“Normal Life”: Chicago-based director John McNaughton (“Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,” “Mad Dog and Glory”) thought this stark character study of Northwest suburban husband-and-wife bank robbers was headed for the movie theaters, especially after its seemingly warm reception at January’s Sundance Film Festival. But New Line Cinema, its distributor, announced this spring that, no, it always was intended to go straight to video, despite the presence of stars Ashley Judd and Luke Perry. After months of public sparring, both sides are claiming partial victory, but you can fill out your own scorecard when “Normal Life” debuts on HBO at 9 p.m. (It also will follow the from-cable-to-the-big-screen path of “Red Rock West” and “The Last Seduction” by opening theatrically in Chicago and New York on Oct. 11.) A fictionalized account of Jeffrey and Jill Erickson’s 1991 crime spree, the movie is driven by its strong lead performances: a fearless Judd as the mentally ill, self-mutilating Pam Anderson and a surprisingly steady Perry as Chris, a straight-arrow cop who resorts to robbery. McNaughton tells the story in his typically unblinking, anti-sensational style; the Andersons’ violent quest for a “normal life” isn’t shown to be much fun–an approach that may not jibe with filling multiplexes but at least has roots in real life.
