Math is the subject of choice for the fictional child prodigy in Gifted, so it’s a shame the character couldn’t use her brilliant mind to rework the screenplay.
Instead, we’re left with a mildly compelling if overly sentimental melodrama about child-rearing and fractured families that risks insulting the intelligence of its audience with a predictable barrage of clichés.
The child in question is 7-year-old Mary (Mckenna Grace), who’s perfectly happy being raised in a Florida trailer park by his uncle, Frank (Chris Evans), who assumed custody of the youngster following a family tragedy.
Frank just wants a normal childhood for Mary, even after her teacher (Jenny Slate) suspects that the precocious youngster has much higher academic potential. Once Frank’s overbearing and affluent mother (Lindsay Duncan) hears that news, she wants to capitalize by enrolling Mary in an elite school where her intellect will be noticed.
Conflicting philosophies and motives lead to a child custody battle between a son and his own mother, who drives a wedge in the relationship between Frank and Mary, as well as their landlady (Octavia Spencer), who acts as a caretaker of sorts. What’s best for the child gets lost in the shuffle.
Gifted marks a return to small-scale dramas for director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man), whose debut feature, 500 Days of Summer, was a smart and sophisticated examination of young romance.
By comparison, this effort is lacking subtlety and surprise, although it benefits from some sharp performances — especially by Evans in a change-of-pace role — and intriguing character dynamics. Evans and newcomer Grace convey a natural, easygoing charm when they share the screen.
However, the slick script by Tom Flynn (his first since the indie comedy Watch It almost 25 years ago) could have been a more incisive exploration of the challenges of raising a truly gifted child, rather than turning her into a plot device. The result is a heartfelt but manipulative tearjerker that never digs into the various moral dilemmas at its core with much sincerity or authenticity.
One pivotal sequence features Mary working out a complex equation on a blackboard with the enthusiastic aplomb of a seasoned mathematician. As for the film, it features plenty of formula, but just not the right kind.
