After raves at TIFF ’22, NORTH OF NORMAL arrives in theatres July 28, 2023 via Elevation Pictures!
Synopsis:
Based on her riveting memoir, North of Normal follows Cea Sunrise Person’s unconventional childhood in the wilderness, her complicated relationship with her perpetually pot-smoking teen mom, and her incredible path to a version of normalcy on the runways of Paris.
Directed by Carly Stone
Starring: Sarah Gadon, Amanda Fix, James Darcy, and River Price-Maenpaa
Based on the Memoir North of Normal by Cea Sunrise Person
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
By Mr. Will Wong
Carly Stone (The New Romantic) directs this adaptation of Cea Sunrise Person’s Memoir of the same name and at the center of the story is Cea (played as a child by River Price-Maenpaa and as a teen by Amanda Fix) and her young mother Michelle (Sarah Gadon). Together, they embark on a nomadic life through Western Canada, breaking apart from Cea‘s grandparents.
Cea is beautiful, young and aspires to be a model, but time and again is caught-up in her mother’s revolving door of romances. Michelle insists that she needs the security of a man and this causes strain not only on their mother-daughter relationship, but spills over to many other aspects of Cea‘s life.
NORTH OF NORMAL explores how the cycle of multi-generational toxicity can feed itself over and again. Grandpa Dick (Robert Carlyle) makes many irresponsible choices, as does Michelle and we wonder if Cea will break the cycle. But at the same time, the Fillm explores the bonds that tie this dysfunctional family together.
The Film possesses a maturity, though some of its central characters are on the contrary and unaware. Gadon transforms completely going against-type as Michelle and does so well, but the breakout performance here is from Fix, who currently is in-town filming Orphan Black: Echoes next – a name to look-out for.
NORTH OF NORMAL screens at TIFF ’22 as follows:
Sun, Sep 11 IN-PERSON TIFF Bell Lightbox 6:45pm
Tue, Sep 13 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 11:30am
Elevation Pictures is thrilled to announce that BONES OF CROWS and NORTH OF NORMAL were a part of today’s TIFF 2022 Conference, and TIFF’s ongoing commitment to showcase Canadian talent.
BONES OF CROWS
Director: Marie Clements
Starring Grace Dove, Phillip Lewitski, and Rémy Girard
Unfolding over 100 years, BONES OF CROWS is a feature film told through the eyes of Cree Matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse.
NORTH OF NORMAL
Director: Carly Stone
Starring Sarah Gadon, James D’Arcy, and Robert Carlyle
Based on her riveting memoir, NORTH OF NORMAL follows Cea Sunrise Person’s unconventional childhood in the Canadian wilderness and her complicated relationship with her perpetually pot-smoking teen mom.
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