A Perfectly Normal Family – And Almindely Family (2020)

Directed by: Malou Reymann | 97 minutes | drama, family | Actors: Kaya Toft Loholt, Jessica Dinnage, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Hadewych Minis, Neel Rønholt, Nicolai Dahl Hamilton, Kristian Halken, Tammi Øst, Rikke Bilde, Rigmor Ranthe, Lado Hadzic, Peter Zandersen, Camilla Kold Krohn Gade, Morten Bjørn, Virginia Quetglas, Omar Abdel-Galil, Wilfred Schandorff Worsøe, Kaja Gramkow, Shireen Rasool Elahi Panah

One of the most enjoyable moments in a young child’s life has to be the purchase of a pet. In ‘A Perfectly Normal Family’, this moment of happiness for main character Emma (Kaya Toft Loholt) suddenly turns into a nightmare. Her father is in tears and in the car on the way home – without a dog – her parents are silent to each other. Emma’s older sister Caroline (Rigmor Ranthe) doesn’t get it either. Once at home, mother Helle (Neel Rønholt) drops the bomb: they are not only going to divorce, the reason for the divorce is that father Thomas (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) from now on prefers to live as a woman.

Emma and Thomas have always had a special bond. Their common interest – football – strengthens their relationship. Emma sees this familiar base disappear under her feet and refuses to see her father again. Weeks pass, the family falls apart. During a session with a therapist – attended by the whole family – Emma tied a scarf around her head in protest. Thomas (who, during this meeting, announces that from then on he will call himself Agnete) has not kept to the agreement – ​​she shows up in women’s clothing, while she would not do this out of piety for her youngest daughter.

‘A Perfectly Normal Family’ tells the gritty story of how a family copes with this traumatic event from a child’s point of view. Emma is on the brink of puberty and that is already enough. She can’t use these changes, especially at a time when peers like to taunt you (to mask their own insecurities). It’s an interesting approach and while you can sympathize with Agnete and her struggles, Emma’s grumpy attitude is also understandable.

Malou Reymann makes her feature film debut with ‘A Perfectly Normal Family’ and based the screenplay on her own life. You can feel that because of the not accidentally chosen setting (Caroline is a big fan of Britney Spears) and the old family films, which lay a fine foundation. The characters come across as authentic; there isn’t one that doesn’t make a wrong choice – perfectly normal. Okay, maybe Caroline is a bit too easy on her father’s decision and Helle comes off as a bit thin, but the film isn’t really about her. ‘A Perfectly Normal Family’ is a fine debut that treats a delicate subject with respect. The film won the VPRO Big Screen Award during IFFR 2020 and there is a small role for Hadewych Minis.