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This might sound like a typically cynical movie-reviewer thing to say, but the most surprising thing about “Gifted” is that it’s any good at all. That is, if you are going by its premise alone. The movie, from an original screenplay by Tom Flynn (a cursory glance at whose filmography does not inspire rock-solid confidence), is about a very cute young girl enrolling in first grade, much against her will, because as it happens she’s an utter math whiz who prefers being home-schooled by her uncle Frank. Ensuing complications include a grandmother who feels the prodigy will be better off somewhere outside of Frank’s grungy Florida shack.

The setup sounds like “Rainman Annie” or something. But even the most high-concept movie is execution-dependent, and the execution here is far better than the premise leads one to expect. And as executed, the premise plays rather differently—more of a “ Kramer vs. Kramer ” meets “ Little Man Tate ” vibe. In the middle of the proceedings, my jaw almost dropped: “This is a child-custody … what’s the word … melodrama !!!” And I don’t say melodrama like it’s a bad thing. The world could use more of them these days as far as I’m concerned.

If “Gifted” works for you as it did me, it’s mostly because of the cast, but also the way the story unpeels. Chris Evans is at his most effectively Evans-y in the role of Frank, who leads a mystifyingly quasi-carefree life repairing boats and looking after extremely adorable Mary ( Mckenna Grace ). On the opening day of school, he tells the little girl he’s made her a “special” breakfast, and it’s soon revealed he means a bowl of Special K. The two have a good bantering style as he explains to her why it’s a good idea to break away from home-schooling and join grade one. “You’re gonna meet kids today you can borrow money from for the rest of your life,” he tells her. As soon as Mary’s on the bus, Frank’s neighbor Roberta ( Octavia Spencer , playing a role she must be pretty used to by now, but which she nevertheless does not phone in, and good for her, and the movie) comes by to tell him that by insisting on sending her to public school, he’s all but sealed Mary’s doom. Why would that be?

The answer comes soon enough, as Mary amazes her kind but befuddled teacher Bonnie with her math-problem-solving stills. Mary’s gift, her boredom in class, and her passion for justice—soon after day one, she clobbers a bully—and more bring her to the attention of the school principal ( Elizabeth Marvel ). Said principal insists a public school is not the place for Mary, but Frank insists that it is. One hates to side with the principal, but she’s right. On the other hand, there’s something about Frank that strongly suggests that as right as the principal is, he’s more not wrong.

The movie does not go out of its way to entirely vindicate Frank … not even when Mary’s grandmother comes swooping down from Boston. Played with poise and reserve by Lindsay Duncan , she’s an initially mysterious figure—a woman of wealth from whom Frank has removed himself in so many ways that it’s hard to accept them as related at all, at least at first. While Flynn’s back-story scenario is probably likely to seem very silly if examined under a harsh “plausibles” microscope, Mark Webb ’s smooth and assured direction, along with the performances of Evans and Duncan, make the unpacking of the relationship both narratively intriguing and emotionally credible, at least for the time that you’re watching them. Which is largely what counts.

What follows is a custody battle where the adult players remain very civilized to each other throughout. Even though Mary herself is freaking at the possibility of being separated from Frank. Their bond remains interesting and funny throughout, as their conversations exploit but don’t oversell Mary’s precociousness. “Is there a God?” she asks Frank during one of their conversations. “I don’t know,” he says, trying to be earnest and honest. “Just tell me,” she eyerolls. The movie consistently serves up funny morsels like this.

Also figuring in the eventually heart-tugging proceedings is a one-eyed cat named Fred. And a potentially awkward, among other things, romance between Frank and Bonnie. Evans and Bonnie’s portrayer, Jenny Slate , met while making this movie and dated in real life for some time after it wrapped. They have real chemistry on screen, and despite the online chatter rejoicing in the disparity of a superhero actor and an ostensibly down-and-dirty comedienne romancing in real life, they don’t play here as any kind of odd couple, but rather as a solid and likable one.

The movie overplays its hand at times, as when Frank brings Roberta and Mary to visit a hospital maternity ward for … well, a reason that doesn’t quite make it. But “Gifted” is on balance a good-hearted entertainment that manages its plot curveballs, and everything else, with a show of compassion that’s a kind of tonic for our Increasingly Strident Times.

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Gifted (2017)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some suggestive material.

Chris Evans as Frank Adler

Mckenna Grace as Mary Adler

Lindsay Duncan as Evelyn Adler

Jenny Slate as Bonnie Stevenson

Octavia Spencer as Roberta Taylor

Keir O'Donnell as Bradley Pollard

Glenn Plummer as Greg Cullen

Cinematographer

Stuart Dryburgh
Bill Pankow
Rob Simonsen

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User reviews

Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace in Gifted (2017)

Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother. Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother. Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.

Chris Evans
Mckenna Grace
Lindsay Duncan
339 User reviews
214 Critic reviews
60 Metascore
6 wins & 7 nominations

Justin Gilmore

Judge Edward Nichols

Greg Cullen

Aubry Highsmith

Gloria Davis
See all cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia The Navier-Stokes problem mentioned in the movie is one of the seven Millennium Prize problems in mathematics. Clay Mathematics Institute offered a USD 1,000,000 prize to the first person providing a solution for a specific problem statement.
Goofs When Mary looks at Grandmother's photo album, there is a photo of a college gateway. Grandmother responds to Mary's question "where is that?", stating "Cambridge". In fact it is the gateway to Christ Church, Oxford University, with Mercury, the statue in central fountain, clearly visible in the background.

Mary Adler : He's a good person. He wanted me before I was smart.

Connections Featured in Chris Stuckmann Movie Reviews: Gifted (2017)
Soundtracks Gifted Intro Written and Performed by Seth Avett (as Timothy Seth Avett) Timothy Seth Avett Performs Courtesy of American Recordings

User reviews 339

Jul 30, 2017
April 12, 2017 (United States)
United States
Official site
Official site (Japan)
Cô Bé Thần Đồng
Savannah, Georgia, USA
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Dayday Films
FilmNation Entertainment
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$7,000,000 (estimated)
$24,801,212
Apr 9, 2017
$43,069,254

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 41 minutes
Dolby Digital

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Gifted review – touching family melodrama

“3+3? Really?” asks seven-year-old Mary (McKenna Grace) during her first day at school. The unbearably cute, gap-toothed daughter of a deceased maths genius, she is the “gifted” subject of Marc Webb’s touching family melodrama. Our whiz-kid lives with her uncle Frank (Chris Evans), a boat mechanic described, rather accurately, by one of the film’s characters as the Tampa suburb’s resident “quiet, damaged hot guy”. Her only friends are their adult neighbour Roberta (Octavia Spencer) and a one-eyed ginger cat named Fred and so Frank decides to enrol her in school so that she can learn to get along with kids her own age. But, as his estranged mother, Evelyn ( Lindsay Duncan , playing her steely and British) insists: “She’s not normal and treating her as such is negligence on a grand scale.”

Frank talks to the precocious Mary like she’s an adult – and she talks back like one. In one scene, she asks him to tell her the truth about whether there’s a God. Backlit by a vibrant orange sunset, Webb captures her in silhouette as she climbs her uncle like a small monkey, legs dangling from his shoulders and elbows resting on his head. If it sounds corny, it is. The film’s melodramtic beats are predictable but arehit with absolute precision (try not to cry when Frank and Mary are temporarily separated). There’s enough believable chemistry between Evans and Grace for it all to work.

The film’s heartfelt advocacy for an unconventional family model is easy to love, as are the underused supporting cast, led by comedian Jenny Slate as a well-meaning schoolteacher and Octavia Spencer’s surrogate mother figure.

Drama films
The Observer
Chris Evans
Lindsay Duncan

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Gifted Reviews

Gifted isn't just a great family film, it offers insight and lessons for a lifetime and might actually make you and your children better people. That's far more than you can expect to take away from any movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Apr 11, 2022

Please, go see Gifted. It may not be a perfect movie (the court scenes are too long) and unapologetic about manipulating your emotions but the giftedness celebrated in the story is well worth it.

Full Review | Aug 26, 2021

A film can rise or fall entirely on its screenplay, and in portraying the struggles of smart people, Gifted comes across as very, very dumb.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 24, 2020

Gifted isn't a brilliant film, but films don't always need to be brilliant.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 8, 2020

Like Evans himself, the film is a good-natured, easily likeable experience that may not test convention, but plays out in a satisfying and affecting manner.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 30, 2020

While there are glimpses of subtlety within this film, it is all together too slight and surface-level. It is a light-hearted bit of sentimental fluff that fans of Evans will enjoy and there is even a bonus one-eyed cat.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 2, 2020

Te concept of the new film from director Marc Webb seems deceptively simple, but as Tom Flynn's deft screenplay (plucked from the 2014 blacklist) scratches the surface, things get complicated and often painful.

Full Review | May 5, 2020

Gifted remains breezy and adorable for the bulk of its runtime.

Full Review | Mar 26, 2020

Let's face it. We need the occasional, charming, albeit imperfect tearjerker that ends well, don't we?

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 18, 2019

The courtroom scenes are uninspired and boring.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Mar 12, 2019

Gifted, without a doubt, has to be considered one of the more life-affirming watches of 2017.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 2, 2019

Gifted isn't a great movie. But the quality of the performances infuses the film with at least some of the necessary drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 12, 2019

This family-friendly drama is sweet, smart, funny, and charming, the cinematic equivalent of a snuggly, cozy sweater.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 20, 2018

Gifted, a film that could easily have been written and produced on the Lifetime Movie Network, is a surprisingly refreshing family dramedy.

Full Review | Dec 19, 2018

Overall, the movie is good and does well to tug at the audience's heart.

Full Review | Nov 12, 2018

There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not exactly a knockout, either.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 5, 2018

Relationships and life are sticky, particularly when you involve children, and "Gifted" shows us just how tumultuous life can be.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 22, 2018

With relatable characters and naturalistic dialogue, Gifted feels remarkably real as it tugs at your heartstrings one by one.

Full Review | May 8, 2018

For a film about the conflicts of being special, Gifted is a bit too typical to really stand out.

Full Review | Mar 22, 2018

Webb gets good performances from everyone, particularly Evans, suggesting an acting life for him beyond Captain America.

Full Review | Dec 27, 2017

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Film Review: ‘Gifted’

Fresh off the 'Spider-Man' series, Marc Webb directs a drama about a child prodigy, but it's as formulaic as his blockbusters.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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There are several ways that an adventurous director can get swallowed up by Hollywood, and the career of Marc Webb is a case in point. Eight years ago, he made “(500) Days of Summer,” a love story told out of order — it was like a relationship drama on iPod shuffle — that was so freshly done it would have been a wistful, revealing movie even if the scenes had unfolded chronologically. The film catapulted Webb onto the A-list, where he was handed the privilege of making “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012) and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) — staggeringly unnecessary, blockbuster-by-the-numbers reboots that would have sapped the spirit of Orson Welles. So that’s one way to get swallowed. Here’s another: Webb’s new feature, “ Gifted ,” tells the story of a child prodigy (it costars Chris Evans from the “Captain America” films), and it’s a small-scale movie driven by dialogue and acting and emotion. So Webb, theoretically, is getting back in touch with his filmmaking roots. Except for one thing: The movie is a bit of a crock — a stacked-deck family drama that’s all bits and pieces stuck together out of a screenwriter’s handbook. It’s watchable, and Webb stages it with polish and taste, but in a larger sense he gets swallowed again.

Mary Adler, played by the avid and charming McKenna Grace, is six years old, and she’s a genius, able to solve differential equations in a millisecond, with a mind that soars over that of her child peers. Yet that’s why her uncle, Frank (Evans), a Florida boat repairman who has raised (and home-schooled) her himself, now insists on enrolling Mary in the first grade of an ultra-ordinary elementary school. He’s got his own reasons for not wanting her to be stigmatized as “special.”

On that score, he’s out of luck. The very first day of class, Mary impresses her teacher, Bonnie Stevenson (Jenny Slate), with her extraordinary skills at addition, then multiplication, then her ability to talk back like an alien who has found herself among lesser beings. This leads to Frank and Bonnie meeting up and falling for each other, even though they know the whole parent/teacher relationship thing doesn’t feel quite kosher. And it leads to a key relative swooping into the picture — Mary’s maternal grandmother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), who wants the girl to be raised like the extraordinary brainiac wizard she is. Mary’s genius, you see, runs in the family. Her mother was a famous math prodigy, but at 22, shortly after Mary was born, she came to a tragic end as a result of it, and that’s where Frank stepped in. Evelyn has returned because she, too, is a mathematician, as well as a sparkling and cultivated British snob who wants the child to embrace her “superior” nature.

Precocious child actors can be annoying, especially when they’re playing kids brilliant beyond their years, but McKenna Grace, with appraising eyes, her top front teeth missing, and a sugary but brisk delivery that is never less than spontaneous, is like the Drew Barrymore of “E.T.” on speed-dial. When Mary gripes that children her age bore her, it isn’t just haughty code for how smart she is; you really feel her alienation — her sadness at being a girl apart. Yet the movie, like Jodie Foster’s similarly themed “Little Man Tate” (1991), doesn’t deepen or explore its central whiz kid’s experience. When Frank balks at the chance to place Mary (with full scholarship) at a nearby school for super-advanced students, it sets up “Gifted” as a custody battle that’s really about the issue of how Mary should be raised.

Once the movie gets into court, the hokum flies. It doesn’t really parse that Frank’s status as a guardian could be subjected to such a serious legal challenge. He’s the brother of Mary’s mother, and for close to seven years he has been a scrupulous, compassionate parental figure. (Meanwhile, Mary’s grandmother ignored her, and her biological father has never even seen her.) But there’s a trumped-up moment where it’s revealed that Frank has no health insurance. This is a screenwriter’s cheap gambit, since it contradicts Frank’s highly devoted and responsible character as it’s been presented to us. Basically, the movie has to figure out a way to separate Frank and Mary, to get our tear ducts flowing. And even then, it can’t accomplish the mission without Frank’s (contrived) help: The arrangement he suddenly agrees to is so wrong that the audience isn’t thinking “Oh, no!” so much as “Say, what?”

Chris Evans, abashed and rumpled, with a grease monkey’s can’t-be-bothered-to-shave beard, gives an engaged performance, exuding a homespun warmth we haven’t seen in the “Captain America” films. And the Scottish actress Lindsay Duncan takes the role of Evelyn the upper-crust witch, who could have been a pure villain, and poises her between the dastardly and the enlightened. Evelyn, who crushed the life out of her daughter, doesn’t want to make that mistake a second time; by the end, there’s room even for her in the family circle of love. “Gifted” wants to be an “honest” tearjerker, but it’s as plotted out as an equation on a blackboard. It’s the undergirding of formula that roots the movie in the commercial marketplace, but that may ultimately limit its appeal.

Reviewed at Magno, New York, March 29, 2017. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 101 MIN.

Production: A Fox Searchlight release of a FilmNation Entertainment, Grade A Entertainment production. Producers: Karen Lunder, Andy Cohen. Executive producers: Molly Allen, Glen Basner, Ben Browning.
Crew: Director: Marc Webb. Screenplay: Tom Flynn. Camera (color, widescreen): Stuart Dryburgh. Editor: Bill Pankow.
With: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Jenny Slate, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer.

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Review: A ‘Gifted’ Girl at the Center of a Custody Battle

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By Nicole Herrington

April 6, 2017

What’s in a child’s best interest? It depends on who’s answering the question. That’s the crux of “Gifted,” the director Marc Webb’s return to small-scale features after tangling with Spidey.

The gifted child here is a 7-year-old math prodigy, Mary (Mckenna Grace, charmingly precocious), who is being raised by her uncle Frank (an impressive Chris Evans). He wants a normal life for Mary; her mother, also a math genius, was under pressure and committed suicide when Mary was a baby. So they live a simple life with their one-eyed cat in Florida, where Frank fixes boat engines; the grime under his nails (and the beer he swigs) suggest that he’s firmly rooted in the working class.

Yet Frank and Mary’s strong bond — one of the film’s most convincing parts — is tested when he sends her off to the first grade. She’s been home-schooled, but Frank thinks it’s time she tried “being a kid.” While Mary can solve differential equations, she has less-than-advanced social skills and manners. Her teacher (Jenny Slate) recognizes her abilities immediately, and floats the idea that Mary would be better served at a prep school. Frank objects, but it’s too late: Soon Frank’s rich mother (a haughty Lindsay Duncan) arrives from Boston to usher Mary off to a life of higher learning. Next stop: the local court, where a fight for her “best interest” ensues, bogging down the story.

Octavia Spencer also pops up in this otherwise fleet-footed film, but the supporting role — if you can call it that — is paltry. She’s brilliant in her few scenes, yet hardly plays as full-fledged a character as she did in another film about mathematicians, “Hidden Figures.” If only there were a court for this injustice.

Rated PG-13 for salty language and advanced equations. Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes.

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‘gifted’: film review.

Chris Evans stars in "Gifted," Marc Webb's comedy-drama about a man fighting to maintain custody of his 7-year-old niece.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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A schoolteacher’s amazed discovery of an apparently genius child; a custody battle bitterly dividing family members; a single father becoming romantically involved with his little girl’s elementary school teacher. Those are among the familiar, or, to put it less charitably, cliched elements of Marc Webb ’s Gifted . But despite its recycled tropes, the comedy-drama manages to be both funny and moving even if its emotional manipulations are fully apparent.

Chris Evans , taking a break from saving the world as Captain America, plays Frank, the sort of gruff, stubble-cheeked loner who obviously has a heart of gold. Working as a boat repairman in a Florida coastal town, he shares a modest home with his 7-year-old niece Mary ( Mckenna Grace), the daughter of his sister, who committed suicide when Mary was just six months old.

Release date: Apr 07, 2017

Mary, we soon learn, is a child prodigy, having inherited her mother’s brilliance for mathematics. So she’s understandably frustrated upon being asked to perform simple addition in her first-grade class. When kindly teacher Bonnie ( Jenny Slate ) discovers her pupil’s extraordinary abilities, she brings them to the attention of the school’s principal ( Elizabeth Marvel ), who promptly offers Frank the opportunity to place Mary in a school for gifted children, with a full scholarship.

Kate Beckinsale to Star in Marc Webb's 'The Only Living Boy in New York' (Exclusive)

None of that, however, will prevent you from succumbing to the film’s heartstring pulling, such as the wrenching scene in which Mary becomes hysterical when Frank is forced to leave her with foster parents. The gifted 10-year-old actress, who has already amassed a lengthy list of film and television credits, delivers a superb performance here that bodes well for her future. She handles her character’s wide-ranging emotional demands with consummate skill; perhaps her best moment is Mary’s deadpan reaction upon discovering her half-naked teacher in her home.

All of the performances are terrific, even if Spencer’s no-nonsense, voice-of-reason shtick threatens to become tiresome. Evans underplays to fine effect as the emotionally conflicted Frank; Slate is winsomely appealing as the teacher who finds herself drawn to her student’s hunky guardian; and Duncan displays a droll, deadpan humor that makes the grandmother surprisingly sympathetic.

Production companies: FilmNation Entertainment, Grade A Entertainment Distributor: Fox Searchlight Cast: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate, Michael Kendall Kaplan, John M. Jackson, Glenn Plummer, John Finn, Elizabeth Marvel Director: Marc Webb Screenwriter: Tom Flynn Producers: Karen Lunder , Andy Cohen Executive producers: Glen Basner , Ben Browning, Molly Allen Director of photography: Stuart Dryburgh Production designer: Laura Fox Costume designer: Abby O’Sullivan Music: Rob Simonsen Editor: Bill Pankow

Rated PG-13, 101 minutes

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'Gifted': Review

By Tim Grierson, Senior US Critic 2017-03-30T18:00:00+01:00

Chris Evans (Captain America) and director Marc Webb (Spiderman) unite for a low-key story about a child maths prodigy

Dir: Marc Webb. US. 2017. 101mins

Is it better to push a gifted child to the limits of her potential or let her be a normal, happy girl? This may be an agonising question for any parent, but Gifted ’s increasingly manipulative treatment of provocative subject matter cheapens the drama of its premise. A heartfelt performance from Chris Evans as the conscientious caretaker of his brilliant niece isn’t ample compensation for a film lacking the same intelligence and inquisitiveness that its young protagonist possesses in abundance.

Gifted reveals itself to be a mechanical tear-jerker in which grownups fight over a little girl

Opening April 7 in the US and June 16 in the UK, this Fox Searchlight feature will rely on Evans’ star power, although he’s had trouble corralling viewers outside of his role as Captain America. With a supporting cast that includes Octavia Spencer and Jenny Slate, Gifted should attract art-house patrons, but tepid reviews may hurt the movie’s crossover prospects until it settles on VOD. Set along the coast of Florida, the movie stars Evans as Frank, a soft-spoken boat mechanic who takes care of Mary (Mckenna Grace), the seven-year-old daughter of his sister Diane, a genius mathematician who committed suicide. Once Mary starts attending first grade, her teachers, including Bonnie (Slate), discover that she has an incredibly agile mind for numbers. But despite the teachers’ pleading, Frank refuses to allow Mary to enrol in an elite private school, fearful that she will end up isolated and troubled like his sister. Frank’s problems only multiply once his estranged mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) swoops in from Boston to demand custody of Mary, asserting that Frank isn’t a fit guardian for a girl she believes could become one of the great mathematicians of modern times. Fresh off directing Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man movies, Marc Webb returns to his low-budget roots for Gifted . But the ( 500) Days Of Summer filmmaker gives the proceedings a slick Hollywood gloss that runs counter to the complexity and moral shading intrinsic to Gifted’ s story.

Frank is convinced that Mary shouldn’t be bullied into giving up her childhood to become a maths prodigy: He witnessed first-hand how miserable it made Diane, and he insists that his sister wanted him to be Mary’s caretaker so that the girl wouldn’t follow in her own tragic footsteps. But Gifted never even bothers raising the argument that Frank could, in fact, be holding Mary back, simply presenting him as her unquestioned protector and champion so the audience never needs to question who she should be with.

Tom Flynn’s screenplay introduces several superficially engaging characters, such as Spencer as a supportive, no-nonsense neighbour. But eventually, everyone in Gifted falls into his or her designated role, the movie morphing into a wan courtroom drama in which Frank and Evelyn square off for custody. Gifted is also incurious about its own central dilemma. Mary is an incredibly bright and sensitive child, but the filmmakers don’t do much to really explore her inner world or circumstance. Frustratingly, Gifted ’s narrative becomes increasingly about Frank’s unresolved issues with his mother, reducing Mary to a background character — nothing more than a thin dramatic device — in the larger story. The mystery and allure of true genius are paid lip service, but the question of how best to cultivate it is left oddly unexamined. Instead, Gifted reveals itself to be a mechanical tear-jerker in which grownups fight over a little girl. Evans brings soulfulness to his portrayal — as we’ll learn, the seemingly humdrum Frank is also rather brilliant — but the sincerity and empathy he exudes only makes the film’s button-pushing sentimentality all the more irksome. When Grace has a chance to be on screen, she’s a likeable, albeit prickly presence — Mary has no patience for kids her age and other dullards — and Duncan finds a little dimension in a character who’s merely meant to be an easy villain. But Webb hasn’t allowed much nuance to enter into the equation.

Production companies: TSG Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment, Grade A Entertainment

Worldwide distribution: Fox Searchlight

Producers: Karen Lunder, Andy Cohen

Executive producers: Glen Basner, Ben Browning, Molly Allen

Screenplay: Tom Flynn

Cinematography: Stuart Dryburgh

Production design: Laura Fox

Editor: Bill Pankow

Music: Rob Simonsen

Website: www.foxsearchlight.com/gifted/

Main Cast: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer

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Common sense media reviewers.

Charming but predictable family drama has heavy themes.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

There's more to life than being smart. Being a

Though Frank is sometimes gruff and sarcastic, he

Talk of one man assaulting another in self-defense

Kissing. A couple is shown cuddling in bed togethe

Swearing, including in front of/by a young kid, in

Lots of product logos seen/mentioned, including Ap

Social drinking (shots of hard liquor) by adults.

Positive Messages

There's more to life than being smart. Being a child -- and enjoying all that a childhood offers -- is equally important. Courage is a clear theme.

Positive Role Models

Though Frank is sometimes gruff and sarcastic, he cares deeply for Mary and for her happiness. Mary, who's in second grade, may be young, but she's an intellectual giant who has compassion for those whom she sees being ridiculed by others.

Violence & Scariness

Talk of one man assaulting another in self-defense, but viewers don't see any of it. Tense confrontations between a mother and her adult son. Frequent references to a character who committed suicide. A young girl hits a peer with a book, drawing blood, because she's angry he was picking on someone. Later she's seen trying to hit her uncle when she feels upset and hurt.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing. A couple is shown cuddling in bed together in the morning (it's implied they had sex the night before); the woman's bare shoulders are seen above the covers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Swearing, including in front of/by a young kid, includes "f--k," "d--k," "ass," "damn," "idiot," "goddammit," and "holy s--t."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Lots of product logos seen/mentioned, including Apple, Google, BMW, Olive Garden, and Bud Lite,

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Gifted may revolve around a second-grader, but it deals with serious issues, including suicide and parental abandonment, that make it more appropriate for older tweens and up. There's some kissing, and a couple is shown in bed, under a blanket (it's implied that they had sex together). A couple drinks shots while hanging out together, and there's some swearing (including "s--t," said by a child and one use of "f--k") and overtones of violence (a second-grader, defending a classmate who's being bullied, hits another kid and draws blood). But the message that there's more to life than being smart is a worthy one, and courage is a clear theme. Chris Evans , Octavia Spencer , and Jenny Slate co-star. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parents say (14)
Kids say (30)

Based on 14 parent reviews

More reference to sex than common sense tells

What's the story.

GIFTED Mary Adler (Mckenna Grace) has always been homeschooled by her devoted but beleaguered uncle, Frank Adler ( Chris Evans ). A former philosophy professor, Frank now makes a pseudo-living fixing boats while he raises Mary, a second-grader who's fascinated with differential equations and anything to do with advanced mathematics. But then he decides she needs to start making friends her own age and attending a regular school. Within a day, it's clear the elementary school in their Florida town is far from adequate, after Mary's teacher ( Jenny Slate ) intuits that her new student is far more advanced than her peers. Frank is told about a chance for Mary to attend a school for gifted kids, which he turns down. This prompts further interventions, which occasion the arrival of Frank's mother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan). Evelyn is a mathematician herself, and she helped nurture Frank's sister's monumental academic gifts; sadly, Mary's mom died when she was in her early 20s, shortly after giving birth to Mary. Evelyn thinks Mary belongs with her and shouldn't be raised by her wayward son; Frank wants to raise Mary like any other kid (albeit one whose best friend is their landlady next door ( Octavia Spencer ). Who will prevail in court?

Is It Any Good?

This drama isn't what you'd call groundbreaking or memorable, but, thanks to its two leads -- Evans and young Grace -- it's more appealing than it really deserves to be. Grace is masterful, displaying the kind of nuance and depth of emotion that older, more seasoned actors do. Her Mary is far from a caricature, a young girl who's still pining for the love and presence of her parents and the simple pleasures of hanging out with her cat but is easily bored with any math that doesn't require a Ph.D. To watch her and Evans (and, in some scenes, Spencer) is to witness a future award-winning actress in the making.

It's a pity the messy script doesn't live up Grace's her gifts. For a film with a custody case at the heart of its plot, Gifted is surprisingly inert. The takeaways about gifted children are well-trodden, the plot twists hardly twisty. The dialogue gives "surprises" away, and Slate and Spencer are wasted in underwritten roles. There are profound moments, especially in places where Evans and Duncan do battle out of court as mother and son, but there aren't enough of them to make Gifted , well, gifted.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Gifted deals with weighty topics like suicide and parental abandonment. Does the movie address these issues sensitively?

How is bullying handled in the movie? What are some real-life options for dealing with bullies in a constructive way?

How does the movie show the importance of courage ? Why is that an important character strength ?

How does the movie deal with the idea of giftedness? Is it presented as a burden or as an opportunity? How do kids perceive it in their classmates? How is it received by different people?

Talk to kids about how the movie depicts sex -- though it's not central to the story, a few scenes try to address the ways a child might become aware of her guardian's social/romantic life.

Movie Details

In theaters : April 7, 2017
On DVD or streaming : July 25, 2017
Cast : Chris Evans , Octavia Spencer , Jenny Slate , McKenna Grace
Director : Marc Webb
Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors
Studio : Fox Searchlight
Genre : Drama
Character Strengths : Courage
Run time : 101 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : thematic elements, language and some suggestive material
Last updated : August 12, 2023

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DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

April 7, 2017
Chris Evans as Frank Adler; Octavia Spencer as Roberta Taylor; Mckenna Grace as Mary Adler; Jenny Slate as Bonnie; Lindsay Duncan as Evelyn Adler

Home Release Date

July 25, 2017

Distributor

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Movie Review

Frank didn’t know.

When his genius mathematician sister wanted to talk with him some seven years ago, he had no clue that it would be the last time they could speak. He didn’t know how much she hurt. Or what she was dealing with and might do. Frank didn’t have the slightest indication that her choice to end her own life would change everything in his.

Frank also didn’t realize that his sister’s child, Mary, would have no one else to rely on. And when he stepped up to that responsibility, he didn’t have the slightest hint that he could fall so completely in love with a small defenseless child. He didn’t expect the tidal wave of emotions and parental fears.

On top of all that, he didn’t fully understand that sending her to public school would be the catalyst that brought Mary’s own staggering genius to light. Nor could he have foreseen how his manipulative mother would come galloping in on her intellectually superior high horse, determined to provide the young savant with a more stimulating educational environment, or that a court case for Mary’s custody would ensue.

But for all of his lack of insight, there is one thing Frank is totally sure of: He will do anything, sacrifice anything and endure anything for his young Mary.

That’s what love does.

Positive Elements

There is no question about Frank’s devotion to Mary. He briefly mulls the possibility of handing her over to a foster family when she’s just an infant, but finds it impossible to do so. Since then, he’s reordered everything in his life to care for her.

In fact, Frank’s choice—one made out of deep love, not reluctant duty—has transformed him into a better person. When asked what his greatest fear is, Frank replies that it’s the worry that he might do anything to “ruin Mary’s life.” And it’s very clear that Mary recognizes and returns Frank’s unconditional love. “He wanted me before I was smart,” she says matter-of-factly.

At one point, Mary gets understandably upset over the revelation that her biological father doesn’t really want anything to do with her. Frank then takes Mary to a maternity ward so she can see how a child’s birth is celebrated by family members as such a wonderfully happy event. Frank assures her that her birth was just as joyful for everyone in attendance. Mary is so moved that she pleads to watch another newborn celebration just so she can be a part of it with a family of strangers.

Spiritual Elements

Mary asks Frank if there is a God, and whether Jesus is God; Frank admits he doesn’t know. In fact, he doesn’t think anyone knows the answers to those questions for sure. Mary says their friend and landlady Roberta has told her that God is very real. Again, Frank expresses his lack of conviction or certainty on the subject, but he assures her that Roberta loves her dearly.

Sexual Content

Frank and Mary’s teacher, Bonnie, get drunk at a bar and later make out on his bed. Bonnie’s shown the next morning wrapped in a sheet. In fact, Mary accidentally walks in and catches her like that, much to Bonnie’s chagrin.

Frank laments having failed to recognize his sister’s emotional distress and eventual suicide because, at the time, he was so eager to go out and “get laid.”

Violent Content

Mary spots a 12-year-old boy bullying someone much younger. And after yelling at him to stop, she takes matters into her own hands and hits the bully in the face with a book, giving him a bloody nose.

As mentioned, we learn that Mary’s mother committed suicide.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word and three s-words join two uses of “a–” and several misuses of God’s name (including one pairing with “d–n”).

Drug and Alcohol Content

Frank goes to a bar to drink a few times. Another regular there mentions he’s there most Friday nights. On one occasion he and Bonnie meet there. They talk and play a drinking game with shots, both leaving pretty tipsy.

Other Negative Elements

Mary, obviously, is very bright. And sometimes that heightened level of intelligence gets her in trouble when she talks back or yells at adults. Those smarts also make it difficult at times for Mary to connect with other kids. Frank assures her that her mom “would have wanted you to have friends.” Mary then asks with a frown, “Idiot friends?”

As the story unfolds, Mary’s grandmother Evelyn repeatedly proves to be more concerned about her own needs than she is about Mary’s.

Actress Mckenna Grace has the best, most lovable frown-face ever.

In fact, this very capable young actress so inhabits every raised eyebrow, toothless grin and sharp-minded wisecrack of her 7-year-old genius character, Mary Adler, that you can’t help but be completely engaged with her by about, oh, three minutes into this film. She is a delight.

The movie itself has a handful of headshake-worthy bits (including the implication of a drunken tryst and a lone f-word) that Chris Evan’s affable Uncle Frank would likely do his best to ensure his young charge never heard or saw. But they are few. By the time the credits roll, Gifted delivers a warm, heartstring-plucking message about our inbuilt need to love and be loved. It proudly proclaims the self-sacrificial, life-changing joys of family.

It’s the kind of uplifting, wipe-a-tear-from-your-eye stuff that even the most grumpy and solitary minded among us would have a tough time frowning over. Especially when Mckenna Grace starts scowling.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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GIFTED: It’s Not Easy Raising A Genius

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Jim Dixon retired from practicing law not a moment too…

Filmmaker Marc Webb’s career rises like a phoenix from the ashes of success with Gifted , a classically-themed weepie about a child custody suit with indie sensibilities – at least that’s the plan. Webb exploded as a critics’ darling with (500) Days of Summer , and then almost as rapidly found himself labeled sellout-of-the-month with the big-budget, 3D, studio superhero reboot The Amazing Spider-Man . The inevitable sequel only exacerbated the situation.

The first Spider-Man reboot was an effective, paint-by-numbers exercise that benefited substantially from Webb’s individual vision. That vision was swallowed whole by The Amazing Spider-Man 2 , a chaotic, CGI bad acid trip that would have left John Ford or Stanley Kubrick quivering on the PTSD ward. For better or worse, the much smaller scale Gifted is certainly a conventionally structured Hollywood story. Next to the Spider-Man reboots, though, it’s grounded and gritty. Despite the modest budget and small scale, Gifted is a Hollywood movie – make no mistake about it.

Post-Modernist Kramer vs. Kramer

Aspects of Kramer vs. Kramer and Good Will Hunting abound within Gifted , as do outright clichés, such as Frank having to carry a self-imposed burden of guilt for his sister’s suicide. Nonetheless, Webb’s capable direction, which uses none of the cinematic flash and gimmickry that distinguished (500) Days of Summer, and sincere performances carry the story through three-hankie moments that would sink some movies.

Chris Evans , Marvel Studios’ Captain America, plays Frank Adler, the Hollywood version of a brooding Hemingwayesque loner living in Florida, eking out a living as a freelance boat mechanic while raising his niece Mary ( McKenna Grace ) after the suicide of his sister. Thing is, Frank’s actually a former college professor from Boston, and apparently comes from a long line of major intellects. Mary is a mathematical genius on an order that would qualify her for membership in the X-Men.

Frank has been home-schooling Mary, which is fine with her since she insists that she finds children her own age boring. Her only other friend is neighbor Roberta ( Octavia Spencer ), who provides Mary’s life with a much-needed element of normalcy. When Frank decides to enroll Mary in a local elementary school so that she’ll have some normal growing up experiences with other children, we can’t help wondering how a guy this bright could make so many mistakes at once.

It’s clear that there are no court orders or testamentary guardianship requests supporting Frank’s custody of Mary, and there’s no way a kid with an IQ like this is going to fly under the radar. When her new teacher Bonnie ( Jenny Slate ) discovers Mary’s extraordinary abilities (which takes about a minute and a half), she brings them to the attention of the school’s principal ( Elizabeth Marvel ), who promptly offers Frank the opportunity for a full ride for Mary at a nearby Hogwarts for the super-gifted.

Frank refuses, the principal’s ego is stung, and she starts doing some digging, setting up Gifted as a post-modernist Kramer vs. Kramer custody battle. Before you can say “Wicked Witch of the West,” Frank’s estranged mother, beautifully realized by an especially haughty Lindsay Duncan , swoops in on her broomstick to challenge Frank, not just for legal and physical custody of Mary, but for custody of her soul as well.

The Good and The Bad

The movie is at its worst in the thankfully brief courtroom scenes. Writer Tom Flynn’s screenplay, which frequently provides welcome twists and surprises elsewhere, is about as engaging as a Law & Order marathon with extra commercial breaks when Gifted ventures into the courtroom. A technical legal advisor is credited, but there’s little proof anyone listened to him, assuming he wasn’t locked in the closet during the entire production. It is, for the record, possible to make an entertaining movie and get the law right. Trial lawyers love My Cousin Vinny .

Gifted is at its best when the talented cast plays against each other outside of the courtroom. The scenes between Frank and Mary are often funny, often moving, but the scenes between Frank and his estranged mother are occasionally electrifying. Evelyn is that rarest of movie villains, a villain who doesn’t know they’re a villain.

Having, in her own view, thrown away her own academic career to marry and raise children, Evelyn lives through the triumphs of her children, and no, she doesn’t see rebuilding a boat engine as a triumph. And she genuinely believes that Mary’s genius needs to be shared with the world. A movie like this, to some degree, cannot be better than its villain, and she serves the movie well. Frank blames her for his sister’s suicide, but it’s here that Flynn’s script really shines, saving a particularly shattering reveal for late in the game.

Chris Evans Looks Like A Star Even With Dirty Fingernails

There really isn’t a way to make Chris Evans not look like a movie star, even with dirty fingernails. That’s not his fault of course – though the problem has only been exacerbated since acquiring Captain America’s physique. Evans takes the role seriously and plays his college professor-turned-boat mechanic with a bemused and not inappropriately ironic intellectual detachment.

Grease-stained jeans and inadequately trimmed facial hair or not though, the man not only looks like a movie star, but moves with some of the golden age masculine grace and elegance of the Clark Gables or Gary Coopers . It could simply be argued that the man is simply good at his job. Where would movies be if movie stars were prohibited from taking on roles where they actually got to act? Possibly more believable, but who actually wants that?

McKenna Grace Is Sweet Without Being Syrupy

In many ways, though, the movie ultimately rises or falls on the young shoulders of McKenna Grace . She seems to have evaded the assembly line of unnerving, preternaturally precocious juvenile androids that populate so many Hollywood productions. Sorry, but Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are not a post- Strasberg acting method.

McKenna Grace , with her two front teeth missing and inquiring, appraising eyes, is sweet without being syrupy, reminding one if anything of Drew Barrymore in E.T. the Extraterrestrial , and answering in the affirmative the nagging question of whether anyone but Spielberg can find these kids. When Mary complains that children her own age bore her, you feel her alienation and you understand how apart she is – genius has already exacted a cruel toll on her young life.

Octavia Spencer isn’t in the movie enough, and quite frankly she could have gotten away with phoning this one in. She didn’t, and her moments, sparse though may be, are memorable.

Pleasantly straightforward, Gifted plucks at your heartstrings and lets you know exactly what it’s up to. That commendable transparency is one of its strongest virtues. This isn’t a movie that is out to surprise you, beyond a couple of plot twists to keep you guessing. It’s out to make you laugh, make you cry, make you root for the good guys and boo the bad guys. Mission accomplished.

What do you think? Is Gifted a comeback movie for Marc Webb? Did he need one? Tell us what you thought in the comments below!

Gifted was released for limited viewing in the United States on April 7th, 2017 and will be released in the UK on June 16, 2017. For all international released dates, see here .

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Jim Dixon retired from practicing law not a moment too soon, and now works as a freelance writer and film critic. A lifelong and unrepentant movie geek, he firmly believes that everything you need to know in life you can learn at the movies. He lives in upstate New York.

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Gifted Review

16 Jun 2017

101 minutes

Chris Evans is no stranger to superheroes. He was the Fantastic Four ’s Human Torch, telekinetic ‘Mover’ Nick Grant in Push , and someone called Captain America (no, us neither) in a little-seen series of films. In Gifted he has no special powers — the title doesn’t even refer to him — but as Florida-based boat mechanic Frank, he demonstrates an everyday heroism by raising his niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) following the suicide of her mother.

Mary is the gifted one, having inherited mega-brained maths skills from her mother. Frank, all too aware of how his sister was damaged by the pressures laid on her during

her academic rise, wants to shield Mary from a similar fate. A former college professor himself, he is convinced his young charge should live a life of normality. He stoically scraps against the system in a bid to keep Mary in a local school rather than have her dispatched to a faraway facility for brainiacs. He also broods a lot.

What might have been a cutesy *Good Will Hunting* evolves into a slender echo of *Kramer Vs Kramer*.

Still, Evans plays his part with conviction. As does Mckenna Grace, cracking equations and cracking wise with a naturalness that quite belies the fact it’s just the script that is priming her with MIT-standard algebra. You believe Grace can solve any of the six outstanding Millennium Prize Problems. Delicately handled and precise, she is the soulful centre of this movie. There is also a strong supporting turn from the somewhat underused Octavia Spencer, as their neighbour and Mary’s mother figure, and from Jenny Slate, playing Mary’s grade school teacher and Frank’s love interest.

To begin with, everything goes swimmingly. Frank, Mary and their monocular cat live a spirited and lovely life in the sun. Eventually, though, Frank’s harridan mother (Lindsay Duncan) arrives. A stiff patrician with an English accent (tsk!), she’s such a one-dimensional ice queen she could probably reign in Narnia. Once alerted to her granddaughter’s potential, she immediately decides she wants Mary to continue in the family business: maths. She plans on whisking Mary away to a life of insular tutelage in Boston. It is here things start to go awry, for Frank and his niece, and for the film itself.

What might have been a slightly cutesy and female-focussed rendition of Good Will Hunting now evolves into a slender echo of Kramer Vs Kramer (or ‘ Insert-Courtroom-Drama-Here ’) as a largely predictable custody battle takes centre stage. There is one baffling moment when a deal is cut and Frank surrenders Mary to foster folks — which seems unlikely given his intransigence thus far — and this leaves the audience to count the minutes until their tearful reunion. As the film heads towards its conclusion the drama slips into melodrama — cue an interminable scene at a maternity ward — the tear-jerking turning saccharine.

And this is surprising. After all, director Marc Webb, who comes swinging out of the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies, should be landing on familiar ground. With (500) Days Of Summer , Webb demonstrated a firm grasp of relationships, bringing a deft touch and an appreciation of poignancy. With Gifted , he slips into obvious pitfalls and booby-traps. We know he can do better.

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Gifted Is Advanced in Cuteness, But Only Proficient at Everything Else

The idea of “saving the cat,” one weird screenplay trick coined by Blake Snyder, is so dumb it can seem genius the first time you hear it: In order for us to sympathize with the hero, he must save a cat — or dog, or small child, or whatever — in the first act. Gifted , a movie where Captain America plays a single guardian of an adorable genius child, is already a triple-decker ice-cream cake of sympathy, but someone must have thought it needed a little more icing: In the film’s climax, Chris Evans saves not one, but three cats.

Evans plays Frank, a beer-and-T-shirt type whom one character helpfully refers to as “the damaged hot guy.” Frank is the caretaker of Mary (Mckenna Grace) the 7-year-old child of his sister, a math genius who committed suicide when Mary was still an infant. Honoring his sister’s not-quite-official wishes, Frank whisked her away from her stuffy MIT-geek milieu and settled with Mary in Florida, to live a simple but virtuous life as a normal child. But by the time we catch up to them, Mary is already turning out to be quite the prodigy herself, something that Frank is in vehement denial about. When Mary’s precocity is brought to the attention of her first-grade teacher, Bonnie (Jenny Slate), and later, the school principal and child services, Frank does two things: sleep with Bonnie, and get embroiled in an ugly court battle with Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), his mother and Mary’s grandmother, who wants nothing more than to be the momager to another child genius.

Outside of its open and shameless heartstring tugging, Gifted at least sets up a compelling, multisided moral dilemma. It’s easy to side with Chris Evans, with or without the cats, especially when Frank brings up the virtues of letting “genius” children grow up alongside their non-genius peers. When kids are taught at an early age that they can’t have friendships with kids poorer or less bright than them, he says, “That’s how you get senators.” Oh, snap! (We also learn that Frank is a former philosophy professor, a trick that might come from either Snyder’s book or Road House .) Unfortunately, Gifted ’s cutesy classroom scenes are not quite up to the task of digging into how Mary fits in with her classmates, and the film quickly gives way to increasingly caricatured depictions of the cold-blooded Boston campuses Evelyn takes Mary to (overcast, beige, white) and the humble, soulful duplex Frank calls home (magic hour, brilliant turquoise, Octavia Spencer lives next door.)

In the middle of all this is Mary herself, and Grace hurls herself into the role — already precocious on the page — with the kind of disarming and disturbing energy that only the best child actors can create. She’s as teeth-achingly adorable as Evans and Slate, and makes you wonder if a less cute kid would be so fretted over so intently. But director Marc Webb, whom we have most definitely seen do worse with child actors, manages her well, along with the rest of the cast, all of whom feel like they could be up for much more complexity than the script is delivering.

A third-act settlement agreement is what finally derails what has otherwise been a serviceable drama: Mary is sent to a (very nice-looking) foster home in a plot turn so irrationally cruel one can only count down the minutes to her and Frank’s inevitable reunion. Along the way Evelyn is humanized and dehumanized at least twice, and Jenny Slate all but disappears. Which is too bad; the first act of the film serves not only as a preserved-in-amber memento of her and Evans’s brief but much-obsessed-over relationship , but a serious case for her as a star with the wit and charm to revive a new generation of mainstream rom-com. When she’s discovered by Mary in a state of undress after a night with Frank, she calls herself a cab and sheepishly tells him she’s “going to jail now.” It’s the only time I laughed in the whole film. In this round of cuteness Olympics, she might just come out on top.

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Consequence

Film Review: Gifted

A formulaic but well-acted and eventually winning drama about a hyper-intelligent child

Directed by

Chris Evans
Jenny Slate
Mckenna Grace
Octavia Spencer

Release Year

A child is handed a piece of chalk, and that piece of chalk is an opportunity. She steps to the blackboard, utterly calm, mind whirring. As onlookers stare in wonder, she solves a problem, then turns around and regards them all. Her face does not register surprise, pride, or embarrassment. She’s simply answered a question, and the numbers speak for themselves.

It’s difficult to watch Gifted , Marc Webb and Tom Flynn ’s winning (if formulaic) tearjerker, without thinking of Hidden Figures , and not just because both movies feature an Octavia Spencer who suffers no fools. However, these are very different films. One’s based on actual events, the other is not. The Gifted debate about exactly how fancy a child’s life should be is a pretty clear example of privilege; Hidden Figures leaps forward to the adulthood of its geniuses, while Gifted is concerned only with childhood (and its importance). Still, the most important difference between the two films is ambiguity: in Hidden Figures , the right thing to do is as clear as a pristine calculation, but for Frank Adler, the answers aren’t so clear.

Gifted opens on a somewhat contentious conversation between Frank ( Chris Evans ) and the one with the gifts, Mary Adler (an out-of-this-world McKenna Grace ). She’s starting school, doesn’t want to go, he says she must, you know the drill. What makes this conversation unusual is the obvious intelligence of both, and of Mary in particular — a level of intelligence that becomes more obvious when it’s math time at school. As Mary’s teacher ( Jenny Slate ) discovers, Mary’s abilities are extraordinary, and for the first part of the film, the big mystery is why Frank wants to keep those gifts under wraps.

The reason becomes clear as the plot gets cooking, particularly with the entrance of grandmother Evelyn ( Lindsay Duncan ), an elegant, brilliant, and filthy rich woman who’s been absent for all of Mary’s life. In a less thoughtful film, she’d be the clear-cut villain. It’s to Gifted ’s credit that, while you never stop rooting for Captain America, it takes the arguments of each party very seriously. Brilliant minds can change the world, and not helping the great become greater is to risk depriving the world of all the discoveries that mind could make. On the one hand, there’s the future of humanity. On the other, as Frank puts it, “If Einstein can ride a bike, so can she.”

That willingness to consider both, if not many, sides is directly at odds with the nature of Gifted ’s particular subgenre. It’s hard to shake the feeling that Tom Flynn’s screenplay is actually a lot smarter than the feel-goodery to which it has pinned itself. There’s never any doubt about where this film is headed and where it’ll end — based on the premise alone, you can probably guess how the last act goes — but along the way, Flynn peppers the story with some truly beautiful pieces of writing, some facts withheld that hit hard when revealed, and a complexity of both characters and ideas that far outpace the familiar beats in which that complexity resides. Yes, there’s chemistry between the quiet, brooding Frank and Mary’s energetic and compassionate teacher, but there’s also an extended conversation between the two about whether or not God exists and the difference between knowledge and faith.

That particular scene also serves as an illustration of Gifted ’s other big strength: Mary Adler is a kid . Grace is, to use an over-used but utterly accurate word, a revelation. Her performance is so natural, so unstudied and odd and honest that it’s enough to make you question the wisdom of all actor training programs. In the aforementioned philosophical chit-chat, she climbs all over Evans like he’s a jungle gym (Webb captures this entirely in silhouette as the sun sets behind them — it really couldn’t be lovelier, smarter, or more wrenching), and in sobs and in silliness, her performance never feels anything but authentic. She’s joined in this by the rest of the cast, who all do great, thoughtful, and subdued work. If they were all also 10 years old, the film’s MVP race would be a dead heat (though Fred the one-eyed cat would give the entire ensemble a run for its money).

Still, while she may give the film’s most arresting performance, she’s not really the lead. That honor goes to Evans, and while his biggest contribution may be his willingness to let a little girl beat the crap out of him from time to time, it’s still a simple but moving performance. Our Avengers -free outings with Evans may be few and far between, but they’re nearly always interesting, and Gifted is no exception. That he’s charming is no surprise, but that he’s also a giving, committed performer is no less essential to his, and the film’s, success.

If so much works about Gifted , then why isn’t it a home run? Well, despite the thoughtful performances, script, and direction, this is a film that sometimes seems committed to being just a little dumber than it actually is. Every underscoring pop song, every atmospheric swell, every plot development that can be telegraphed from an hour or a mile away reduces a film that could have otherwise hit a lot harder. It still hits hard, make no mistake — the emotional manipulation is both well-executed and well-earned, making any tears feel somewhat less tawdry than they would in a lesser film — but it’s difficult to deny that Gifted would be a greater gift had it opted to shirk some of the trappings of its genre.

Even when it veers into predictable territory, however, the film works. It’s a feel-good film that honestly feels good, and even when it rings a bit hollow, it doesn’t stay that way for long. That shouldn’t be a total surprise; a cast and crew this talented came together to make something unlikely to shatter records, turn into a franchise, or win a slew of awards. If they’re not here for glory or fat stacks of cash, it’s probably a project in which they believe. Even if that’s not true, it sure feels that way, and along with Grace and Evans’ rapport, that makes Gifted a piece of emotional claptrap that’s entirely worth seeing.

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‘Gifted’ Review: Genius-Child Drama Settles for Mediocrity, and Your Tears

By David Fear

There are few words that can kill a film quicker than cute – just say to yourself, “Gosh, what a cute movie that was,” and you can practically feel the inside of your mouth lined with a thin, granular film of Nutra-Sweet. It’s one thing, of course, to plunk down cash to watch grumpy old coots and/or kids say the darnedest things, or bask in the cinematic equivalent of a puppy licking a baby’s head. We, too, have done this. We don’t judge you. Those things are a shucks-and-awww attack, and resistance is futile. You know what you’re getting into when you buy the ticket. But then there are the ones that start leaning on cuteness as a crutch – the sort of movies that do not trust that its story alone will provide enough laughter and tears, or trials and triumphs. They begin to liberally mix cuteness with sentimentality like potassium cyanide pellets with sulfuric acid. Which brings us to Gifted.

There’s actually a good deal to commend in director Marc Webb’s male weepie about a boat-repairman named Frank ( Chris Evans ) who’s raising his seven-year-old niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) – the twist being that the girl is a genius-level math prodigy and God-level precocious moppet, the kind that blurts out both numerical square roots and smart-ass answers with ease. There’s the off-the-charts screen chemistry between Evans and costar Jenny Slate, playing Mary’s teacher and, inevitably, the romantic interest. There’s Grace, a young performer who’s already figured out how to act for the camera, and more impressively, how to radiate intelligence without seeming like there’s someone’s feeding her collegiate calculus answers offstage. There’s a sequence in which the child and her guardian discuss why she’s not like other kids, set in a sunset-silhouette shot that’s simply breathtaking. You get the always-welcome Octavia Spencer as a loving neighbor. And say hello to Sherlock ‘s wonderful Lindsay Duncan as the world’s most glacial grandmother, who wants to whisk Mary away to a gifted-youngster school (also, away from the resident blue-collar black-sheep Frank) and give her the blueblood life that is her legacy.

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Even the fact that the movie borrows heavily from Good Will Hunting, Five Easy Pieces, family tragedies, custody-battle courtroom dramas, other Fox Searchlight feel-good flicks and every third egghead-vs.-jus’ folks class-conflict you’ve ever seen – it’s totally forgivable. Except Webb and screenwriter Tom Flynn are unable to resist the temptation of milking moments for maximum heartstring-battery impact, to the point where you can almost see a good movie drowning under the thickest of sap. Reaction shots to precious wisdom literally coming from the mouth of babes arrive in triplicate. Reunion scenes will drag those teardrops out of your eyes or die tryin’. Everything gets boiled down to a reductive emotional semaphore. Even Evans’ ex-philosophy professor (please stop snickering) isn’t just a grease monkey fleeing Northeastern aristocracy, he’s a “damaged, hot type” with a halo; having already played a superhero, the actor is now called on to be a saint. There’s a soul-song singalong and a freaking one-eyed cat in the mix. Cuteness reigns.

It’s unfair to make Gifted pay for the sins of all manipulative melodramas, and no one, including us, wants an academic treatise on whether it’s better to nurture preadolescent exceptionalism or give extraordinary kids a traditional childhood, all intellectual chin-stroking and ice-water running through its veins. (Full disclosure: We almost took a nap just writing that sentence.) But with a cast so talented on deck and a director who’s shown he can get creative when he needs to – see (500) Days of Summer – it’s hard not to expect a little more than the same old easy, cheap pay-offs. For a story about a brilliant child, it’s remarkably boilerplate in most respects. The film’s heroine is extraordinarily gifted. The film itself, not so much.

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"Heartwarming, but Flawed"

What You Need To Know:

(Pa, BB, HH, Acap, LL, S, N, AA, M) Light mixed worldview with strong moral and overt humanist elements, including expressions of loving other people no matter what, one very poignant pro-life moment, agnostic uncle wants his young niece to make up her own mind about God and Jesus but also tells her that atheists have the same amount of faith as Christians, and villain is niece’s grandmother, plus a light anti-capitalist comment and undertone; seven light obscenities, one GD, one light profanity; no violence; implied sex outside of marriage; upper male nudity; alcohol use and drunkenness; no smoking or drug use; and, lying and deceit by the villain, who is a grandmother.

More Detail:

GIFTED stars Chris Evans as Frank, who takes care of his 7-year-old niece, Mary, who’s a gifted child prodigy. GIFTED is an excellent, heartwarming movie, but it has some cautionary elements.

Frank has taken care of his 7-year-old niece, Mary, since she was a baby. She’s now at the point where she should be going to school, but she puts up a fight. Frank practically pushes Mary on the school bus.

During school, Mary’s teacher, Bonnie, asks the students what two plus two equals. Mary tells her that is so simple, then Bonnie starts asking Mary more complex questions, until Mary answers a question which has to be answered by a calculator for most people. It turns out Mary is a mathematical prodigy. When the principal arrives, Mary tells her to call Frank because she wants to go home, so she’s sent straight home.

Frank does all he can to get Mary go back to school, and believes it is best for her to learn how to be a normal child. The principal tells Frank that Mary is gifted, adding that she can get Mary a full ride to a very prestigious school that will challenge her. Thinking it over for a minute, Frank says no. He really believes that Mary needs to learn how to grow up in a realistic world.

Somehow, Frank’s mother, Evelyn, gets the information that Mary is being offered the school and flies down to see them. Evelyn tells Frank that, if he doesn’t put Mary in that school, then she will go to trial over custody for Mary. For Evelyn, she always pushed her own daughter, Dianne, to be a mathematician. However, Frank believes Evelyn pushed his sister to her suicide, Frank is ready to fight her in trial in order to keep Mary. His neighbor, Roberta, who adores Mary and is a mother figure to her, helps Frank fight the battle to keep Mary.

GIFTED is a well-made movie with some very moving parts. The most surprising talent is the young girl who plays Mary, Mckenna Grace. Mckenna does an amazing job playing such a gifted young girl. It will not be surprising that this will launch her career, much like I AM SAM did for Dakota Fanning. There are some very moving moments, containing realistic dialogue. One issue with the movie is the villain is not totally defined and is shown in a sensitive light in a few scenes. Overall, however, the movie is entertaining.

GIFTED has a mixed worldview. There are some positive moral elements, including sentiments about helping those you love and a wonderful pro-life moment that’s extremely touching. However, in one scene Mary asks Frank if God is real and if Jesus is God. Frank tells her that atheists have the same amount of faith as Christians and that he won’t give her his opinion because he wants her to make up her mind, but his opinion is clearly agnostic. At the same time, though, Frank shows his sacrifice and love by raising Mary. Finally, the movie has a strong negative attitude toward the mother/grandmother, implying she destroyed her daughter’s life. MOVIEGUIDE® is never a fan of a parent or grandparent being the villain because it puts a negative light on the family unit.

So, although GIFTED is a very heartwarming, entertaining movie, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong or extreme caution.

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Film Review -Gifted (2017)

Gifted is the story of Frank and his niece Mary. Mary is a math prodigy much like her deceased mother. Frank’s sister asked him to take care of Mary before she killed herself. Frank has done his best to raise Mary as his sister would have wanted and much differently than she herself was raised by their own mother. Instead of capitalizing on Mary’s genius, Frank has tried to provide Mary with a normal childhood. Well, as normal as possible with Frank’s sporadic employment. Mary’s best (and only) friend is their next door neighbor Roberta. Despite the fact that Roberta is old enough to be Mary’s mother, the two have a special connection.

When Frank decides to put Mary in public school, against Roberta’s advice, it is a surprisingly catalytic event. Though Mary has had no formal schooling it is clear she is more advanced than even her teacher. However, her social skills leave much to be desired. Against the recommendation of Mary’s principal and teacher, Frank declines to put her in a school for the gifted. He opts to leave her where he believes she will be allowed to have a normal childhood. However, this decision manages to reach the ears of his uptight, brilliant mother who wishes Mary to continue the work that her own daughter never completed. Thus a legal battle for custody of Mary ensues, with both Frank and his mother Evelyn believing they know what is best for Mary. But, who is right? And will anyone in this family come out a winner when Mary is the prize?

MY THOUGHTS

From the first time I watched the film trailer for Gifted I was intrigued by the story. As I suspected the plot is fairly original and not one of those that has been regurgitated by the Hollywood machine.

Gifted is not only plot driven, but also character and dialogue driven. This is something thing we see less of on screen these days. I crave this type of film, so it is good to see that Gifted highlights flawed but real characters and also realistic dialogue.

That being said, I didn’t connect as much emotionally as I expected with this movie. I can’t really pinpoint why. Mary is just a child dealing with the loss of her mother and the burden of her genius. But I had a hard time feeling much compassion for her. She is brittle, socially awkward and hard to like at times as she figures out how to balance being a child in an adult world.

Also, even though Frank pretty much sacrifices his entire life to become a surrogate father, he is not the image of a hero that I generally prefer. Perhaps, that is a good thing, because real life heroes don’t often match fictional ones.

Surprisingly, I found Frank’s mother Evelyn Adler to be one of the most fascinating characters in Gifted . Though she serves as the antagonist to Frank’s desire to honor his sister’s wishes, she is not the villain she initially appears to be. As the story unfolds we get glimpses behind her cold exterior. We begin to learn why it is so important to her that Mary be given all the benefits of a child prodigy. Her motives may be selfish, but she also appears to genuinely care for her granddaughter.

Another character I really loved is Mary’s friend and neighbor Roberta played by Octavia Spencer. Spencer has become one of my favorite actresses and generally her roles reflect a no-nonsense, take no guff attitude. Roberta is no exception and she is able to give Mary both the friendship and motherly love she is lacking.

The heart of the battle in this film is how to raise a child who is in fact gifted. One of the most piercing moments for me is when Frank explains why he wants to leave Mary in her public school which is unequipped to help her manage and develop her exceptional skills. He recognizes that he is refusing an amazing opportunity for Mary, but believes it is much more important for her to grow into a kind, loving girl, than a gifted one. The moment is so impactful because it is the opposite of prevailing wisdom in our society. And it is one which has left me pondering what type of person I want to be.

Even though I didn’t love Gifted as much as I expected to, it is still a film I recommend. The questions it raises and it’s realistic characters make it a memorable one.

Gifted is available on DVD and various streaming platforms including Google Play, Apple and Vudu.

2 Replies to “Film Review -Gifted (2017)”

LOVED this film. Sorry it didn’t quite meet what you expected, but I’m glad you still enjoyed it. But of course, I also like Chris Evans, so there is that, too… 🙂

I actually liked the film. I think it was just slightly different than what I expected.

Other Media Review

Movie review: gifted.

by Redheadedgirl · Apr 23, 2017 at 4:00 am · View all 40 comments

by Tom Flynn

Dayday Films

Chris Evans, one of the Top Chrises in the world, has made some very interesting choices in projects. This is a tiny, independent movie about family and genius and how do you help a kid who is ridiculously smart also manage to be a happy and healthy kid?

Chris Evans plays Frank Adler, a guy who repairs boats in Florida while raising his seven-year-old niece, Mary. Mary gets sent to school to get some socialization and make friends, and after some hiccups, begins to do well… until her grandmother Evelyn (Frank’s mom, played by Lindsay Duncan) gets wind of her magnificent brain and math skills, and tries to take her away to make sure she reaches her potential. Frank is certain that his sister, Mary’s mother, would have wanted her to have a normal childhood, and things get ugly.

Yeah, I cried a little.

Mary is one of those smart, precocious kids you see all the time, and she could be super annoying, but McKenna Grace layers in enough charm and snark so that she can carry this role. She gets a chance to be a bratty little shit, and run around like a little perpetual motion machine on the beach, and love her one-eyed cat (his name is Fred, and he’s the best cat in the world), all while learning differential equations and doing what every kid is doing: figuring out who she is and what her place in the world is. Grace has an excellent, natural rapport with Evans, willing to use him as a jungle gym and yell and cajole and snuggle.

Quick note about the cat: He’s a very patient cat, and a very sweet cat who likes going on boat rides and hanging on the beach, and there is a moment where the cat is in peril, BUT HE SURVIVES. HE’S FINE.

This movie is about trying to figure out what to do with a kid who is super smart. How to mold them into decent human beings with empathy (even when they think their peers are annoying and slow) and at the same time, give them enough challenge to keep them interested in school. Mary’s first day in regular school didn’t go well, because she’s way beyond basic arithmetic, and things are rocky for a while while Mary and Mary’s teacher, Bonnie (Jenny Slate) work out their relationship. Things come to a head when Mary beats the shit out of an older kid who picked on one of her classmates. (She doesn’t say “Of course I stood up for the kid because my uncle is Captain America,” but the visual is there.)

While Mary has been raised and shaped by her uncle – a man with her best interests at heart, always being worried that he’s not enough for her – it’s her relationships with women that help finesse the edges. Roberta, her neighbor (played by Octavia Spencer, and I’ll get to this part), adores Mary like her own kid. Bonnie, who naturally falls for Frank’s forearms, also just wants to be the best teacher for Mary she can be. Her Grandmother (not “grandma,” never “grandma”) Evelyn, thinks that Mary’s mother’s math talent was ultimately wasted, and doesn’t want the same to happen to Mary. But it all comes down to Mary’s mother. She died long before this story began, but her ghost is in everyone’s mind, because they’re all wondering and interpreting the same question: what did she want for her kid?

I think this movie delivers an excellent message, that raising a kid who is a good person and good citizen and has a happy life should be the ultimate goal. “Best interests of the child” isn’t that easy to figure out, either. Sure, Grandmother has a big house and a piano and all of these things, but Frank understands Mary in a way that no one else does. Even if the kid is super smart, she still has the emotional maturity of a seven-year-old. So, even if you can explain why someone wants to take her away from the life she knows, there are levels at which she won’t understand it. “Grown ups decided this disruption to your life is the best thing for you” is hard, no matter how smart you are.

The main frustration I had with Gifted is the ultimate waste of Octavia Spencer. Her role is functionally a Mammy archetype, designed to support and raise the white leads, and there’s very little Roberta does besides give Frank advice and be a mother figure for Mary. She has no inner life. And Octavia Spencer is great, because she’s a fantastic actress and a goddamn professional and will ALWAYS elevate the work. But she gets a lot of these roles, and thank god she gets other, stronger roles like Dorothy Vaughan , because she deserves way better.

I really enjoyed this film, frustrations aside. I think that Evans has made a lot of interesting choices with his career beyond the MCU. I loved Jenny Slate in Parks and Recreation , so seeing her in a completely different role is great. I was actually surprised to see that Mckenna Grace plays the annoying kid in Designated Survivor (the Kiefer Sutherland political thriller drama on NBC), and on DS, I find her character to be insufferable, but here she’s a delight. Gifted is emotional and will hit you square in all your feels, so prepare to cry, and bring tissues to share.

Gifted is in theaters now and tickets (US) are available at Fandango and Moviefone .

Add Your Comment →

So – no love story between Octavia Spencer and Chris Evans then?! Dammit. I love that romance trope (oh noes, I must raise this orphaned/motherless/fatherless tot with the help of my best friend/neighbour who is suddenly looking REALLY GOOD to me).

[trigger warnings: negligence; self-harm]

Okay, two major facts. The baseline definition of gifted is “needs education at above-grade level”. So instant kill shot re the uncle’s parenting; epic fail, putting Mary in a class with age peers. Secondly, kids in the profoundly gifted subcategory (exactly where Mary seems to be) are at the highest risk of psychological damage when their development (intellectual AND social development, because the two are most often in sync) is not fostered at their speed; those risks include suicide risk.

Female researchers are up to speed with these issues. Linda Silverman ( http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecoffeeklatch/2013/01/10/bright-not-broken–dr-linda-silverman-giftedness-101 ). Miraca Gross. It does not surprise me that this film is headlined and “auteur’d” by men. Looks like it will be a setback for community awareness.

Both my sister and I were considered gifted as children, and we both ended up going to a school for gifted children and yeah, I can 100% confirm that gifted kids may be book smart and learn at an accelerated level but are not any more emotionally mature than other kids. We moved to a different country for a few years when I was about 7 or 8 and I had to switch to a school with non-gifted children, and honestly while my teachers there were great and just basically let me design my own courses (by giving me different reading or math material until they found what was challenging) getting along with other kids my age was not a problem because they were just kids?

So anyways the point of my ramble is that I have never seen or read something that I felt actually accurately portrayed how smart kids behave and despite a recommendation from this site I’m still immensely skeptical.

I’m gifted. Not profoundly gifted. I WAS more emotionally mature than kids the same age. For instance, at age age, I noticed that kids took advantage of the weaker kids, made them be the chaser in games all the game. Then the weaker kids would quit. So I invented games with built-in rest-stop options and stationary chasers. I had second-graders and huge fifth-graders playing these games. My games were popular. And then there’s the negatives. A kid plagiarized a story I wrote in second grade. Kids tried to copy my math answers and got abusive if I blocked their view — the teacher SAID to.

age seven, not “age age”. This is agitating.

Looks good. Glad about Fred, because I would have been pissed if something bad happened to him.

Given the solid research that girls are systematically turned off math precisely in elementary school, I have to question the message of a film that suggests that a math prodigy’s highest good is to run around on the beach and cuddle cats. (If Mary were ten years older would we enthusiastically endorse running around on the beach and cuddling boys over academic work? Maybe, but that worries me.) There’s a fine line between wanting a kid to be able to relate to her peers and not be too socially isolated and wanting squelch the intellectual activities that give her joy because its not the social norm.

I’m further troubled that it’s a little girl who’s supposed to be happier not being a prodigy but “fitting in.” Contrast that with “Searching for Bobby Fischer” which is also about concerned parents of a gifted little boy worrying that he is being pushed too hard….the boy in question finds his own pair of mentors, and the only question is how to not destroy his joy in his gift, not how to make him “normal.” He’s shown as becoming a kinder and better person THROUGH EXERCISING his exceptional talents, not by suppressing them.

I believe in the good intentions of the uncle, but that’s what makes them insidious: “I just want her to be happy” (and how can she be happy without having a boyfriend/wearing makeup/being nice) is a lot more likely to mold a kid than out and out conscious and abusive sexism. I’m with Zyva, well intentioned or not, epic fail (and typical of the anti-intellectualism of our culture, with maybe a pinch of sexism thrown in for good measure).

@Zyva, I am so with you on this. I was gifted and in both regular classes and gifted classes. We actually had a support group of gifted students dealing with depression or anxiety issues which I was in. If I was just thrown in with students of the same age instead of also having lessons above class level and a chance to be with a group of kids who were like me, I am not sure I would have made it. With one exception, the friends I’ve retained since school (and there are several) are the kids who were in gifted with me. Because of my experiences, I have a really hard time watching any movie or tv show that portrays gifted kids. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one get it right. I might watch this when it comes out on dvd simply because I watch almost everything, but I don’t have high hopes even after this review.

I don’t have kids, never went beyond AP classes myself, but you have all opened my eyes to issues I’d never thought of. Thank you for this discussion.

Hollywood screenwriters could learn a lot from SBTB! Thank you for the eye-opening comments and the link.

@Rebecca and @CelineB, MUCH appreciated. I guess the negative stereotypes about the gifted (apparently) in this movie set me off extra hard because I copped anti-intellectualism (“Tall Poppy Syndrome”) based on American media early – even though I’m Australian. Namely, I got compared to Janine from the Babysitters Club stories. (No match. I was actually taught not to correct people’s grammar when I was very small. …But also not to echo incorrect grammar back; that last part doesn’t satisfy poppy-lopping types.) The very title of the Babysitter book is “Claudia and MEAN Janine” (my emphasis). Yet it was my accuser who was the meanest girl in the year level, hands down (especially thumbs). Imagine my rage when I discovered – on GoogleBooks, sampling decades later – that if I HAD been Janine, I would have been safely out of elementary school by that age! (Only really needed to escape the last three years. I scored quite a bit of the “differentiation” people largely just do lip service…until fourth grade. By chance. System-wide, the coverage is patchy to non-existent.)

There’s a real disconnect here. Researchers like Silverman say that gifted kids are so honest and trusting – at least in the beginning – they are GULLIBLE. Nature’s gentlemen and gentlewomen, like Edgar in King Lear “whose nature is so far from doing harms/That [s/]he suspects none”. So why do people leap to conclusions like kids in those stories where there’s a lady who lives by herself (preferably in a scary-looking house on a hill, for good measure). The local kids decide she’s a witch or something. Just because she is slightly removed from them – at a minimum, has no kids and no kid visitors their age. And at least in those stories, occasionally a wiser head (usually older and wiser) pipes up to say that it’s unfair to judge someone wicked until proven innocent, on no evidence.

Nobody speaks up for gifted kids but gifted adults. Usually, the mom. I figure it’s no coincidence that the mom is dead in this film, and everyone is free to project their wrong-headed beliefs (polarized into “down to earth is best” versus “social status and success is everything”, by the looks of it) into that should-be supportive space.

@Zyva – you make me doubly grateful to have grown up in New York City, where weirdo is pretty much the default, so pressure to conform is minimal (at least in public schools – I don’t know the private system). I think what irked me was the implication that it’s the male caregiver who has the privileged knowledge that “down to earth is best” while the (potential) female caregiver gets slammed with the “social status and success is everything” stereotype. Because a woman who is ambitious and stands up for the intellectual ambitions of a young girl is at best wrong-headed and at worst an evil bitch. That, combined with the (spoilery) fate of Mary’s mother in the film seems to send the message that Mary needs to be “saved” from her talent by a good hearted man instead of pushed to excel by a cold woman (who is probably one of those feminist types).

Again, if we projected this story forward ten years to be about a 17 year old going off to college instead of a 7 year old, and the good hearted father/boyfriend exclaimed that she should just get to have fun and join a sorority and go to parties like other girls her age and not have to worry her pretty head about STUDYING all the time we’d all be cringing and waiting for Mary to stand up to him and rebel. But here’s the thing…if she gets the message when she’s seven by the time she’s seventeen there’s not going to be any rebellion, because she won’t even apply to MIT, because the people she loves and trusts will have told her a long time ago that she’ll be happier at FSU, cheering for her handsome football player boyfriend. (No disrespect to FSU there for the many students who pick it for financial or other reasons. But it’s not the place for a math prodigy.) The “progressive” cover of the cute single-dad vibe of this movie seems to be hiding a pretty toxic message, all the worse for probably being unintentional. (And I speak with bitterness as a former college counselor for high school students.)

I was bullied by “gifted” people my whole life. Here in America gifted people are taught to think they are better than us normal people (although technically I was special ed. and don’t get me started on how gifted people treat special ed.). Being gifted is privilege like being white. They don’t need added privilege, they need to learn how to relate to normal people. Maybe if the Gifted could talk and relate to normal people, they would be able to convince them to be believe in climate change, vaccinate their children, not vote for Brexit or Donald Trump, etc.

People can be both gifted and have special ed needs. I have that on both sides of my family. Giftedness (maths/spatial, mainly) and Autism/ASD on one side. Giftedness (huge audio memory), dyslexia and ADHD on the other. Let’s not be simplistic.

And even plain gifted people don’t have to save the world to justify skipping grades, or whatever they need. That SAVES MONEY.

That’s not true where I live. Where I grew up, science education was different for Gifted kids. Our tax dollars went to funding expensive labs for the smart kids, whereas the average student (I was in some regular ed classes despite being one of the “dumb” kids) didn’t see a bunsen burner and now we wonder why so many people “don’t trust science”. It’s been given to elites. So yes it is costing money… and our environment. If gifted people are so smart, why shouldn’t they have to save the world? Isn’t the point of this movie they should just get to exist as normal people and isn’t that what’s making people so upset?

“if she gets the message when she’s seven by the time she’s seventeen there’s not going to be any rebellion, because she won’t even apply to MIT, because the people she loves and trusts will have told her a long time ago that she’ll be happier at FSU, cheering for her handsome football player boyfriend. (No disrespect to FSU there for the many students who pick it for financial or other reasons. But it’s not the place for a math prodigy.)”

The place for a math prodigy is anywhere the math prodigy wants to be. Everyone has more than one side to them. If this is what makes them happy, isn’t that the right answer? It goes against the feminist philosophy of this site , that women, even math prodigies, can’t choose to be stay-at-mommies (or FSU cheerleaders) if that’s what they want. I disagree with the idea that the film would tell her not to go to college if she was 17. My guess is the philosophy of the film makers is age appropriateness what is good for 7 is not necessarily good for 17. (I don’t know any of the film makers. That’s just a guess.)

@Rebecca. I was born a Melburnian. Melbourne is variety-friendly, it was the moving to the country thing (mostly – visits back to the inner suburb under the custody agreement). You know Fernand Braudel’s “centre versus periphery” theory, especially the bit about distancing yourself from the “centre”/city being like going back in time? Probably, unless there’s an Anglophone source more popular in the states. Anyway, that theory is pretty accurate, in my experience. Re gendered attitudes to development. Silverman documents men’s tendency to underestimate their gifted kids, perhaps be skeptical of their giftedness, but either strongly imply or outright states that the reason their estimates are inaccurate is because they are not doing much of the caregiving, especially the emotional labour. It’s unnerving to see this underinformed attitude extrapolated onto a fictional primary caregiver. Truly knowledgeable guys don’t mess up. My math-qualified dad believed me when I said my fourth grade teacher (also the head of math) was going at a snail’s pace, and leaving me with nothing to do. Before the whole fourth grade crashed on the optional-but-popular ICAS/UNSW math tests; the results only arrived at the entire of the year. This “force kids to coast” policy, (or “stagnation” as I said in elementary) is not great for anyone. The private school kids (20% in my day, 30% of kids now) are 2 or 3 years ahead, on average, by age 15. Many kids suffer when reality bites, at the start of high school, at crunch time when they’re tested to qualify for senior high pathways (Year 9/Year 10 – final year is Year 12). High disengagement rates at that time = surveyed kids compare school to prison a lot.

According to Silverman, the “masculine” view of giftedness is the one focused on performance and future success/”eminence”, while the “feminine” view is child-centered, focused on meeting immediate needs, following the kid’s nonstandard social and intellectual development. [Linda Silverman, Giftedness 101; referencing Leta Hollingworth, Annemarie Roeper, Joanne Whitmore, Barbara Clark; Deirdre Lovecky, Bobbie Gilman, Nancy Robinson.]

Basically, Mom has to form a book club with the kid, that type of thing.

I was bullied too; but I was bullied for being gifted so it goes both ways. I, and my fellow gifted kids, were constantly taught in our gifted classes that just because other students learn differently or at different pace doesn’t mean they are dumb. We were specifically taught that bullying was wrong especially bullying due to the fact that we were ‘smarter’ than the other kids. Painting any one group of people, in this case gifted kids, as being bad people who don’t deserve as much attention or resources as other kids is wrong.

I’m not going to pass judgement on the treatment of giftedness in the movie without seeing it. When I grew up, there was a strong trend towards the acceleration of gifted children, which meant that I had my MA by twenty. Nowadays, schools have really pulled away from the model of acceleration, especially when it means that children get pulled out of their age groups and isolated by skipping grades. There’s a very gifted child at my kids’ elementary school who’s doing some college courses in mathematics – but she’s still getting to do sock hops and PE and gardening in our little school with kids her own age. For HER, this model where schooling with her age group is integrated with work appropriate to her intellectual levels seems to be working. At some point, she may have to pull away from her age group, but right now, she’s still just a little girl.

It’s scapegoating. Scapegoating gifted kids for broader-picture problems, primarily inequality in education, is VERY popular in Australia. One of our public TV channels went on a fishing expedition of that kind, baiting gifted schools, over Easter. Because a festival is more festive with scapegoating? Anyway, total replay for me.

@Tam, you make a very good point. The movie may go deeper into the issue than the previews and reviews suggest. If that’s the case then I’m all for it. I just have a hard time getting excited about it since movies so rarely give a in-depth, nuanced look into giftedness (or any issue really).

@Anonymous – I think there might be a little US cultural context in order for Zyva, to explain your point about funding. I’m not sure what state you’re in, but in New York at least “special education” technically refers to programs for BOTH gifted and talented AND learning disabled students, although you’re right that “special ed” is used among the general public (and sadly sometimes among students themselves) only to refer to LD students. The important thing to remember is that the broader definition of “special ed” DOES receive (sometimes quite extensive) extra funding, on the principle that these are students who need extra resources, either to catch up or to be challenged.

Unfortunately, whether those resources go equally to gifted and to learning disabled students frequently has to do with the long history of the US attempting to segregate by race. Due a number of factors (that are a whole other story) including unconscious testing biases on the part of teachers and socio-economic backgrounds of students, white students are far more likely to be classified as “gifted” and students of color are far more likely to be classified as “learning disabled” and shunted into programs as such. There are many places where “magnet schools” or “gifted and talented programs” are in effect islands of white flight within the public school system, while the majority of students are students of color. They ARE well funded, and they DO provide a good education to the lucky students who get in….but they are also essentially a continuation of separate and unequal education. Was that what you meant when you spoke about “white privilege” and “gifted privilege,” Anonymous? Again, I don’t know what state you’re in, or how segregated your school district is, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the well funded schools were also ones with savage racial disparities.

It is obviously wrong that certain parents have seized on gifted and talented programs as a way of perpetuating educational inequality in our schools. But with that, I think eliminating gifted education entirely (if that’s what you’re proposing, Anonymous?) is throwing the baby out with the bath water. I have very mixed feelings about academic tracking for a lot of reasons, but after many years experience as a teacher I have to say that I do think it has some advantages. It’s really hard to watch basically good kids fidgeting and becoming disruptive in class because they’re bored out of their skulls, or alternately because they’re so hopelessly behind that acting out is their only way to slow the class down.

That said, I think we should clear up the difference between the VAST majority of kids in “gifted” programs, who may have somewhat above average intelligence, and the very few kids who are genuinely “prodigies.” Kids who enter Harvard at 15 writing math statistics papers like Tom Lehrer (in the 1940s) or Milo Beckman (in the 2000s) are extremely rare phenomena who may appear only once or twice in a generation. If the movie is talking about the latter category (a seven year old already doing calculus), then we’re really not talking about teaching a bright kid to treat those who have to work a little bit harder to master the same material with respect. We’re talking about an adult mind trapped in a child’s body. There’s a reason we look askance at 20 year olds who want to spend all their time on the playground with little kids. It’s because the way most adults think, and thus the games that amuse them, and the things they find moving or frightening or joyful are simply different because of their ability for abstract thought. So when you say that “the place for a math prodigy is anywhere the math prodigy wants to be” I would answer that a true prodigy (and I repeat, this is NOT the same as “a smart kid who gets 100% on all her tests”) wants to be around people who share her interests and values, not in a place where she constantly has to struggle to relate. Saying “everyone has more than one side to them” is a platitude that denies that for a very small group of people with very unusual brain chemistry (whom I doubt have ever formed a large enough group at any one time and place to be bullies) there is ONE side of them that is so hugely over-developed and out of sync that it dominates their daily experience, at least during childhood and adolescence.

The irony is that this those prodigies who survive adolescence and make it into adulthood actually do end up managing to relate pretty well. (Again, I’d refer you to Tom Lehrer, who had a very successful career as a song writer and entertainer in addition to teaching mathematics.) Once prodigies’ bodies catch up with their brains they obviously find it easier to be around people their own age. But forcing them to effectively live in hiding throughout their childhood with the promise that eventually the constant strain of hiding who they are will become second nature strikes me as sheer cruelty.

My concern about sexism in the movie has to do with that the handful of math prodigies I can name (including the two above) are all male, and that when there IS a fictional representation of a female prodigy, the emphasis is on her being as normal as possible. As I said above, I think this forms a toxic contrast with “Searching for Bobby Fischer” where the young boy who is a chess prodigy is repeatedly offered the opportunity to stop playing, but eventually decides that he WANTS to play, and learns BY PLAYING how to relate to other kids in a kind and supportive way. I don’t disagree that it’s good for children of all types to be respectful and kind to each other. But it worries me that the only way a girl can be respectful and kind is by denying her gifts, while a boy is allowed to be respectful and kind AND gifted.

Sorry for the length of this post. Anonymous raised a bunch of issues that I thought should be separated out and dealt with individually.

I think Rebecca makes several good points. First I’d agree that there definitely is a prejudice in IQ tests and the education system towards minorities and students who come from families with lower incomes. Maybe schools in more affluent areas do treat gifted programs as a way to promote educational inequality. I do not live in that type of area (it’s basically a lower middle class/working class suburb of a medium size city). In fact, in my state we currently have a governor who doesn’t want to fund education at all. Gifted was one of the first things that was proposed to be cut because it’s assumed that gifted students will do well no matter what even though that is not the case at all. It was seen as a easy, uncontroversial way to cut funds from schools without citizens making a fuss because it affects a group seen as privileged. Where you live in the US definitely makes a difference in your education experience. That’s why it’s important to not overgeneralize too much.

Second, Rebecca’s right that there is a difference between being gifted and being a prodigy (like the girl in this movie). Gifted programs alone are probably not enough for prodigies. At least the one I was in wouldn’t be. However, being in the program and getting an IEP could help a prodigy work out an education plan that works for them (attending college courses for example). Socialization for prodigies is even harder for regular gifted students because the disparity between intellectual/emotional maturity is more exaggerated. If this movie actually does deal with the problem of socializing a prodigy in a nuanced, realistic way, I’d love to see it. From the reviews I’ve read, it doesn’t seem like it will address it to my satisfaction. The more I’ve discussed it, the more it’s made me want to see it so I can actually get into specifics about what works and doesn’t. Sadly, I probably won’t get the opportunity to see it until it’s on dvd.

The debate is more clearly about fixed ideas/pernicious myths in Australia, because there is less money at stake (primary funding is per-student, needs-based funding is chronically under-resourced) and racial minorities are smaller (Indigenous Australians make up 3% of the population). People are dead set against early IQ-testing and acceleration, even via cross-grade classes, and yet that is the least biased and most cost-effective policy. Then they proceed to complain that “selective” schools (the main feature in New South Wales), and “selective” programs/accelerated classes (both feature heavily in Victoria) and even “good” public schools popular with non-locals are “private education in disguise”. (Apparently, it totally doesn’t save the situation that selective programs actually favour people of colour in Australia. Mostly from other parts of the Asian Region. No, it’s all “our (Anglo) kids are saying, ‘math is too hard for me, I’m not Chinese’” and “people who can’t make it in without expensive cramming aren’t really gifted”.)

I could not afford private education. But I OWN my time. I was never compliant with the “legal” owners – neither whichever parent, per family law; nor teachers, per compulsory education law – if they wanted to misuse, or outright waste, my time. My father started school 13 months younger than me, back when the cut-off date was earlier in the year. My mother was quietly accelerated in elementary school. It was a one room country school, like something out of “Anne of Green Gables”, so it was simple. The teacher just gave her the next year’s “Reader” (textbook).

That was all cost-free. But powerful people would rather cost me and SO many others time and energy that belongs to the no-one but the kid in question. Rip-off merchants, they are.

I am also “gifted” but not a prodigy, and agree with a lot of the points above. Just want to say, though, that the college classes + sock hops model, if it can be worked out, beats bumping the kid up a grade all hollow–because if you advance a kid one or two years, they’re not in with gifted kids, they’re in with normal kids who are bigger than they are.

I actually had BOTH the problem of being bullied (for lack of social skills, mostly) AND the elitism problem Anonymous talks about–it took me until I was in my early 20s to realize that being book-smart didn’t make me better than other people. I will say that most of the kids in the gifted classes at my schools were much nicer, less elitist people than me and my closest friends.

I also still have a hard time figuring out how to talk about test scores and such with peers. I usually joke about being a genius as a way to neither apologize for my intelligence nor use it to make others feel lesser.

I had the opportunity to see the movie a few weeks ago. I’m not going to try to country any of the arguments on whether it portrays prodigy kids the “right” way to not. I found the comment string a bit TL;DR after a long day.

The uncle doesn’t forbid her from mathing, and mathing at a very high level. He’s just trying to make sure she steps away from the books and gets out in the sun. And he does have reasons for what he does.

I agree with Redheadedgirl’s review. It wasn’t perfect, but it got me in the feels. And the ovaries. Because Chris Evans with a kid. Holy shit.

I had special times like these on holidays, at the beach, flying kites, whatever, with my interstate cousins and my Granpa. Could have had more if I’ve been allowed to accelerate younger, because uni summer holiday is three months, not one. But my Granpa died when I was 17, halfway through senior year. And…He didn’t love me less because I was so different from him. Not the life of the party by any stretch. Fantastic grandpa. Just rotten to lose him.

@Zyva – sorry about your Granpa. Mine died when I was 17 and about to start my senior year of high school too. There are still times when I think how much something would have made him laugh and miss him.

Thanks for outlining the funding/administrative situation of public education in Australia. It’s always interesting to see how the same political footballs get kicked in different places (at least to me). CelineB is right that since education is a competency of the states in the US where you live makes a huge difference, so it’s hard to generalize here. (Re: the movie, I admit I’d be less skeptical if it took place anywhere other than Florida. I’ve had both students and colleagues from Florida and their educational system has a reputation for what might kindly be called a lack of rigor.)

Totally hear you about the center/periphery thing. (I know Braudel mostly from his stuff on medieval trade, but that’s because I’m weird and interested in medieval stuff.) That’s so cool that you’re from Melbourne! (This is embarrassing to admit, but I’ve learned to think of Melbourne as “the big city” recently from watching the “Dr. Blake Mysteries” where it’s where characters seem to get put on a bus when the actors want to leave the series. It’s also sort of implicitly contrasted with provincial Ballarat. I know things must have changed hugely since the 60s when the series takes place, but somehow it’s made both more real to me.) Australia is on my bucket list, though it’s a LONG flight. Thanks again for sharing about your home.

@Rebecca: thank you; and sorry that you lost a dear family member early likewise.

Hmm…Maybe you’d be interested in dipping into the latest Aussie inquiry into gifted education, focusing on my home state? The case studies are SO on point. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/etc/Past_Inquiries/EGTS_Inquiry/Final_Report/Gifted_and_Talented_Final_Report.pdf …I see. I guess Florida has a rep kind of like Queensland’s then. (They taught fractions, or was it algebra, very late. Nominally, now we all do, under the national curriculum, but many private schools secretly stream/track math class, so yeah, on a systemic scale, a bit of a false facade.)

Cool. Did not know about the medieval trade analysis. Only strong recall I have in the area is of the femme sole legal concept, ie trader wives and widows controlling business empires.

I dissed Darwin in my head in the past: ‘not enough city lights for a city’. I didn’t start out as openminded as a New Yorker taking an interest in Melbourne. Kudos. And no worries, the city thing was super confusing for me at first… since, within cooeee of Melbourne, there are two uses of ‘city’. There’s ‘going to the city’, ‘X went to live in the city’ ( = anywhere in Greater Melbourne), and then there’s “the City”, aka the CBD, central business district, ie downtown.

I was into James Aldridge, Swan Hill setting. When people went off to Bendigo, the regional capital, I had no idea where that was on the map, but at least there was never any city/City confusion, argh.

Hope you get your wishes/list realized, no trouble. Probably better after the railway upgrade.

Entertaining and thought-provoking movie. More Chris Evans please.

Have skimmed the comment thread and, well, a lot of these comments seem to be based on just about everything EXCEPT having seen the movie. So while I think some good points were made, I am not sure they are germane to the review. I was “gifted” myself but my experience is irrelevant because the small-town schools I went to had no gifted program. I’ve never heard of a small-town public school that DID have a gifted program. My high school did not offer calculus and the idea of having been able to study it in first or second grade is ludicrous.

I also have not seen the movie but now I am interested. One thing that I think has been missed in this discussion is that Mary is seven. In the United States, your seven-year-old has to be in school or you are in deep shit with Child Protective Services. And in the United States, unless you have a lot of disposable income and time (to take your child to school, because she cannot ride on the public school bus to a private school), public school is your only option.

In most states, advancing more than one grade, in a public school, is actively not allowed. And as someone noted above, if you are advanced a grade, you are not necessarily then going to classes with more advanced students; you are simply going to classes with bigger, older students. And in America, the smart little kid is not generally popular with its older peers, so this wouldn’t necessarily be a good strategy for teaching the kid social skills.

Heck, in America, the smart kid is not generally popular AT ALL. We have the most anti-intellectual public conversation right now that I have ever seen, or ever hope to see in a “first world” country.

So, given that this story appears to deal with a smart female seven year old in small-town America with bio parents absent either through death or abandonment (because where is the father?), and given the profound challenges facing single parents of any gender in America, and given the even more profound challenges facing a male parent who is not the biological parent of a female child … I tend to come down in favor of cutting this movie some slack.

The blockbuster Harlequin line is sold in Oceania with “Australian Author” or “New Zealand Author” labels. Because local flavour and authenticity is a selling point. That led me to hazard a guess that the authenticity – or inauthenticity, as the prima facie case may be – of a film with “Gifted” right there in the title would matter to romance consumers internationally.

However that particular pie chart crumbles…, delayed release dates overseas don’t give you a free kick from those most affected – gifted people across the globe – if you give reason to suspect that you’re fostering dehumanising Mean Janine lite stereotypes. Shame on you if you catch me by surprise once; shame on me if I sit and watch people perpetrate a shame job on the next generation. Complete with endorsements from trusted sources, just to make us feel more alone and freakish.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie except for one plot point that drove me bonkers…the portrayal of Frank. Math is the focus of the movie and yet, Frank’s math background and that he was instrumental in Mary’s abilities was not apparent. It seemed as though the movie wanted to portray frank as “the philosopher” who compromised his past life in order to give Mary the life her mother never realized; a childhood of innocence, freedom, and unstructured learning coupled with Frank’s virtuous teachings. I assume the idea here was to differentiate, no pun intended, the character of Frank from that of his sister and mother. However, I feel that this would have been accomplished even if Frank’s math background and his mathematical influence on Mary had been revealed and ultimately, I feel these points would have made Frank a stronger character.

In the movie, we are told that Mary was a “baby” when her mother Dianne dies. We are also told that Mary is currently 7 years old and that Frank has been raising her for the last 6 1/2 years. Thus, Mary was no older than 1 1/2 at the time of her Mother’s passing and “baby” insinuates that she was most likely younger. This is the only information we are given as an audience to deduce that Frank was instrumental in teaching Mary mathematics. In the movie’s defense, it is made apparent that Mary had read about and presumably studied mathematics by herself. However, Frank would have had to provide Mary with this material and thus, this shows that Frank had decided to nurture and influence Mary’s math abilities. It is a reality that mastering calculus and differential equations is possible by the age of 7 or younger. However, I do not believe it is possible without instruction. While there have been some children who have taught themselves advanced mathematics from the basics on up, they were still taught the basics. The movie does hint at Frank’s math background when Frank explains how Mary was able to solve a 2X3 digit multiplication problem in her head using the Trachtenberg method and that he learned it himself when he was 8 years old. To me, this quote implies Frank taught this method to Mary at a younger age then he had learned it. However, this quote gets blurred in the movie when Mary’s teacher, referring to this quote and speaking to Frank, says “you lied to me.” However, it was not Frank’s quote that was a “lie”, but the quote’s attempt to downplay Mary’s abilities. Frank also states, “our family has a history with those schools.” While we are made to believe that Frank is referring to his mother and sister here, he could be referring to himself as well. Lastly, Mary was home schooled until first-grade and I doubt righteous Frank just threw Mary into a room with a book everyday so he could go have drinks and pick up girls at the bar.

So what made me go bonkers? …There is a scene during the custody battle for Mary when Frank is being questioned by a lawyer over his ability to raise Mary. At one point, the lawyer states that “with you”, referring to Frank, “Mary is learning at the first-grade level.” Frank does not say anything to defend himself against this comment which makes it appear that Frank agrees with the lawyer’s assertion. While it is true that Mary is in first grade by Frank’s choosing, Mary is not learning at the first-grade level. In math, she could test out of all math courses required for a bachelor’s degree in engineering or mathematics. As I previously explained, when I watched this movie it was evident to me that Frank has a math background and was instrumental in Mary’s math abilities. However, my interpretation of Frank isn’t what is important to this part in the movie. What is important is that Frank was a professor, Mary was raised by Frank since she was a baby and Frank home-schooled Mary until she was 7. Everything Mary has become is due to Frank. Plus, Mary doesn’t just excel in Math, she obviously reads at an accelerated level as well since she finished a book called “Transitions in Advanced Algebra” by Charles Zimmer, which I am assuming would probably be a little too complex for Mary’s classmates, lol! While I say this sarcastically, I can only guess at the book’s contents based on the fact Professor Shanklin was impressed Mary finished it. Since the book is fictional, maybe the book is just filled with oversized numbers and math symbols that must cut out and glue into place. Mary also probably gets an earful of philosophy each day. After all, Frank does give Mary Descartes’ “Discourse on the Method” to read at the end of the movie. Anyways, in conclusion, I found it highly unbelievable that Frank would say nothing to the court after the lawyer’s assertion and therefore, I am still pissed off. But, like I said, overall it was a great movie.

Any in-depth, detailed analysis of this film from this quarter will have to wait until the Australian release. In the meantime, my working hypothesis is that the flaw in this film boils down to lateral violence / internalized stereotypes and discrimination WITHIN gifted families / families with gifted members.

The screenwriter publicly labelled his own sister “egghead”: http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/movies/movie-planner-meet-gifted-screenwriter-from-st-pete-plus-the-fate-of-the/2320021 . Clear indicator right here. And it looks like they brought in the “sensitivity readers” too late in production: http://www.us.mensa.org/featured-content/film-producer-seeks-honest-portrayal-of-growing-up-gifted/

On this topic, there is a very edifying article on the development of gifted identity available for free at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15332276.2016.1194675 . (A heads up: the modelling borrows heavily from LGBTQ studies, I dunno how aptly. Experts in gifted development usually draw on a more general development theory, Kazimierz Dąbrowski’s “positive disintegration”/ multi-level personality integration theory (eg Linda Silverman does).)

I collected some material on double discrimination against gifted minorities, (and forces against high achievement more generally) to use as a prism through which to analyse Octavia Spencer’s part. Experts include Joy Lawson Davis ( http://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/joy-lawson-davis-on-reducing-racial-inequalities-in-gifted-education/ ), Donna Y. Ford, Theresa Perry, Claude Steele (identified “stereotype threat”) and Asa Hilliard III. (btw I was only able to afford/‘shelve’ the smaller primers, rather than the weighty tomes. American readers may be more fortunate in their access options.)

Saw the film. Ugh.

Nuanced spectrum of polarised into violently opposed extremes? Check.

>>Extract >> > EVELYN: And what do you think [Mary’s mother] would say if she saw how her child is living now? Do you honestly think she’d be pleased ? FRANK: That she’s living a somewhat normal life? Yes. EVELYN: She’s not normal, and treating her as such is negligence on a grand scale. I know your heart’s in the right place on this, but you are denying the girl her potential – you are. I can provide for her, I can enrich her life. FRANK: Oh, come on, Evelyn, you’re going to take that girl, you’re going to bury her in tutors, then you’re going to loan her out to some think tank where she can talk nontrivial zeros with a bunch of old Russian guys for the rest of her life. EVELYN: And you’d bury her under a rock? I don’t expect you to understand the price you have to pay for greatness – …

Bury her in tutors (no social life) vs bury her under a rock (‘normal life’ = priority to social life)… Wow. I thought ‘work-life balance’ was aspired to all over the Anglosphere. But apparently you can have a ‘work versus life’ WWW-style deathmatch – in some quarters. Namely La-La Land.

Honour-bound to preface the next extract with this caveat:

Very few of Frank’s ‘observations’ are on point. Most draw on pernicious myths about gifted people which (speciously) justify their mistreatment .

>>>Extract>>> PRINCIPAL: Miss Stevenson believes that your child is exceptional and has talents that our curriculum can’t begin to challenge. It just so happens that I am good friends with the headmaster of the Oakes Academy for Gifted Education. He’s always said that if I find that one in a million… Frank: And the one in a million has a $30,000 tuition. PRINCIPAL: Mr Adler, I can get your daughter a scholarship, full ride. I wouldn’t say it if I couldn’t do it. FRANK: I realize putting that girl in that setting, 99 times out of 100, is what you do. It’s the Oakes. It’s a great school, I looked into it. … This family has a history with those schools. And I think that the last thing that little girl needs is reinforcement that she’s different. Trust me, she knows. So… I think Mary, I think she’s gotta be here. [The bully-busting incident] Today’s a bad ending. You can’t hit people. But a 12-year-old believes a 7-year-old and she stands up! Do you know how important it is to me that she did that? Do you know how proud I am of her? Aren’t you? PRINCIPAL: Mr Adler, your daughter shattered a young boy’s… FRANK: …You can’t hit people. That will be made very clear, I get that, but Mrs Davis, if we separate our leaders, if we segregate them from people like you and me, you get congressmen. So I’m sorry, I wish I could take your offer, but Mary stays, unless you kick her out. PRINCIPAL: This is a mistake. We’ll never be able to raise this child to the level of scholarship she deserves . FRANK: Well, just dumb her down into a decent human being. Everybody wins. >>>End Extract>>>

THIS is where the reviewer gets the ‘decent human being’ (excuse for a) moral to the story. The SMART Bitches, Trashy Books reviewer. Seriously. Standard-bearing. Holding up. THIS piece of stuff and nonsense: “ Dumb her down into a decent human being.”

And that doesn’t even bother me as much as Mary quoting Frank: “Nobody likes a smartass.” WRONG. Sigh.. Do ‘normal’ kids seriously not nickname the group of gifted kids ‘the smartass class’ in America? Because I never thought snide little Australians were the only ones who were poetic that way.

…But a 12-year-old BULLIES a 7-year-old…

Quote from the movie Gifted:

Mary Adler: [riding to school] What is *this* book? Frank Adler: “Discourse on Method.” Rene Descartes. Mary Adler: What’s it about? Frank Adler: Existence. Mary Adler: Existence? Frank Adler: Yup. “I think, therefore I am”. Mary Adler: Well, of course you are. That’s obvious… I think about Fred, therefore, I am. Frank Adler: Cogito ergo Fred?

On May 13 2017, DEC says:

“Mary also probably gets an earful of philosophy each day. After all, Frank does give Mary Descartes’ “Discourse on the Method” to read at the end of the movie.”

Rene Descartes was not only a philosopher; he was also a mathematician. One of Descartes’ most enduring legacies in the field of mathematics was his development of Cartesian or analytic geometry, which uses algebra to describe geometry. He “invented the convention of representing unknowns in equations by x, y, and z. He also “pioneered the standard notation” that uses superscripts to show the powers or exponents.

Descartes’ work provided the basis for the calculus developed by Newton and Leibniz, who applied infinitesimal calculus to the tangent line problem, thus permitting the evolution of that branch of modern mathematics. His rule of signs is also a commonly used method to determine the number of positive and negative roots of a polynomial.

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Movie Review: Gifted (2017)
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Movie Review: Gifted (2017)
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COMMENTS

Gifted movie review & film summary (2017)
The movie consistently serves up funny morsels like this. Also figuring in the eventually heart-tugging proceedings is a one-eyed cat named Fred. And a potentially awkward, among other things, romance between Frank and Bonnie. Evans and Bonnie's portrayer, Jenny Slate, met while making this movie and dated in real life for some time after it ...
Gifted
Movie Info. Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) - in a coastal town in Florida. Frank's plans for a normal school life ...
Gifted (2017)
Gifted: Directed by Marc Webb. With Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer. Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.
Gifted review
Gifted review - touching family melodrama. "3+3? Really?" asks seven-year-old Mary (McKenna Grace) during her first day at school. The unbearably cute, gap-toothed daughter of a deceased ...
Gifted
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 20, 2018. Gifted, a film that could easily have been written and produced on the Lifetime Movie Network, is a surprisingly refreshing family dramedy ...
'Gifted' Review: Marc Webb's Kid Genius Heart-Tugger
Film Review: 'Gifted' Reviewed at Magno, New York, March 29, 2017. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 101 MIN. Production: A Fox Searchlight release of a FilmNation Entertainment, Grade A ...
Gifted (2017 film)
Gifted is a 2017 American drama film directed by Marc Webb and written by Tom Flynn. It stars Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate and Octavia Spencer.The plot follows an intellectually gifted seven-year-old who becomes the subject of a custody battle between her maternal uncle and maternal grandmother. The film was released on April 7, 2017, by Fox Searchlight Pictures, and ...
Review: A 'Gifted' Girl at the Center of a Custody Battle
Octavia Spencer also pops up in this otherwise fleet-footed film, but the supporting role — if you can call it that — is paltry. She's brilliant in her few scenes, yet hardly plays as full ...
'Gifted': Film Review
Rated PG-13, 101 minutes. Chris Evans. Elizabeth Marvel. Gifted. Marc Webb. Chris Evans stars in "Gifted," Marc Webb's comedy-drama about a man fighting to maintain custody of his 7-year-old niece.
'Gifted': Review
Frustratingly, Gifted 's narrative becomes increasingly about Frank's unresolved issues with his mother, reducing Mary to a background character — nothing more than a thin dramatic device ...
Gifted Movie Review
For a film with a custody case at the heart of its plot, Gifted is surprisingly inert. The takeaways about gifted children are well-trodden, the plot twists hardly twisty. The dialogue gives "surprises" away, and Slate and Spencer are wasted in underwritten roles.
Gifted
Gifted delivers a warm, heartstring-plucking message about our inbuilt need to love and be loved. It proudly proclaims the self-sacrificial, life-changing joys of family. ... Movie Review. Frank didn't know. When his genius mathematician sister wanted to talk with him some seven years ago, he had no clue that it would be the last time they ...
GIFTED: It's Not Easy Raising A Genius
source: 20th Century Fox. Frank refuses, the principal's ego is stung, and she starts doing some digging, setting up Gifted as a post-modernist Kramer vs. Kramer custody battle. Before you can say "Wicked Witch of the West," Frank's estranged mother, beautifully realized by an especially haughty Lindsay Duncan, swoops in on her broomstick to challenge Frank, not just for legal and ...
Gifted
Gifted - Metacritic. 2017. PG-13. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 1 h 41 m. Summary Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) - in a coastal town in Florida. Frank's plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the seven-year-old's mathematical abilities come ...
Gifted Review
Gifted Review. Frank (Chris Evans) is a single man raising his seven-year-old niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) in a sleepy Florida town. Mary is a maths genius, though Frank tries to give her a normal ...
'Gifted' Movie Review: Like Watching a Cuteness Olympics
Gifted, a movie where Captain America plays a single guardian of an adorable genius child, is already a triple-decker ice-cream cake of sympathy, but someone must have thought it needed a little ...
Film Review: Gifted
In a less thoughtful film, she'd be the clear-cut villain. It's to Gifted 's credit that, while you never stop rooting for Captain America, it takes the arguments of each party very seriously. Brilliant minds can change the world, and not helping the great become greater is to risk depriving the world of all the discoveries that mind ...
'Gifted' Movie Review: Genius-Child Drama OK with Mediocrity
April 10, 2017. 'Gifted' finds Chris Evans fighting a custody battle for a child prodigy - and losing against an assault of cuteness and tears. Our review. Wilson Webb/Twentieth Century Fox Film ...
Review: Gifted
Gifted 's notes are crowded out by the screenplay's plot machinations and emotional manipulations. Like Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting and Jodie Foster's Little Man Tate, Marc Webb's Gifted reflects a thin, Hollywoodized vision of genius as an exceptional ability to solve complex calculus problems on a blackboard, usually while a ...
GIFTED
GIFTED stars Chris Evans as Frank, who takes care of his 7-year-old niece, Mary, who's a gifted child prodigy. GIFTED is an excellent, heartwarming movie, but it has some cautionary elements. Frank has taken care of his 7-year-old niece, Mary, since she was a baby. She's now at the point where she should be going to school, but she puts up ...
Film Review -Gifted (2017)
Film Review -Gifted (2017) Gifted is the story of Frank and his niece Mary. Mary is a math prodigy much like her deceased mother. Frank's sister asked him to take care of Mary before she killed herself. Frank has done his best to raise Mary as his sister would have wanted and much differently than she herself was raised by their own mother.
Gifted Movie Review for Parents
Gifted Rating & Content Info . Why is Gifted rated PG-13? Gifted is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for thematic elements, language and some suggestive material.. Violence: Characters discuss and are sorrowful over parents who have disowned their children.Adults and children make vain threats or say hurtful things to one another. An angry child hits her caregiver
Movie Review: Gifted
Other Media Review Movie Review: Gifted. by Redheadedgirl · Apr 23, 2017 at 4:00 am · View all 40 comments. Gifted. by Tom Flynn. ... Second, Rebecca's right that there is a difference between being gifted and being a prodigy (like the girl in this movie). Gifted programs alone are probably not enough for prodigies. At least the one I was ...