Free Screening of Norman the Movie at Grafton High School on Tuesday Night

Norman the Movie~ Free Screening at Grafton High School

On Tuesday, May 7th, 7:00 p.m., all members of the Grafton community are invited to attend a free screening of an award-winning independent film called Norman at the Grafton High School Auditorium.

Norman, starring Dan Byrd, Emily Van Camp, and Richard Jenkins, is about high school loner Norman Long, a self-aware and darkly funny teen who’s just trying to handle his daily existence. In the wake of his mother’s sudden death, Norman must now also deal with the reality that his father is starting to lose his battle with stomach cancer. Although this movie shows his response to these particular challenges, it also shows some of the daily challenges that high school students face.

Since 2010, students at Grafton High School have been extremely involved in raising awareness about stomach cancer, which is one of the reasons for this event at the high school. Last year, English teacher Beth Lambert, who is Board Chair of No Stomach For Cancer, a non-profit focused on raising awareness about stomach cancer, connected with the producers of this movie, who also wanted to do their part in raising awareness about stomach cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

Stomach cancer has had a huge impact on Lambert’s family. Her brother Steve was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2005 and died in 2006 at age 46. It is through his illness that her family learned they carry the CDH1 genetic mutation, which causes stomach, breast, and colon cancer. To date, approximately 200 families worldwide carry this mutation. Because of the 83% chance of developing stomach cancer, Lambert and her two siblings who tested positive for the mutation had their entire stomachs removed preventatively. It is through the pathology reports after their surgery that they all learned there were precancerous cells already growing in them, undetected due to ineffective screening mechanisms.  Their surgeries saved their lives.

Lambert was excited when producers contacted her last month, asking if Grafton would like to host a screening of the movie on the date that it will be released on DVD, May 7^th. Although Norman has a character who is facing stomach cancer, its focus is not on the stomach cancer but rather on Norman, who is trying to deal with typical high school dynamics along with these major curveballs life has thrown at him. This movie does deal with some tough topics including depression and loss, but it also includes humor and provides hope. 

Lambert believes that this is more than simply an occasion to see a movie. Rather, it is an opportunity to see the many emotions that our students, our children deal with regularly; she hopes that it will encourage students to talk to their parents about the struggles they are facing and that parents/guardians will use it as an occasion to check in with their kids.. A number of faculty members will be in attendance at this event including Ms. Patty Ciampi, our school adjustment counselor, a great resource for our students/parents. There will also be information available that night about depression as well as about stomach cancer.

Promoting this event has been a school wide effort; students in a number school groups, including students in Mrs. D’Amato’s marketing class, have been involved in spreading the word about it through FB, twitter, and throughout the high school itself.

Norman is rated R due to strong language, though its storyline is a clear indicator that it was targeted to an audience of high school students.      

To learn more about the movie, check out the links below which include a trailer and two movie reviews. 

Movie Trailer:

www.normanthemovie.com

Movie Reviews

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/21/entertainment/la-et-norman-20111021

http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/movies/jonathan-segals-norman-review.html?_r=0

A suggested donation of $3 to attend the movie would be great, though certainly not necessary. Any monies raised from this event will go to No Stomach For Cancer and The One Fund.

Meanwhile, check out Norman the Movie on FB to participate in giveaways as the movie's release on May 7th approaches.

If you have any questions about the movie or the event, do not hesitate to contact Beth Lambert at lamberte@grafton.k12.ma.us