Review: Gifted (2017)

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“A little girl was getting ready for her first day of school. Her uncle, who was making breakfast at that time, called his niece from the kitchen. The girl reluctantly came out of her room with a red dress on. Her uncle said that she looked beautiful, but she disagreed, she tought she looked like a Disney princess and she hated it.”

That was the first scenes of the movie “Gifted” that I watched yesterday. As the title suggests, this movie is about someone who is gifted with something wonderful. Seven-years old Mary Adler (Mckenna Grace) is a child with advanced Mathematical ability. Her whole life, she lived with (and also self-taught by) her uncle Frank Adler (Chris Evans), her one-eyed cat Fred and their middle-aged neighbor, Roberta (Octavia Spencer) in Florida. Her mother, Diane, commited suicide when Mary was six months old, leaving her daughter in the care of her only brother.

Frank decided to enroll his niece to a local public school. Mary didn’t like the idea of going to school, but Frank insisted, because he wanted her to socialize more with kids her age. At her first day in the first grade, Mary already felt bored. Her teacher, Ms. Bonnie Stevenson (Jenny Slate) was asking questions to the class about a very simple addition problem, when Mary interrupted her. She thought that it’s too easy for her. Her teacher said that she isn’t allowed to speak without permission. Miss Bonnie then gave her more difficult problems and Mary could answer within seconds. At the next period, when the principal came to their class, Mary rudely asked the principal to call her uncle and bring her home. Frank who was in the middle of fixing a boat came to the school and picked up Mary. He wasn’t pleased with her attitude. Miss Bonnie told Frank that Mary might be gifted, but Frank denied it. He told her that Mary used Tratchenberg method (a method rapid calculation).

Mary still went to school afterwards. Another day, when she got an assignment to show and tell, she brought her cat, Fred to the class. Her friends and Miss Bonnie were amazed with her story about Fred. In Math, Mary could answer the problems on her paper in 5 minutes. Miss Bonnie gave her another paper with more difficult problems and she could answer all problems fast. Out of curiosity, Bonnie googled informations about Mary. She found articles about her mother and her death. Bonnie then tried to gather more info from Frank about Mary. Frank finally told Bonnie the truth: That Diane commited suicide, that she had a baby out of wedlock, that Mary’s grandmother turned her back on Diane once she knew about her situation and that Mary was indeed a genius.

The next day, on the school bus, Mary defended her classmate, Justin when he got bullied by a sixth grader by smacking his face with a book. She got into the principal’s office and Frank was called. Frank apologized to the principal. The Principal, who was informed by Bonnie about Mary’s advanced Math skill, offered Frank to enroll Mary in a private school for gifted children. Frank refused, because he couldn’t afford the tuition and he didn’t want Mary to feel any more different. The principal offered him to help Mary to get a scholarship, but he still wanted Mary to stay in her school.

The principle then tried to reach Evelyn Adler, Frank and Diane’s mother. She then showed up in front of their house and gave Mary lots of presents. She got her a Macbook full of Mathematic books that might interest Mary. Evelyn was amazed when Mary told her that she had read one of the books. She disapproved of Frank’s choice of life for him and for Mary. She even complained about the cat which Evelyn allergic to. Frank asked about Evelyn’s real purpose to come to their house. She finally revealed that she wanted to take custody of Mary, because she thought that Frank couldn’t get Mary a life that she deserved and couldn’t facilitate Mary’s talent. Frank said that Diane wouldn’t want Mary to live with Evelyn because she would suffocate her with tutors and rob her from her childhood.

Frank and Evelyn finally went into a custody battle of Mary. Their attorneys tried to fight for Mary. A lot of things about their past revealed. Evelyn was overprotective and strict toward Diane that she didn’t seem to have a normal life. Diane spent her live to study Math under her mother’s plan and never have an actual teenage and adult life. Diane had tried to commit suicide before, but failed.

Bonnie became closer with Frank and after a drunk night, they ended up in a one night stand. In the morning, Mary, who was spending time in Roberta’s house for the weekend, snuck into Frank’s house to find some DVD and met Bonnie, who was only wrapped by a blanket. Mary froze for a little while but then smirked and said “Good morning, Miss Stevenson.” The situation became awkward and Frank was humiliated. Mary and Frank caught up in an argument and Mary thought that she ruined Frank’s life, because he couldn’t even live his life and had some alone time. Frank apologized to Mary and said that he didn’t mean that.

On a weekend, Evelyn was scheduled to spend time with Mary. She showed her grandaughter some old family photo albums. There were lots of pictures with Diane and Evelyn in it. Evelyn also told her stories about her life. Evelyn then took Mary to see and try to solve The Navier-Stokes problem, one of the seven greatest unsolved Math problem, which Diane was working on before she took her own life. Mary was looking at the problem but couldn’t solve it. After they left, Mary told her grandma that the problem was unsolvable, because there are some missing symbols. Evelyn took Mary back in and she then did the problem and was able to solve it.

The battle of custody between grandmother and uncle continued and it finally settled to Mary being placed in a foster care with montly visits from both Frank and Evelyn until after her twelveth birthday, when she can choose with whom she would want to stay. Mary was upset because Frank promised to fight for her and they would keep living together. With a heavy heart Frank left Mary with her foster parents. Eventhough the foster home wasn’t far from Frank’s, he was still devastated. When the monthly visit day came, Mary refused to meet Frank.

Many days later, Bonnie sent a picture of missing cat poster to Frank, because the cat looked like Fred. Frank assumed that Evelyn took Fred away from Mary. Having enough of it all, Frank finally took Diane’s solved Navier Stoke journal, which Evelyn thought was unfinished, and came into Mary’s foster home with Roberta. He found Evelyn, Mary and two Math tutors in there. Mary was still upset and runaway from Frank. Frank placed the journal in front of Evelyn and chased Mary. He apologized to Mary and promised that they would go home and be together again. Evelyn didn’t believe that Diane was able to solve the Navier Stoke before her death. But Frank insisted that it was true. Diane had solved it. Diane instructed Frank to publish the journal after Evelyn’s death. Frank asked Evelyn to defend the Navier Stoke problem for Diane. She finally took the job and cried, remembering her deceased daughter.

The movie ends with Mary taking Mathematic college-level course and got picked up by Frank to go to the public school afterwards. She still had her childhood and still able to expand her talent and skills.

This is one of the view movies that had me in tears. The story is very moving but light. We are brought to the live of a great child with an ordinary life-like problems. I really like Mary, her character is both natural as a child but in a way mature for her age. She is also a wonderful kid herself. I think, the purpose of this whole battle between Evelyn and Frank is actually to give Mary the best life that she deserved. Just in two different ways. It is relieving to see that Mary could have both lives (as a mathematician and as a child) in the end. The conflicts in this movie is relatable and not far from our lives. There are so many battles of custody, between parents or even relatives that ended up traumatizing or depressing for the children that they’re fighting for. We could only try and hope for the best for those children in custody disputes. I cannot say much about camera techniques in this movie, but I can say that the strength of this movie is in the story. You would be amazed on how this film delivers the story. Now before you watch it, I suggest preparing some tissue and some smile. Happy watching!