Norman
AMC Independent | Release Date: October 21, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
60
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
3
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertOct 19, 2011
For me, Richard Jenkins is the heart of Norman. How often I've admired him; even in unworthy roles, he has such strength, he never seems the need to try. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyOct 21, 2011
The humor is sly and not overplayed either. Typical is the English class with Mr. Angelo (Adam Goldberg) trying to prod his bored students into parsing the difference between satire and irony, which is what the filmmakers are up to as well. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAndy WebsterOct 20, 2011
Norman may not conquer the box office, but it will certainly be a worthy calling card for its director and its leading man. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJon FroschOct 3, 2011
The film built around Norman's brazen bit of acting out is uneven -- a strong, fresh first half is followed by a dismayingly earnest second. But there's enough that is winning and sharp to hold you until the end, even as you're disappointed by the direction the film takes. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis HarveyOct 3, 2011
Recalls last year's "World's Greatest Dad," similarly using a snowballing fib to lampoon the ambulance-chasing relationship between morbidity and celebrity. But unlike that primarily satirical exercise, Norman gradually ditches the snark in favor of poignant, understated dramatics. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJoel BrownOct 27, 2011
Norman gets most of its punch from two terrific performances. Read full review
63
New York PostLou LumenickOct 21, 2011
There's a winning emotional truth in the father-son scenes in this Spokane-shot sleeper, directed with skill and sensitivity by Jonathan Segal. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubSam AdamsOct 19, 2011
Chances are, Norman would have seemed like a retread whenever it came out, but it does the movie no favors to release it in the shadow of "Terri" and "Submarine," both far more compelling portraits of high-school loners, and both released to DVD in the last few weeks. Read full review
50
Village VoiceBenjamin MercerOct 18, 2011
Although Norman, shot on location in Spokane and scored by singer-songwriter Andrew Bird, succeeds in fleshing out its troubled main character, the actions of his peers are consistently harder to accept. Read full review
40
Boxoffice MagazineKate ErblandOct 20, 2011
Segal's film tries to straddle the line between darkly funny and just plain dark, but even with a game cast and an offbeat premise, Norman is a disquieting outing with little in the way of honest payoff. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineBill WeberOct 19, 2011
Alternately maudlin and snarky, Norman just doesn't risk enough, and can be consigned to the status of what the school drama geek would call "some contemporary, obscure, teen-angst thing." Read full review
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