Normal Life (1996)

Normal Life (1996)
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A seemingly ordinary couple jump the tracks into disaster in this drama based on a true story. Chris Anderson (Luke Perry) is a straight-arrow cop who meets Pam (Ashley Judd) after she's hurt in a barroom fight. He asks her to dance after helping to stop her bleeding, and it's love at first sight. While Chris plays by the rules, Pam likes to drink, smoke dope, spend money, and cause trouble, and while he wants to make her happy, her emotional instability makes this no easy task. After Chris is fired and takes a job as a security guard, he can no longer pay the bills that Pam is ringing up. He uses his knowledge of security systems to rob banks, and he discovers that he's good at it. Pam eventually finds out about Chris' sideline; the prospect of danger excites her sexually, and she insists on joining in for future robberies, goading him into a crime spree that leads to tragedy. While Normal Life was planned as a theatrical release, the film debuted on premium cable after disputes between the studio and director John McNaughton; despite this, the film earned positive reviews and a cult following. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Ashley JuddLuke Perry, (more)
Director(s):
John McNaughton
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Normal Life

A seemingly ordinary couple jump the tracks into disaster in this drama based on a true story. Chris Anderson (Luke Perry) is a straight-arrow cop who meets Pam (Ashley Judd) after she's hurt in a barroom fight. He asks her to dance after helping to stop her bleeding, and it's love at first sight. While Chris plays by the rules, Pam likes to drink, smoke dope, spend money, and cause trouble, and while he wants to make her happy, her emotional instability makes this no easy task. After Chris is fired and takes a job as a security guard, he can no longer pay the bills that Pam is ringing up. He uses his knowledge of security systems to rob banks, and he discovers that he's good at it. Pam eventually finds out about Chris' sideline; the prospect of danger excites her sexually, and she insists on joining in for future robberies, goading him into a crime spree that leads to tragedy. While Normal Life was planned as a theatrical release, the film debuted on premium cable after disputes between the studio and director John McNaughton; despite this, the film earned positive reviews and a cult following. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
102 mins

Complete Cast of Normal Life


Director(s):
John McNaughton
Writer(s):
Bob SchneiderBob SchneiderPeg Haller
Producer(s):
John SavianoRichard Maynard
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Strong Sexual Content, Nudity, Substance Abuse, Not For Children, Profanity, Violence)
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Elizabeth P.

    Almost painful to watch but you can not turn away. Judd’s performance is outstanding. You feel yourself drawn in; my wife was trying to warn Chris (Perry) of the “red flags”. Judd’s portrayal of Pam places her at among the top in her trade.

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    Ken B.

    Excellent. One of Ashley's best. It depicts just how far over the edge a sane person in love will go for someone who is much less sane. It's a true story about tragic opposite attraction. Ashley's character is extreme while Luke's character is initially stable. But in his desperate need to placate Ashley his character radically transforms. This is one of the better true stories I have seen about the incredible sacrifices a person will make for love. It may not be "Hollywooded up" enough for the less mature - no big Hollywood explosions, or gore and blood letting every 3 minutes or sex within the first 10 minutes. It's a movie about real people and how deadly the consequences of their actions were. For better reviews of this movie see IMdb.com. They all give it high marks also - even calling it "one of Ashley's best films". I agree.

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    Scott E.

    All I can see say is how surprised I am by this movie. Ashley should make more movies like this and less romantic comedies. Don't get me wrong, I think she is a fantastic lead in ROM COMS but, wow, what a surprise turn of events this movie!

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