
Christine Lahti
Lenny Von Dohlen
Patrika Darbo
James Gammon
Maury Chaykin

Cinematic Technique

Character-Focused
Dialogue-Driven
Naturalistic

Narrative Structure

Character-Driven
Road Movie

Pace

Moderate
Reflective
Slow-Paced
Steady

Style

Character-Driven
Dramatic
Road Movie

Time-Period

Early 1990S

Central Conflict

Escaping Past
Personal Redemption

Characters

Colorful Characters
Darly Peters
Marianne Johnson

Ending

Bittersweet
Hopeful

Historical Context

Early 1990S

Key Plot Points

Disillusionment With House
Journey To Alaska
Re-Evaluation Of Lives

Plot

Alaska Journey
Female Friendship
Female Road Trip
Road Trip
Self-Discovery

Setting

Alaska
Alaskan Wilderness
American Southwest
Roadside America
Wilderness

Shooting Location

British Columbia
Hyder Alaska
Vancouver

Theme

Female Empowerment
Female Friendship
Friendship
Redemption
Self-Discovery

Genre

Comedy-Drama
Independent
Road Film
Road Movie

Audiences

Adults
Road Trip Enthusiasts
Women

Titles

Leaving Normal

Reception

40% Positive On Rotten Tomatoes
Critically Divisive
Mixed Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes 40%

Production Countries

Canada
United States

Release Year

1992
mowizz ID: 182989cc-8076-4a03-8137-33c6579e1d86
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