ParaNorman

Synopsis:

In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock can speak to the dead, but no one other than his eccentric new friend Neil believes his ability is real. One day, Norman’s eccentric uncle tells him of a ritual he must perform to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch centuries ago. Eventually, Norman decides to cooperate, but things don’t go according to plan. Now, a magic storm of the witch threatens Blithe Hollow as the accursed dead rise. Together with unexpected new companions, Norman struggles to save his town, only to discover the horrific truth of the curse. With that insight, Norman must resolve the crisis for good as only he can.

Quick Thoughts:

Overall, “ParaNorman” is quite an enjoyable animated film! However, while it was included in IMDb and few other’s lists for being queer, at first glance I couldn’t determine what actually makes it a queer film, let alone a queer family film. The key point is a single line at the end of the film, when the muscular hunk Mitch makes a quick remark about “My boyfriend…” – A HA! Even though we see absolutely nothing about this supposed boyfriend, and there is nothing about Mitch that would give off even the over-done stereotypical “gay” vibes, “ParaNorman” can be classified as a queer film. And since it’s also an animated film geared towards the family, then it certainly is a queer family film! It’s rather cute to watch, but if you’re wanting a true queer storyline, this isn’t the film for that.