Grandma wants to plug her into The Matrix. Her arguments and assessments are hopelessly air-tight and seamless, leaving Uncle Frank and his lawyer scrambling.įrank just wants Mary to be a little girl.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Evelyn verbally fire-bombs the entire court room from the stand without batting an eye in her fight for custody of Mary. Evelyn is a poised and proper Englishwoman armed with a titanium intellect few would want to challenge. One very powerful supporting role is supplied by Lindsay Duncan who portrays Evelyn the Grandmother.

In fact, Mary's personality is also far developed beyond her peers, exhibiting a sarcastic and jaded sense of humor more on par with a bunch of 40-year olds downing a shot or two after a particularly bad day at work.Īfter Mary's abilities are discovered by her first grade teacher, the inevitable battle for command of her future quickly unfolds. Grace's performance does raise a few eye brows as she very convincingly plays a precocious and genius little girl plagued with boredom being surrounded by the dead-weight of average students she has nothing in common with. McKenna Grace plays little Mary who's character is at the center of attention whether she likes it or not. The premise was intriguing: What to do with a seven year old mathematical prodigy caught between a cozy, loving household occupied by her doting Uncle Frank and a one-eyed cat named Fred, and a challenging but cold academic world ready to pace her on mental treadmills for the rest of her life. I only found it only after tapping out the local AMC 24 and driving a few extra miles to see something new.

Had seen no adds, heard no word of mouth, pretty much nothing. This is a film with many levels of message and one that should be seen by a very wide audience. Octavia Spencer and Lindsay Duncan offer definitive performances in tough roles. The story explores the relationship between a caring uncle who salvaged his niece when the mother of the girl (a brilliant mathematician) commits suicide – yearning to offer the brilliant gifted niece a 'normal life' despite custody battles and grandmother opinions.Ĭhris Evans continues to prove that he is one of our more important serious actors of the day and eleven year old Mckenna Grace demonstrates why she is on of the most frequently seen young actresses in the young role parts. Jenny Slate is Mary's teacher, Bonnie, a young woman whose concern for her student develops into a connection with her uncle as well. Octavia Spencer plays Roberta, Frank and Mary's landlady and best friend. Frank's plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the seven-year-old's mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank's formidable mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary. Marc Webb who has gathered an impeccable cast to enact this touching drama directs his sensitive story with aplomb.įrank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) in a coastal town in Florida. GIFTED is also about family connections and the impact on children whose parents are lost to them by separation whether in death by natural causes, by suicide, or by desertion. Screenwriter Tom Flynn offers a well-considered and genuinely moving story about how we deal with gifted children – and adults.

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