Laika has made iconic stop-motion clay movies, and ParaNorman is just one of many. In this film, there’s a young boy named Norman who can see ghosts. He doesn’t have any friends; his father wishes he were different, and his sister thinks he’s weird. No one else believes him until his truth becomes too complicated to ignore. As the spooky season grows closer, let’s revisit ParaNorman, a cautious tale about communication between parent and child.
Norman and His Abilities
At the film’s beginning, we’re introduced to Norman’s ability to see and communicate with ghosts. We first discover this when we see him speaking to his grandmother, who we later learn is dead. Throughout the rest of the film, we see Norman communicating with ghosts often. He can’t even go to school without encountering tens of spirits. While he seems to be used to his ability, it’s clear that it causes him to be bullied and not well liked, mainly because most people in their town think he’s weird.
Despite the way he’s treated at school, Norman doesn’t mind not having friends; he prefers being alone. Even when a boy, Neil, at school tries to befriend Norman, he tells him no, not wanting to have people close to him. Despite that, he and Neil do become friends, the boy proving to be the only one who not only didn’t judge Norman but fully believed in and embraced his abilities. The only one in ParaNorman to do so.
Norman’s Father
It’s established early in ParaNorman that Norman’s abilities come from his mom’s side of the family. Aside from the wealthy family lore we learn about later, we understand that Norman’s mother has an uncle who can also see ghosts. However, that uncle was outcasted from the family and was seen as an embarrassment for his behavior. While Norman’s mother doesn’t believe that her son can see ghosts, she isn’t as put off by his behavior. She writes it off as him processing his grief after his grandmother dies. It’s possible that while she never believed her uncle’s abilities, she is desensitized to hearing about things like that and doesn’t find it as off-putting.
On the other hand, Norman’s father is the opposite. He isn’t only concerned about Norman’s claims to see ghosts; he’s incredibly upset about it. He expresses his desire for Norman to be typical, to have friends, and to talk about sports with him. While Norman’s mother tries to empathize with him, his father completely dismisses him, demanding that he stop talking about being able to see ghosts. Norman never gives into his father’s insistence that he cannot see the ghosts, but it seems he doesn’t put too much energy into arguing with him.
In ParaNorman, the family dynamics are interesting because it’s apparent that the father loves Norman. Still, he often says cruel things when he feels like Norman is embarrassing or not being “normal.” At one point, he even grounds Norman and claims that he and his wife didn’t ask for Norman to be that way. His father is scared for his son and the judgment that he might face in their town and the world because of the things he says and does. Though he comes from a place of caring, his insistence on not believing Norman strains their relationship and makes Norman feel like his father doesn’t like him or care.
Communication in ParaNorman
One of the common themes in ParaNorman is Norman trying to communicate with his family and his town, telling them not only about his abilities but also about impending danger. No one listened when he tried to tell everyone about the witch, how to stop her, and her true story. They wrote him off despite proving himself to be reliable. The first people to begin to believe Norman, aside from Neil, who always did, were his parents and sister—the same people who previously brushed him aside.
No matter how often Norman told his truth and wasn’t believed, he never stopped trying. He never allowed his father to make him think that what he saw wasn’t real, and he never let the town deter him from his mission. He did his best to help the witch, Agatha, who wasn’t believed by her village and lost her life. These themes in ParaNorman show kids that they should have faith in themselves and their truths and never stop expressing those, no matter what.
Final Thoughts
ParaNorman has everything that you’d want in a spooky time family movie. It’s enjoyable for all ages, has an endearing stop-motion animation style, and includes ghosts and zombies. More than that, though, it also tells the story of a young boy who tried to do the right thing, who tried his hardest to be heard and stand up for what was right, even when that was the more challenging thing. ParaNorman is a film to add to your list of October must-watchs.
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