tlwizard

Almost 9 years ago I joined the great DVD Talk, and I'm hoping now I might offer something worthwhile back in return for all the wonderful reviews, conversations, DVD deals, and especially all the recommendations for movies unknown to me that this site and it's fantastic user-base has brought me.

So without much ado, I present the imdb page for my first movie, Norman, that I wrote many moons ago and has been on a rollercoaster ride that only Hollywood could provide for just as long.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1247683/

There've been a lot of highs and some lows for the past five years but when it comes down to it I'm just super excited a dream and passion of mine is coming to fruition. There are other projects on the way but this is my first and perhaps most special.

I'm not involved with the production at all but I certainly hope the film delivers and believe that it will. At the very least I wrote what I believe to be a top notch script. It even got named in the top ten scripts of 2005, even though I was only number 10 on that list (Juno was #1, and it also included Lars & the Real Girl, Stardust, and many other wonderful movies I had the great honor to have as company.)

Thanks for letting me take a brief moment to share. I hope you, my fellow DVD Talkers, enjoy it upon its release. Once again let me say thank you for being such a wonderful community and allowing me to be a part of it.

Edit to add:

The film stars Dan Byrd, Richard Jenkins, Emily Van Camp, Adam Goldberg. Also features Camille Mana and Billy Lush. It's directed by Jonathan Segal and written by Talton Wingate (me!).

Andrew Bird wrote his first film score for the movie as well as wrote some new songs. Soundtrack info here: http://www.momandpopmusic.com/2011/0...scores-norman/

It's releasing in LA, NYC, Boston, Seattle, Chicago and Spokane on October 21, 2011.

Please like on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/NORMANthemov...NORMANthemovie

Bring Norman to more cities! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...rman-the-movie

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riotinmyskull

congrats!

devilshalo

So which actress did you finally go with?

EdTheRipper

Congratulations!

tlwizard

Thanks!

I felt so creepy posting that thread. But it was very helpful for me. I need to watch either Everwood or Brothers & Sisters to see VanCamp. Dan Byrd who plays the lead I already knew from Aliens in America as well as I have his audition tape.

But thanks for posting in the other thread and hopefully not judging me.

bhk

So did you get Bruce Willis?

tlwizard

No. That side of the equation became somewhat tricky. And that aspect represents most of the lows of the journey, which are all incredibly interesting and fascinating and gossipy, but it's probably best for me not to talk about them. All I can say is I have learned quite a lot since then... not so young and foolish anymore.

clckworang

Congratulations! You'll need to keep us informed of its progress.

pinata242

The writer sucks, but I'll check it out for Adam Goldberg!

j/k, of course. Congratulations!

DarkestPhoenix

Congratulations! I'll definitely see it to help support the DVDTalkers!

GradVT06

Wow, congratulations!!!

Zen Peckinpah

Great job! Hopefully I'll be #10 one day...

PopcornTreeCt

Congratulations!!

Would you be able to send the script? I'd love to read it!!

Greg MacGuffin

Congratulations!

NiCK Crush

Wow, very cool. Congratulations. Sounds interesting.

tlwizard

There's a chance that I can find the script somewhere. Might have to pull some strings though. I'll keep you posted.

And thanks again to everyone for the kind words.

Troy Stiffler

Very cool!

And, yes, Adam Goldberg is almost always most-excellent to see. I hope his character got some standout material.

Is it set up for a fair release? Or are they just making it and crossing their fingers that it gets picked up?

CKMorpheus

Keep us updated. I wanna see a trailer!

orangecrush

That is very cool. Congratulations. The plot sounds enjoyable.

NoirFan

Just remembering now that there was a kid I knew in high school who lied about having cancer. There was quite the angry mob when he eventually copped to it.

tlwizard

I can't say I'm totally in the loop, but my assumption is that since they're aiming for a 2009 release that it will probably premiere at Sundance with the hope to be picked up. However, the production company, North by Northwest, their last film, Home of the Brave, got a fairly wide release. I never saw it, but I do remember it coming out.

Thanks. I'm actually a little surprised that the synopsis they give on IMDB as well as in the Hollywood Reporter release says what it does. In the script, the reveal of Norman lying about his cancer is a pretty big one and doesn't come until 30 or 40 pages into the story. Before then, it's set up as him actually having cancer. At the same time, I understand from a marketing perspective that people will probably be more interested in seeing a movie about a funny self-deprecating kid pretending to have cancer than a movie about a funny self-deprecating kid actually dying of cancer (although it turns out to be a lie.)

I actually met a guy two years back at a buddy's wedding who asked me what I did, I told him the story of my first script and what it was about. He told me about a person at his high school who lied about having cancer. I wonder if ya'll knew the same guy or if it's just more common than I realized. (The guy I met was from Georgia... you?)

That reminds me though, just the power of the internet, if you will, but after the Reporter published the first article about the movie and then it got copied all over, there was an article on Cinematical talking about the movie, and two of the commenters responded about how I copied the idea from It's Always Sunny and/or Seinfeld. I didn't. But that's the power of the internet. C'est la vie.

Will do. And I want to see it, too!

tlwizard

Don't know anything but rumors, however here's the new under construction page. And apparently Andrew Bird has done the score and some new songs.

www.normanthemovie.com

Looks like maybe a 2010 release now.

PopcornTreeCt

Thanks for the update. I like that the kid from Cougar Town is the lead.

calhoun07

Ohhh, Emily Van Camp.

Sold.

bdshort

Congrats on your first movie! Sounds like an interesting story, so I'll be sure to check it out when it's released. Is it fairly normal for the screenwriter not to be involved at all with the production?