Watch Kids' Reviews of
TO NORMAN

To Norman has a lot of positive attributes and, as an acknowledgement of grief over losing a beloved friend, it is heartbreaking.

The story follows a young man trying to distract himself after his friend Norman Parker passes unexpectedly. Jordan Hayes pretends that his friend is still alive by calling him and recalling their life experiences together.

Grief is experience by everyone in different ways. It's been said that there are certain stages of grief that we go through when a loved one dies, but no one experiences grief in exactly the same way and grief lingers long after the death of our loved one. This film breaks my heart because it is effective in showing the grief of Jordan over losing his friend Norman. Technically speaking, there are a lot of good things happening here. The ambient sound makes an excellent background since there is no dialogue. The scenes of Jordan haplessly moving - from trains to the street, to the hospital at the end - show his despair in not knowing what to do or how to handle his loss. There are also too many scenes that are so dark it is difficult to see what is going on. In the end, we have a sense of Jordan's acceptance as he reads the letter from the hospital. Acceptance is a big turning point in dealing with grief and the first step of being able to move on. Still, it breaks my heart to see this young man dealing with the loss of his friend. Life is so precious and we take so much for granted.

The message of the film is that you can move on from grief. It takes time, but you can get there.

I give To Norman 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

To Norman has a lot of positive attributes and, as an acknowledgement of grief over losing a beloved friend, it is heartbreaking.

The story follows a young man trying to distract himself after his friend Norman Parker passes unexpectedly. Jordan Hayes pretends that his friend is still alive by calling him and recalling their life experiences together.

Grief is experience by everyone in different ways. It's been said that there are certain stages of grief that we go through when a loved one dies, but no one experiences grief in exactly the same way and grief lingers long after the death of our loved one. This film breaks my heart because it is effective in showing the grief of Jordan over losing his friend Norman. Technically speaking, there are a lot of good things happening here. The ambient sound makes an excellent background since there is no dialogue. The scenes of Jordan haplessly moving - from trains to the street, to the hospital at the end - show his despair in not knowing what to do or how to handle his loss. There are also too many scenes that are so dark it is difficult to see what is going on. In the end, we have a sense of Jordan's acceptance as he reads the letter from the hospital. Acceptance is a big turning point in dealing with grief and the first step of being able to move on. Still, it breaks my heart to see this young man dealing with the loss of his friend. Life is so precious and we take so much for granted.

The message of the film is that you can move on from grief. It takes time, but you can get there.

I give To Norman 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

After a freak accident resulting in Norman Parker's death, Jordan Hayes tries to distract himself from grieving over his friend's death by pretending he's still alive. This short film documents his road to acceptance and his psychological battle through the stages of grief.