Film Review: Dan Byrd Shines in Coming-of-Age Gem ‘Norman’

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CHICAGO – His eyes are at once weary and sardonic, brooding and vulnerable. He doesn’t know how to cry for help, apart from crying wolf. He resists the spotlight when it’s placed upon him and yet still craves attention from his peers. He’s deeply cynical about life in general, yet is prone to falling for the sweetness of a pure-hearted soul. And he’d probably be well adjusted if it weren’t for the enormous weight on his shoulders.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

He’s Norman, the titular subject of Jonathan Segal’s terrific indie dramedy, which is finally making its theatrical debut after garnering acclaim on the festival circuit. Unlike many high school outcasts in modern film, Norman has the look, the behavior and the attitude of a real teenager. His uncommon intelligence and natural wit are apparent in his dialogue, but he’s not scoring hyper-stylized punchlines like Juno. Segal rarely pushes the comedy in a way that feels forced, allowing the laughs to emerge organically from the material.

Read Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “Norman” in our reviews section.

Much of the film’s success hinges on the central performance by Dan Byrd, a young actor best known for playing Travis Cobb on “Cougar Town.” His work here is utterly entrancing. From the moment he rips open the shuddering door of his locker and shoots a morose glance at its contents, he has the viewer thoroughly absorbed in his moment-to-moment experiences. As he observes his father, Doug (Richard Jenkins), gradually succumb to stomach cancer, the audience shares Norman’s mounting anxiety about the sudden crises that could befall him at any moment. Life at home is a ticking time bomb, while school is a melancholy dirge. When Norman’s teacher (a very funny Adam Goldberg) takes an interest in him, the debut script by Talton Wingate refreshingly avoids the usual feel-good clichés. The teacher is so convinced that he’s acting on Norman’s best interest that he ignores his student’s pleas, while attempting to transform him into an inspirational beacon for his peers. Norman simply wants a normal life for himself, but the escalating stress at home forces him to make on-the-spot decisions usually reserved for adults. His desperate efforts to separate his private struggles from the classroom come to a grinding halt when his best friend angrily interrogates him about his whereabouts. Yet instead of coming clean about the hospital trips he takes for his father, Norman spouts a lie that threatens to derail every relationship he holds dear.

Continue reading for Matt Fagerholm’s full “Norman” review.

Emily VanCamp gives Dan Byrd a hug in Jonathan Segal’s Norman.
Photo credit: North by Northwest Entertainment