New York film maker and photographer Haik Kocharian wrote and directed this compelling and visually-stunning drama set in New York City and Connecticut starring Sam Waterston, his daughter, Elisabeth Waterston, and his son-in-law and Elizabeth’s husband, Louis Cancelmi, in parallel roles that Kocharian custom wrote for them. The film also features Dana Eskelson.
Victor, a struggling playwright and theater director, and his girlfriend, Mary, are expecting their first child. Victor has a temporary job in construction to make ends meet, but the dust and labor exhaust him emotionally and physically. Across town, Mary is a manager at a tony Madison Avenue boutique. The film follows the struggles of this thirty-something couple as they plan to move from their bohemian Brooklyn apartment to the suburbs, all funded by Mary’s father, Dad.
As Dad continues to buy them items they could never afford (and items they never previously desired), Victor’s claustrophobia and sense of entrapment intensifies. His inner struggle to meet others’ expectations guides him toward a way of life he is unwilling to accept.
Kocharian’s art reflects his deep interest in discovering and interpreting philosophical questions. “Please Be Normal” is a bold and visionary reflection on the universal problem of choosing the direction of our life.