Dan Franzen (dfranzen70) In Normal Life, Luke Perry and Ashley Judd play an odd couple who turn to a life of crime when things go bad. It sounds a little like the plot to Fun with Dick and Jane, only neither of these two clowns is as smart as Dick or Jane, either in that movie or in the kids' books.Perry is Chris Anderson, a by-the-book cop who meets wacky, wild, wacked biker babe Pam (Judd) in a bar. He's instantly smitten; she's obviously unstable. It's true love at first sight, at least from his standpoint. Eventually, Pam comes around, and they get married. But as I've already noted twice in this paragraph, she has some mental issues. Whether it's hiding from Chris' parents when they come to visit or threatening to kill herself with one of Chris' many firearms, Pam clearly needs some kind of help. Even rehab, provoked by habitual tardiness to the research lab (!) that employs her, isn't the cure.We know within five minutes of the movie's start that this won't end well for either Chris or Pam, as they're in the process of being caught by the FBI after a robbery. The rest of the story is told in flashback, so the focus is really on how the pair got to the point of robbing banks, and successfully.Neither of the leads stands out here. Perry is almost unrecognizable, sporting a standard-issue cop mustache, and his character is alternately clever and stupid. Chris sticks by his dotty wife even when it's clear her actions are having a severely detrimental effect on his work, family, and friends. Judd fares a little better, but not much. Judd is eye candy that can actually act, and she does an acceptable job with a complex character. Still and all, Pam is so far around the bend that it's hard to relate to her. Sure, being unpredictable is generally a good trait for a character to have, but if there's not even a passing nod to coherence, then it's all for naught. You may as well have Pam twirling a hula hoop with her neck while dressed as a pirate for all the sense her character seems to have.Not much to see here, just a flat, toneless story of two unlucky saps who, frankly, got what they had coming anyway.

The_Film_Cricket There is a theory about misguided, abused women that with a little patience and understanding that he can somehow be just exactly the savior she needs. That would apply to Chris Anderson (Luke Perry), who meets such a woman in a bar one night after she has a fight with her boyfriend. Her name is Pam (Ashley Judd) and she cuts herself but he asks her to dance anyway. They fall in love, move in together and get married. He is so obsessed by her that we sense that he would do anything to make her happy.This is not an easy task since Pam is not always a pleasant person. She is a hateful manic-depressive, who has had suicide attempts, drinks too much and dreams of falling through a black hole. She is always seeming to want to push Chris' button just to see how much he can take. The role of savior seems to keep him from strangling her. He will stick this out no matter what.He loses his job as a police officer and eventually turns to robbing banks in order to fulfill her needs (namely spending his money hand over fist) and his own. She is excited about the idea that he has turned to crime. Finally, he has found something that makes her happy.The movie was directed by John McNaughton who specializes in films about people drawn to the other side of the law. He made the far darker 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' but in both films we see people who for one reason or another must commit crimes, not for the money but for the need to do so.The movie is nothing without the performance of Ashley Judd who does a complete turn around from her equally great performance in 'Ruby in Paradise'. There she was a sweet woman looking to be independent. Here, (in a role many actresses would have turned down), she plays a rather nasty, disturbed woman who found a puppet who is willing to dance for her.

phd_travel Good cop marries unstable woman. Through financial difficulties he is led to a life of bank robbery - a modern day Bonnie & Clyde.Ashley Judd and Luke Perry both act very well. How come I never heard of it? I am a fan of hers. Luke is quite suited to the role he doesn't look ill at ease as he did in some post 90210 movies. Actually haven't seen him in such a dramatic role before. Ashley is quite lovely and plays this screwed up trashy complex character quite well. She shows range. Quite moving and it is timely given the recession now. Kind of a fable of the American dream gone wrong. A modern day American tragedy. Based on a true story - so the plot is realistically bizarre. Quite touching and intense. Watch it. This movie should have been more famous.

Alex-372 This movie is supposed to be a Bonnie & Clyde type vehicle, but it is much more an almost student project to showcase the actors, especially Ashley Judd's, acting range. It is _slow_. It takes almost the first half of the movie to get started, which is not good, as movies should grab you within the first minute. Anyway, Ashley Judd is impressive as the schizophrenic girl with the undoubtedly abusive past, who falls for Luke Perry. As someone who hasn't had the displeasure of watching 90210, I only know Luke Perry as a rather disconcertingly ordinary looking fellow who also played in "Riot". Ashley Judd is impressive, although she is naked a lot and not really into lesbianism at all. However, whatever there is of a story is way too slow to get started and when it does, is too predictable.