Awful Normal

Awful Normal is a powerful and deeply personal documentary from 2004, directed by Celesta Davis and featuring her sister Karen Davis and their mother, Ellen Davis. This harrowing yet poignant film courageously explores the aftermath of a traumatic episode of child sexual abuse within a seemingly typical American family and boldly reveals the pain and healing process associated with such experiences. While not for the faint of heart, this film serves as a beacon of hope, resilience, and strength as it addresses an extremely sensitive subject and dares to speak aloud on what is usually left unsaid.

With a title encapsulating the unfortunate reality of how often such disturbing events go overlooked or are kept in the shadows, Awful Normal delves into a challenging yet crucial dialogue that must be addressed in society for hope of prevention and healing. It’s a compelling exploration of the traumatic toll of childhood sexual abuse on the victims and their families, told through the lens of a survivor.

The film opens with the Davis family as an embodiment of the American dream, not unlike any other. The viewer is briskly faced with what lies beneath the façade with the introduction of what Celesta and Karen cautiously yet bravely narrate as their 'Awful Normal.' The documentary takes a dramatic turn as Celesta, now grown up, decides to confront her abuser. It's a step she hopes will bring healing to a painful part of her and her family's past.

Celesta documents this extraordinary confrontational journey, painstakingly revealing the psychological and emotional scars that are left by such traumatizing experiences. The viewer is immersed into a raw and challenging emotional landscape, encountering the effects of abuse on every member of the Davis family. The director does not shy away from showing the toll of the trauma; the fear, guilt, and anger, but also the enduring strength, resilience, and the will to survive, heal, and move forward, making the film as compelling as it is heartbreaking.

Awful Normal is gripping in its honesty and frankness. It’s an intensely intimate family portrait that dares to break the silence and confront the enduring effects of child sexual abuse head-on. The Davis women, while sorting their painful past, can serve as embodiments of courage and resilience. They look fear and trauma straight in the eye and choose to confront it and spell it out, even when it's uncomfortable and unpleasant.

Ellen, the family's matriarch, lends her account to the narrative, the mother forced to face the horrifying reality that her children were victimized right under her nose. Her raw and honest portrayal, coupled with her enduring love for her daughters, adds a distinct layer to the narrative. Her guilt, her inability to protect her children, and her willingness to stand by them is a poignant voyage itself, making the film a complex and layered portrayal of the aftermath of sexual abuse.

The steadfast bravery that underpins Celesta's journey signals back to the title itself - Awful Normal. It is a testament to the alarming frequency of such abuses that frequently go unreported, unnoticed, and unaddressed, leading to normalization. Yet, Celesta's attempt to break the cycle by exposing her pain, fear, and ultimately her courage, reflects a sense of urgent and necessary defiance in these 'normal' narrative fabrications.

Awful Normal, while essentially exploring a personal journey of healing, confronts a larger societal issue, shattering a societal taboo by shedding light on an often overlooked or downplayed tragic topic, and how these traumas can reverberate throughout the victim's life. The movie leaves a remarkable impact and deeply resonates, encouraging dialogue, understanding, empathy and, most importantly, change in society's understanding and handling of such tragedies.

This film isn't an easy watch but is incredibly important in its candid exploration of a subject many choose to turn away from. Its raw, intimate, and brutally honest portrayal of personal trauma will live on in the consciousness of its viewers, pushing them to cherish their strengths, confront their fears, and productive dialogue on these critical issues that can no longer be silenced.