Directed by Marc Webb
Written by Tom Flynn
Cast: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Plummer, Elizabeth Marvel, John M. Jackson
Soundtrack: Rob Simonsen
I’m going to climb out on a limb and say that, based on what I’ve seen from the marketing, I am not in the target demographic for this film:
A single uncle raising his super smart niece finds himself in a battle with his mother over custody of the child.
Sounds like the plot of a terrible Hallmark Channel movie, doesn’t it?
Fortunately, Gifted is much better than that, and for not being the garbage it so easily could have been, it has my respect.
It may not be Oscar bait, and it may not go to the same emotional depths as something like Manchester By The Sea or Good Will Hunting or Kramer vs. Kramer (I suppose the plot of Gifted is a mix of all three), but it’s a quality familial drama nonetheless; and it’s a welcome return to form for director Marc Webb, who stormed onto the scene with his debut film (500) Days of Summer and was quickly diverted down the Amazing Spider-Man path (possibly because his last name is Webb; I don’t know).
I also respect Gifted for transcending the axiom of “Never work with children or animals,” because Mckenna Grace, like Dafne Keen in Logan (a bit apples and oranges, but still), is a young star on the rise; and there’s also a one-eyed cat who does a fine job. And, of course, the other experienced actors in the film perform as well as you’d expect them to.
There are certainly some “movie moments” in Gifted, and I couldn’t tell you if it’s entirely realistic, but on the whole I did not feel pandered to, talked down to, or manipulated. There may be characters you don’t like, but everyone feels like a human being; there are no monsters or psychopaths. However, as mature as it is, it is not without a sense of humor, which is helpful.
Other than that, there’s not much else to say without getting into spoilers, which I don’t want to do because I really liked this movie.
It may not be an all-time classic, but sometimes you need a heartwarming movie that has a brain, too, and Gifted definitely fills that role.
Good for dates or watching with grandma.
Rating: ★★★★☆