In the movies and shows, we often see exaggerated feelings, people who follow their emotions and you can conquer all with emotions. But real life actually has a more steady line. People try to live according to their feelings but life drags them on somewhere else. It doesn’t mean that emotions are not important. And Normal People show focuses on a more real and simple life with tense feelings. It explains to us the feeling of belonging and being in the right place by giving examples from life and its complexity. Sometimes it shows that both can happen at the same time and sometimes it tells that feelings are not enough and life isn’t all lavenders and roses. It is an adaptation from Sally Rooney’s Normal People book and tells the quiet, ordinary, and also sad love story of Connell and Marianne. Let’s analyze its subject, actors, and all other details together.
Normal people are a joint production of BBC and Hulu. The show takes place in Ireland and directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald.
The show tells the story of Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron who go to the same high school. Their relationship changes and evolves over the years. Marianne’s character is portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Connell is portrayed by Paul Mescal. It is shot in Sweden, Italy, and Ireland and the story mainly takes place in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, and in a small town called Carricklea.
Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron go to the same high school but they have different lives. Connell’s mother works as a cleaner in Marianne’s house. Marianne is from a high-class family and she is very conservative. She grew up without love. And actually, she is very lonely. Connell is raised by a single mother who has a good education, has an interest in literature, and is also really sensitive but struggles to escape from the influence of the popular kids at school. When they meet they are drawn to each other and they cannot understand why. They feel happy together but they feel that the people around them should learn it. Their paths cross again when they go to Dublin for college.
The most effective part of the show is the reality of their love story. It is not a dramatic love story but it conveys the feelings so realistically. You can feel each emotion with them with the flow of the story. Besides these, its camera angles, colors, and dialogues pull us in and make the show an incredible experience. The shooting places are full of natural beauty and it creates an enchanting environment. Also, the Irish accent of the characters creates a distinctive beauty for the ones who are accustomed to British or American accents.
The show shows us the complicated sides of love and reminds us of the impacts of money, domestic violence, political issues, and class distinctions on love.
Other important characters in the show are Connell’s admirable mother Lorraine Waldron, Marrianne’s rich lawyer mother Denise Sheridan, and her problematic brother Alan Sheridan.
