A one-eyed cat and a totally charming kid make “Gifted” far more special than it deserves to be.
Following the template for dozens of films (two sides battle for the control of a child’s future), the domestic drama works because the child is worth fighting for.
Blessed with mad math skills, 7-year-old Mary (Mckenna Grace) has trouble transitioning to a “regular” school after being home-schooled by her uncle Frank (Chris Evans). While her classmates are busying themselves with simple addition, she’s able to do complex equations. This draws the attention of her teacher (Jenny Slate) and the suggestion that, maybe, she belongs in a more demanding class.
Frank, however, won’t hear of it. His late sister wanted her to have a “normal” life. Putting her on a genius track would ruin all that.
Before the first term even gets going, Frank’s mom (an imperious Lindsay Duncan) shows up and insists Mary get a proper education.
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Instantly, you can see what’s going on here. Relatives are at odds – for some other reason than the child – and go to court to get resolution. One has money to press her case; the other has heart.
Director Marc Webb has a couple of good courtroom moments but this isn’t contentious or tear-worthy. Mom and son get along, for the most part, but use Mary as a way to release information that should have come out years ago.
Mary’s mother, it seems, was a math genius, too, and was on track to get her picture in some college’s gallery of stars. Her work wasn’t finished, however, which blunted the controlling mom’s ambitions.
Webb gets lots of great digs in – through the court case and in those one-on-one talks between mom and son – but doesn’t take the story anywhere it hasn’t been – in dozens of other films.
Evans is quite good in a role that doesn’t require Spandex. Duncan is serviceable and Octavia Spencer is winning as the neighbor just trying to help.
Grace and the one-eyed cat name Fred, however, steal this “Manchester by the Sea for the Masses.” When the two are sharing tender moments, “Gifted” is extremely present. When they’re off the screen, it looks like any other "battling relatives" drama.
Slate is wasted in a role that hints at romance and one of the little girl’s classmates could have been used as a way to get into the girl’s head.
Interestingly, no one bothers to ask what the child would like to do. When the two sides get together, it’s pretty much a done deal – Fred included.
As with all math dramas of late, a lot of blackboards figure in and there’s at least three people scratching their heads.
“Hidden Figures” had more to say (and Spencer was part of that, too) but this suggests the love of a good cat can make up for a multitude of sins. Sometimes, that’s quite enough.
