"This Is Normal" is a live action short film that runs for slightly under 20 minutes and was released back in 2013, so next year it will have its 5th anniversary. It was made by a duo of writers and directors named Giddings and Welsh and for both it is probably among their most known works. This also has to do with lead actress Ryann Turner's performance, but I also thought that the supporting cast did a good job. This takes us into the world of a young woman who is deaf, but gets the possibility to be able to hear for the first time in her life. And she really wants to take it, even if it may cost her with her deaf boyfriend and circle of friends. I think it is an accurate description as I am somewhat aware that the deaf see themselves as a but of an insider community if you know what I mean because their disability defines their life and lifestyle and it is impossible for non-dead people to really feel and understand their identities. Certainly an interesting subject and I quite liked the execution. The talk with the other two women (one of them her sister) before the surgery is touching as well as comedic almost with the screamer. As a whole, I am baffled this did not receive any awards attention (according to IMDb) as in my opinion this is a film that awards bodies would frequently go for and that also would have deserved some honors. A bit of a shame. You should watch it for sure. I give it a thumbs-up.
6 Reviews
Engaging use of sound, although needed more to expand the story and character rather than just the sound aspect (SPOILERS)
bob the moo31 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I try not to pay attention to write-ups and comments from others before I watch a short film; usually the investment of time is less than a feature, so I am happy to find out the hard way if something is no good, but also there is a lot less time for me to get over my preconceptions – so lots of praise or criticism either way means I may not make my own mind up during it, which I dislike. However on the blog I watched this on, it was hard not to see the title regularly popping up in the comments with positive praise, so maybe I went in expecting rather than with fresh eyes.
The plot joins Gwen ahead of an operation where stem cells can hopefully restore her hearing from deafness to near-full "normality". We see this news being delivered to her deaf friends and not being well received, while her mother (who never wanted a deaf daughter) is clearly overjoyed to finally have the shot at a "normal" daughter. The film plays out this drama as Gwen heads towards the surgery and faces a situation where her ability to hear will impact her entire world. It is an interesting piece and it is one that is made more interesting by virtue of the delivery. The sound in particular is a lot more engaging than I expected – although many films benefit from a bigger screen and sound set-up, this film worked very well with a good set of headphones. The reason for this is that the sound varies between silence, "normal", and muffled, depending on the situation. It sounds like a gimmick and, although it is a bit, it is effective at what it does.
The sound in particular helps with the main point of the film; which is Gwen restoring her hearing and experiencing that sense of wonder at the clarity of it all. This is a big moment for the short and it does it well, however there are too many other moments where it doesn't do so well. The supporting characters exist, and we have dialogue scenes with them, but mostly they are broadly drawn. Some of the supporting performances are good, but mostly the scenes feel a bit forced and unnatural. For me this caused the film's biggest weakness, which is that it presented the hope that this would be a real character piece, with Gwen almost having to start a new life simply by virtue of wanting to be rid of her disability. The idea that this makes her like her mother (wanting the problem gone) is also on the table, along with the impact on friends (as if she wants to be "better" than them) and other aspects of her life. Sadly these are not as well explored, as the film instead focuses on the sound aspect, and the character seems to fit second in the list.
This weakness is compensated for by a great performance from Turner; she is natural in a way most of the performances are not – and only once or twice does the dialogue or scene make her a little clunky. If I felt something, it was mostly because of a combination of the sound design with her feelings to changes in sensation; she is very good, although not perhaps good enough to carry the whole piece by herself. This is particularly hard since the film runs to 20 minutes. Personally I thought the time would be fine because it holds out a lot it wants to do, but when it doesn't do it so well, then it feels overly long – it could have done this with less time and focused on the core it ended up doing anyway.
An interesting short film for the story, for Turner's performance, and for the sound design; however the lack of exploration of the impact of the change, some clunky writing, and a weak development of the character in her old and new world, all limit the film in the narrative and emotional impact that it could have had.
The plot joins Gwen ahead of an operation where stem cells can hopefully restore her hearing from deafness to near-full "normality". We see this news being delivered to her deaf friends and not being well received, while her mother (who never wanted a deaf daughter) is clearly overjoyed to finally have the shot at a "normal" daughter. The film plays out this drama as Gwen heads towards the surgery and faces a situation where her ability to hear will impact her entire world. It is an interesting piece and it is one that is made more interesting by virtue of the delivery. The sound in particular is a lot more engaging than I expected – although many films benefit from a bigger screen and sound set-up, this film worked very well with a good set of headphones. The reason for this is that the sound varies between silence, "normal", and muffled, depending on the situation. It sounds like a gimmick and, although it is a bit, it is effective at what it does.
The sound in particular helps with the main point of the film; which is Gwen restoring her hearing and experiencing that sense of wonder at the clarity of it all. This is a big moment for the short and it does it well, however there are too many other moments where it doesn't do so well. The supporting characters exist, and we have dialogue scenes with them, but mostly they are broadly drawn. Some of the supporting performances are good, but mostly the scenes feel a bit forced and unnatural. For me this caused the film's biggest weakness, which is that it presented the hope that this would be a real character piece, with Gwen almost having to start a new life simply by virtue of wanting to be rid of her disability. The idea that this makes her like her mother (wanting the problem gone) is also on the table, along with the impact on friends (as if she wants to be "better" than them) and other aspects of her life. Sadly these are not as well explored, as the film instead focuses on the sound aspect, and the character seems to fit second in the list.
This weakness is compensated for by a great performance from Turner; she is natural in a way most of the performances are not – and only once or twice does the dialogue or scene make her a little clunky. If I felt something, it was mostly because of a combination of the sound design with her feelings to changes in sensation; she is very good, although not perhaps good enough to carry the whole piece by herself. This is particularly hard since the film runs to 20 minutes. Personally I thought the time would be fine because it holds out a lot it wants to do, but when it doesn't do it so well, then it feels overly long – it could have done this with less time and focused on the core it ended up doing anyway.
An interesting short film for the story, for Turner's performance, and for the sound design; however the lack of exploration of the impact of the change, some clunky writing, and a weak development of the character in her old and new world, all limit the film in the narrative and emotional impact that it could have had.
Great Short Movie
HAL19943 April 2017
I easily connected to this short movie, since I'm almost deaf too - I know how hard it is to have a "normal" social life being almost unable to understand what people are saying near to you. I too went through a surgery to "hear better". I thought the script was well written, very mature and to- the-ground feel, the direction is very good, and the cast is superb, especially the main character played by Ryann.
Moving. Emotionally and visually impactful.
Lindsaysears-131-16754912 January 2020
This is a mini-masterpiece. Just beautiful. THIS is what art should be: meaningful, compassionate, something that connects us to stories and people who are not our own (or helps us feel less alone in the stories that ARE our own), something that connects us to our shared humanity whether that be the joyous-- or tragic-- aspects of experiencing life as a human being on earth. 💙
Disagreement between title and content
I_Ailurophile6 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I find myself divided.
On the one hand, it's genuinely gratifying to see a short where sign language is so prominent. Even as films gradually open to greater diversity in storytelling, there remains such a lack of accurate, meaningful portrayal of deafness that one leaps at any real depiction, any hint of representation. Early scenes impart the deaf experience with sound that is pointedly, heavily muffled, or sparse, or absent. While never unnecessarily zooming in, we get a clear, unobstructed view of characters' hands as they fluidly sign.
I'm also greatly impressed with the way post-production overlays text on the screen to convey the meaning of the sign language on hand (pun not intended, but welcome). Even more than that: Lip reading is depicted, with subtitles, as the means by which deaf characters can communicate with hearing characters that don't sign. In those instances when the reading is unclear, or a character is unable to see the words being spoken, the overlaid text is scribbled over and illegible. It's a clever technique - obvious as a tool to be used in TV or film - and I'm a bit surprised to think I personally haven't seen it employed before elsewhere.
And the assembled cast is pretty swell. Everyone here embodies their roles well, but this is especially true for Ryann Turner as protagonist Gwen. Gwen experiences a wide range of sometimes opposed emotions throughout this short story, and Turner capably inhabits her with all necessary nuance of the hopes, faults, and struggles the character represents. From a technical standpoint - in the fundamental crafting of the film - 'This is normal' is pretty outstanding.
On the other hand:
Even recognizing the inner conflict of the protagonist - after an early scene which begins with four deaf characters being themselves and freely communicating between one another, 'This is normal' falls into the same tawdry void that so much of the film industry does when approaching these topics. Whatever the disability at hand, 99% of movies center disability as an issue to be dealt with, an obstacle to overcome, or a reason for a character to be patronized. 'This is normal' is not meaningfully different. There's even a supporting character who emphatically expresses that deafness is normal - versus an anomaly that requires condescension or conquest - and still the short primarily conveys Gwen's choice as "triumph over personal difficulty." To date I've only seen a single picture that featured a disabled character and treated them as a whole, independent person with agency, who just happened to have the trait of living with a disability. This is most certainly not that picture.
And it didn't have to be this way! There's also consideration of how Gwen's choice affects her relationships. We see how her choice impacts her friendships, and her, and the result is deep reservations and uncertainty about the decision she's made. The short definitively exhibits a supporting character that speaks down to Gwen and treats her very differently; in the scene and in the film's clear intent, the response to that character is dismissive mockery. Filmmakers Justin Giddings and Ryan Patrick Welsh could have easily focused their writing on the consequences, ramifications, and difficulties of Gwen's choice - potential or actual; personal, social, and physiological - and more than anything else, on Gwen's great ambivalence. I think 'This is normal' would have been far better for it. But this consideration is secondary, far overshadowed by the pall of a tiresome trope that turns disability into its own plot point and at best paints over disabled characters' dignity.
It has to be said: Of course the spotlight of this short - victory over adversity - is a universal theme, and specifically in this instance, a very real, valid, lived experience for many people living with a disability. This story is also deserving of being told, and it's obviously, absolutely legitimate to seek procedures that will lessen whatever it is that confounds us. Other viewers plainly identify with 'This is normal' and find it relatable and impactful; good for them. I watch it and see a film that - for all its thoughtful technical construction, narrative writing, and characterizations - above all examines disability in the same careless, inarticulate manner as innumerable well-known pictures.
If these are too many words, let me speak more plainly: On the one hand, 'This is normal' should be celebrated. On the other, it should be wholly discarded. I'm glad for anyone who gets more out of this short than I do. I just wish filmmakers were clever enough to tell stories about disability that boil it down to something more than "shouldering a burden."
On the one hand, it's genuinely gratifying to see a short where sign language is so prominent. Even as films gradually open to greater diversity in storytelling, there remains such a lack of accurate, meaningful portrayal of deafness that one leaps at any real depiction, any hint of representation. Early scenes impart the deaf experience with sound that is pointedly, heavily muffled, or sparse, or absent. While never unnecessarily zooming in, we get a clear, unobstructed view of characters' hands as they fluidly sign.
I'm also greatly impressed with the way post-production overlays text on the screen to convey the meaning of the sign language on hand (pun not intended, but welcome). Even more than that: Lip reading is depicted, with subtitles, as the means by which deaf characters can communicate with hearing characters that don't sign. In those instances when the reading is unclear, or a character is unable to see the words being spoken, the overlaid text is scribbled over and illegible. It's a clever technique - obvious as a tool to be used in TV or film - and I'm a bit surprised to think I personally haven't seen it employed before elsewhere.
And the assembled cast is pretty swell. Everyone here embodies their roles well, but this is especially true for Ryann Turner as protagonist Gwen. Gwen experiences a wide range of sometimes opposed emotions throughout this short story, and Turner capably inhabits her with all necessary nuance of the hopes, faults, and struggles the character represents. From a technical standpoint - in the fundamental crafting of the film - 'This is normal' is pretty outstanding.
On the other hand:
Even recognizing the inner conflict of the protagonist - after an early scene which begins with four deaf characters being themselves and freely communicating between one another, 'This is normal' falls into the same tawdry void that so much of the film industry does when approaching these topics. Whatever the disability at hand, 99% of movies center disability as an issue to be dealt with, an obstacle to overcome, or a reason for a character to be patronized. 'This is normal' is not meaningfully different. There's even a supporting character who emphatically expresses that deafness is normal - versus an anomaly that requires condescension or conquest - and still the short primarily conveys Gwen's choice as "triumph over personal difficulty." To date I've only seen a single picture that featured a disabled character and treated them as a whole, independent person with agency, who just happened to have the trait of living with a disability. This is most certainly not that picture.
And it didn't have to be this way! There's also consideration of how Gwen's choice affects her relationships. We see how her choice impacts her friendships, and her, and the result is deep reservations and uncertainty about the decision she's made. The short definitively exhibits a supporting character that speaks down to Gwen and treats her very differently; in the scene and in the film's clear intent, the response to that character is dismissive mockery. Filmmakers Justin Giddings and Ryan Patrick Welsh could have easily focused their writing on the consequences, ramifications, and difficulties of Gwen's choice - potential or actual; personal, social, and physiological - and more than anything else, on Gwen's great ambivalence. I think 'This is normal' would have been far better for it. But this consideration is secondary, far overshadowed by the pall of a tiresome trope that turns disability into its own plot point and at best paints over disabled characters' dignity.
It has to be said: Of course the spotlight of this short - victory over adversity - is a universal theme, and specifically in this instance, a very real, valid, lived experience for many people living with a disability. This story is also deserving of being told, and it's obviously, absolutely legitimate to seek procedures that will lessen whatever it is that confounds us. Other viewers plainly identify with 'This is normal' and find it relatable and impactful; good for them. I watch it and see a film that - for all its thoughtful technical construction, narrative writing, and characterizations - above all examines disability in the same careless, inarticulate manner as innumerable well-known pictures.
If these are too many words, let me speak more plainly: On the one hand, 'This is normal' should be celebrated. On the other, it should be wholly discarded. I'm glad for anyone who gets more out of this short than I do. I just wish filmmakers were clever enough to tell stories about disability that boil it down to something more than "shouldering a burden."
a battle
Kirpianuscus16 February 2021
As a man with hearing problems, I saw this beautiful short film with a special interest, defining it, for me, more than a great work. It is portrait of a condition, hope to be normal , relations with friends and family and fundamental option about yourself and the fights behind others. A beautiful film. And a splendid portrait of more than a case. Great good points - admirable delicacy of the reflection of story complexity and just splendid performances.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
