Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I have loved Cameron from afar since her "Full House" days. That being said, this ain't that lovable comedy. (She stars as Dr. Lisa Leland). I also have watched a number of Mrs. Bure's movies and have liked most of them. This atrocity is the first that I am reviewing. Candace stars alongside Trevor St. John (Todd Manning, OLTL). The reason I gave it 2 stars was for Trevor and Lou Beatty, Jr's roles in the film. Lou plays "Doc" the town's No. 1 citizen. His "Obi-Wan" style of advice to Bure's "Lisa" character was the sole saving grace of this movie.Candace Cameron-Bure PHONED in her performance. The set-up for her character, I began to believe she could be a doctor. But when she arrived in Normal, Population 321; she saw a total of TWO whole patients, and one of the patients wanted Dr. Lisa to give her Pomeranian a shot!!Don't watch this movie!! If you want to see Cameron "Play Doctor" then rent or watch "Christmas Under Wraps" I will leave a review of her movie soon.

"Finding Normal" is not -- by any means -- a horrible film. Nor it is a particularly good film. It has decent enough production values for a TV-Movie, but the conservative religious and political views expressed in the film may not be everyone's cup of tea.Basically, the film follows a "big city" doctor who learns to love "small town" living. To be fair, the broad-based "city vs. country" stereotypes used in the film are nothing new. In fact the basic storyline is similar to Doc Hollywood (1991).People who live in the "big city" are generally depicted as being cynical, snobbish, no-good folk who do not regularly attend church and (gasp) may even support the ACLU.Rural people, in contrast, are generally depicted as being friendly, quaint, authentic, hardworking, decent folk who regularly go to church and believe that the greatest threat to America is the ACLU.Yes, this TV-Movie did not invent these cultural, geographic and political stereotypes, but they certainly do not help the audience care about the characters.Anyways, so the "big city" doctor needs to do a bit of community service in a Southern small town. To the film's credit, the town is not racially segregated....Although the film does seem to borrow a bit from Andy Griffith Show."Doc Shelby" -- one of the main actors in the film is arguable the best character -- in terms of development, acting and writing. You really do believe that his character plays a leadership role in the community and, faced with his own mortality, wants to make sure that the town will not be without a doctor.Most of the other characters rarely move outside of the "big city" and "country bumpkin" stereotypes.This is probably why one of the funniest lines in the film is when it gives characters lines, which are critical of judgmental people and stereotypes. It occurs early on in the film, when the "big city" doctor sits down for dinner and, yeah the irony is just hilarious.In terms of its religious and political viewpoints, the film waits awhile to hit the audience over the head with them.In fact, Netflix did include film in their "faith and spirituality" genre, which may have caused the film to be seen by audience members who are not fond of conservative politics or the religious right.Yet, the message in the film gradually becomes clear; the "big city" doctor needs to be "saved" from the evils of big city life. How will this occur? If you did not know that this film was designed for a (conservative) Christian audience, then the right-wing hole that the film digs itself into may be hard to stomach.Everyone in the town assumes that the "big city" doctor is nominally Christian and have nothing with expecting her to attend church as part of her community service.The main "hot button" story line element has the small town fighting against the evil ACLU, in order to keep a Christian cross on public land.The complex issue of religious freedom and church-state separation is basically reduced to an accusation that anyone who does not agree with the cross being on public land -- by itself -- is unAmerican tyrannt.Granted, if you are a conservative Christian who shares the belief that religious freedom should only apply to your church, then the film's weak efforts at a "court room" drama may appeal to you.Probably the biggest problem with the film is that nothing really major happens -- in three short days -- to explain the huge -- almost absurd -- shift in the "big city" doctor's personality and values.Beyond the legal dispute, the big city doctor saves the life of a young girl and plays phone tag with her big city finance.The problem is that we already know that the big city doctor is quite good at being a doctor. While she does, rather quickly, fall in love with a local boy, that is not really enough to explain the radical shift in her personality and values.In the end she ditches her big city finance -- who may or may not be a stereotypical, big city, ethnically-ambiguous, non-Christian character (read Jewish).No doubt the finance is more concerned with his career then the woman he loves, but so to is the woman herself.The problem is that the woman goes from an Independent career gal, to the type of women who believe that women should be less focused on their career and more focused on being a good and obedient wife.It is a pretty significant change, which is never really explained or justify in the film.he only thing standing between Dr. Lisa Leland (Candice Cameron Bure) and the wedding of her dreams in the Hamptons is a 2600-mile drive from Los Angeles to Long Island.

What a wonderful movie! The story is well written and well acted. So often, Christian films seem to be written over the course of one weekend, the dialog is unbelievable, and the acting is usually sub-par at best. Finding Normal is not only well written but the acting is wonderfully realistic and the dialog is not only believable but entertaining. Of course, if you're looking for the Hollywood standard in movies that discards any moral message, replaces action, sex, and special effects for thoughtful writing then you most likely will not enjoy this movie. On the other hand, if you're like our family and don't mind a movie lacking some of the "refinements" of secular films and are wanting entertainment that is wholesome and purveys a moral message then our family highly recommends this film! You will be pleased with the over all quality of Finding Normal.

A doctor (Candace Cameron Bure), eager to reach her new life in another city, is caught for speeding and when the license is run, is found to have a number of outstanding violations. At her hearing, she is held without in the town without incarceration until the fines are paid off and her car impounded as a precautions for a potential flight risk. Without local access to her regular means of cash for emergencies, the judge, being the town's secretly ailing physician, has an opportunity for some leisure in his remaining days and uses his less than willing detainee to tend to his many patients who need to be seen on regular rounds during his brief absences. Without a hotel and an open jail and without the use of her car, uses available transportation and the available jail cell each night as her hotel room and during the day makes rounds to his many patients. Over the short time the doctor (Bure) reflects on initial hardships and those she has met and begins to look at life in this small town and the contrast of the life of as a city physician, a physicians's wife while being drawn to a local man. A light romance that injects a twist on the Doc Hollywood. With some funny moments this warm, light romance is a keeper that I will see again and again.