Review: Gifted

McKenna Grace and Chris Evans

Director: Marc Webb
Screenwriter: Tom Flynn
Starring: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Jenny Slate, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, and some suggestive material
Genre: Drama
Theatrical Release Date: April 7, 2017
On DVD/Streaming: July 25, 2017
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

 Clip: "Mary Solves the Math Problem"

Gifted is practically manufacturing to make you weepy, to make you feel something deep.  And, for the most part, it succeeds.  From the opening scene, that displays the great chemistry between leads Chris Evans and McKenna Grace, you know what kind of movie this is going to be, and you're okay with that.  Or, at least, I was.  

Smartly, the movie does not begin with unnecessary backstory/exposition or an awkward flashback.  Instead, it begins with the aforementioned scene with Evans' Frank, who is Mary's (Grace) uncle.  We don't yet know how she ended up living with him, but it's clear that they have a strong father-daughter relationship, despite their quarrels.  Frank wants to send his niece to a regular school, despite the fact that she is clearly gifted (hence the movie's title); we see her genius mathematical skills in action on her first day of first grade, when her bubbly and well-meaning teacher Miss Stevenson (Saturday Night Live alum Jenny Slate) asks her increasingly difficult problems that she solves with ease.  At first, I sided with the teacher, principal, and next-door neighbor (Oscar winner Octavia Spencer), who claimed that the school for the gifted was a much better choice for her.  But when the audience is introduced to Frank's evil mother -- who he always refers to as "Evelyn," not "Mom" -- Frank's decision makes a whole lot more sense.  

The plot meanders a bit, and parts of it -- especially the picture-perfect ending -- are predictable, but that doesn't make any of it less stirring.  While dramatized, what is most interesting is the story at its center: the relationship between Mary and Frank, who the only father (or parent) she has ever known.  It is also fascinating to see a seven-year-old do complicated math featuring symbols that are beyond my comprehension, and talented young actress Grace (who also played a young Tonya Harding in I, Tonya) nails this difficult role.  She is, at turns, hilarious, troubled, and humbly brilliant.  Evans is also solid, and his scenes with Grace are the best ones in the movie.  He has shed his Captain America shield and uniform, but his portrayal of Frank exhibits the same goodness and humanity that he has given to that iconic Avenger.  Like Steve Rogers, Frank Adler is a good person who just wants to do the right thing, and Evans brings enough nuances and strength to this role to prove that he will have a life once his time as The First Avenger is over (presumably, after Infinity War or the as-yet-untitled second successive Avengers film).  

Some of the supporting characters work, and some don't.  While Spencer always brightens every movie and every scene she is in, she isn't used nearly as well as she should be.  There is one scene that features a session with a therapist, who never resurfaces; my mom and I thought for sure that she would show up towards the end, but she did not.  And Slate, as Mary's teacher, barely shows up in the latter half, despite her important role in Grace's life.  Lindsay Duncan's Evelyn, as Mary's grandmother, is particularly great, even though she is clearly presented as a villain for the majority of the movie.  But, without a recognizable antagonist to Evans' Frank (and, to some extent, Grace's Mary), the movie would have suffered.      


Spot the Aspie!: 
While it is never explicitly or even implicitly stated, Mary -- the brilliant mathematician at the core of Gifted -- is most likely on the autism spectrum.  Many on the spectrum are incredibly smart, sometimes to Mary's level; and like Mary, because of their enhanced intelligence, their social skills suffer.  She seems to be better at interacting with adults than with children, as was often the case for me.  She has difficulty making friends, and tends to have no filter (also me).  She is very attached to her rescued one-eyed cat, just as I (and other aspies) get easily attached to animals.  



Grade: B+