PodBill Just what I expected

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

vernonwoods2000-1 I saw the movie and the portrayal of Donna Thornton was spot dead on. I had the pleasure of working with Donna while at Walter Reed and indeed, she's a very wonderful and insightful woman. She's determined and driven even still to this day. I was truly surprised that they made a movie about her. She's so modest about it. It wasn't until I saw the movie and thinking it was a total coincidence that the main character in the movie was about Donna. I worked with her almost 5 years and she's never once mentioned it. We ate at the same lunch tables and talked about various things including work. After watching this movie, I took on a totally different outlook of her and truly am amazed of who she is after all she'd been through. I never detected an inkling of bitterness, distrust, or any of the expected reactions any other person would've had if they've been through the same situations. God Bless Her

dennis_speer Having had relatives and friends classified as "retarded" during the same era the Thornton's were institutionalized I feel ashamed of how this society behaved. Now I deal with some of the results of closing down most 'Fair-Haven' institutions. Unfortunately not all the displaced residents of such places fared so well. Many did end up as Margaret did. However, Kirstie Alley was wonderful and Delroy Lindo displayed the subtle problems that may have been Ricardo's, or may have been created from growing up in a place like Fair Haven. Both were excellent and when I watched the argument scene it sounded like someone had been listening to my marriage. From what I read there were no great awards for either actor or this film and that is merely another layer of tragedy.

vchimpanzee Kirstie Alley is wonderful as Donna, a retarded character based on a real person, who overcame many odds to marry another retarded person. At the beginning of the movie, Donna, Ricardo and their son are being interviewed, and the story is told through flashbacks, which at the beginning alternate between the characters' lives as adults and their experiences as children. Donna and Ricardo live in an institution for the mentally retarded, and at the beginning of the movie, the facility is about to close and force them out into the world. Donna and her friend Margaret get an apartment together, and with the help of Charlotte, they begin adjusting to the real world. Margaret has a harder time, but it's just as well because Donna will soon have enough problems without having to take care of Margaret too. Ricardo shows up at Donna's place one night for a party and, since it is too late for him to go home, he stays the night. Believing that a man and woman shouldn't spend the night together without being married, they decide they should get married. Charlotte supports the idea but has trouble convincing her boss, who would have to approve of the arrangement. The situation gets resolved a little too neatly (I was disappointed there wasn't more of a fight). Once they get married, since we have already seen their 'normal' son, we know what will happen next. It's interesting to note: although I saw 'Jungle Fever' earlier in the day, the fact that Donna is white and Ricardo is black doesn't come up until their son is born and they get a nasty letter.Alley makes this movie work, and she doesn't resemble any of her previous characters. She is smart (considering the circumstances), funny, and determined. Delroy Lindo is also good but he doesn't usually seem retarded. The actress playing Margaret also does quite well, effectively showing problems that are more serious than just mental retardation. And the children in the scenes from the characters' early years are very good also. There are flashbacks from those early years late in the movie which are quite unpleasant. Overall, the movie's tone is upbeat and inspiring, and the characters teach us a lot, making us wonder if we 'normal' people are capable of more.SPOILER: Actually, the reason for dealing with all the unpleasantness is made quite clear at the end, a touching moment where the family visits the grave of Donna's childhood friend, on the former institution grounds.

Brett Epstein I watched PROFOUNDLY NORMAL, the made-for-tv-movie on CBS last night, and I really enjoyed it. This remarkable story of two mentally handicapped people was amazing in that it grabs you right where you are and pushes you into a world seen through the eyes of The Thorntons (played truly amazingly by Kirstie Alley and Delroy Lindo.) You really should get around to seeing this movie. I also watched the 60 Minutes special with them, talking about their son and how life has been as a retarded couple who went against all odds, got married, and had a child. Breathtaking.9/10