Normal is a 2002 drama film produced by HBO Films, which became an official selection at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Jane Anderson, the film's writer and director, adapted her own play, Looking for Normal. The film is about the gender transition of Ruth Applewood, a transsexual woman who had been living as a man for 25 years of marriage. A Midwestern factory worker, Applewood (then going by "Roy") stuns his wife of 25 years by saying he wishes to undergo sex reassignment surgery and transition to living as a woman. The film was praised by most critics, and was nominated for numerous awards.Synopsis
Applewood (Tom Wilkinson), after fainting on the night of his 25th marriage anniversary, shocks his wife Irma (Jessica Lange) by revealing that he suffers from gender dysphoria and plans to transition into living as a woman and be renamed Ruth. While Ruth tries to keep the family together, Irma's initial reaction is to separate from him. Patty Ann (Hayden Panettiere), their daughter, is more accepting, but Wayne (Joe Sikora), their son, struggles with the transition.
Actors