North of Normal

Directed by Carly Stone, North of Normal follows Amanda Fix’s Cea as she attempts to forge her own path after growing up alongside several counterculture figures (including her freespirited mother, Sarah Gadon’s Michelle.) It’s very familiar territory that’s employed to progressively tiresome effect by Stone, which is a shame, ultimately, given that the picture does boast vivid characters and strong performances – with, in terms of the latter, Fix turning in compelling work that periodically elevates the far-from-fresh narrative. Scripter Alexandra Weir’s tendency to place the protagonists in decidedly hackneyed situations and scenarios contributes heavily to the increasingly tedious atmosphere, and although the movie’s midsection does contain a few admittedly engaging stretches, most involving Cea’s efforts at freeing herself from her mother’s grasp, North of Normal builds towards an exceedingly, excessively generic second half that just seems to go on and on – which does, in the end, confirm the film’s place as a well-intentioned misfire with few elements designed to sustain one’s ongoing interest.

** out of ****