Mad to Be Normal

2017
1h 46m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

Gabriel Byrne, Michael Gambon, Elisabeth Moss, and David Tennant in Mad to Be Normal (2017)

Play trailer1:42

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Biography Drama History

During the 1960s, a renegade Scottish psychiatrist courts controversy within his profession for his approach to the field, and for the unique community he creates for his patients to inhabit... Read allDuring the 1960s, a renegade Scottish psychiatrist courts controversy within his profession for his approach to the field, and for the unique community he creates for his patients to inhabit.During the 1960s, a renegade Scottish psychiatrist courts controversy within his profession for his approach to the field, and for the unique community he creates for his patients to inhabit.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination

Trivia
Nearing the halfway point, Laing jokes with two of his daughters about his mother, who has made a doll, dressed it like Laing and named it "Ronald," and sticks pins in it, to give him a heart attack. Laing died of a heart attack in 1989.

Connections
Featured in Film '72: Episode #46.3 (2017)

User reviews13

Review

Featured review

5/10

Some Interesting Aspects But the Movie Just Becomes a Slog

Set in the 1960's, the film centers on the rather revolutionary psychiatric treatments of the time conducted by Dr. R. D. Laing. David Tennant stars as Laing, who was strongly opposed to accepted treatments such as electroshock therapy and tranquilizers for mental illness ,believing more in non-drug (except for LSD) and more natural therapies. Most of Laing's work took place at Kingsley Hall, between 1965 to 1970 in East London.

Elisabeth Moss co-stars here as Angie Wood, a graduate student at Columbia, who while attending one of Laing's lectures is completely taken in by his charismatic persona and they will soon begin a relationship. There's a most solid cast in the movie, including Gabriel Byrne and Michael Gambon.

Unfortunately, the film itself despite its fine cast, became a real slog for me to stay with, with its very deliberate pacing and quite depressive tone. Also, for whatever reason I wasn't able to really connect with the characters as presented.

Overall, I thought this drama had some quite interesting aspects to it, but I was not able to emotionally connect with the characters here , and combined with the other factors as mentioned, I can't say it was entertaining.