Gifted (2017)

“Gifted” stars Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer.  Released on April 7, 2017, the film is about a gifted 7-year-old who gets caught in a custody battle between her uncle and her grandmother.

The film is directed by Marc Webb, who also directed 500 Days of Summer and The Amazing Spider-Man.  While a lot of people will be lining up to see the latest installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, the rest of the population who aren’t in the mood for some over the top action will be looking forward to something that’s more heavily on the drama.  From the looks of this film, it does seem to have pretty much everything to make a feel-good movie: a good cast and an interesting story that revolves around the gifted, hence the film’s title.  But are those qualities enough to attract those outside of its target audience?  Well, I don’t think I need a genius to help me answer that question.

If you’re the type of person who enjoys something that makes your heart feel warm inside, then I think this film will definitely win you over.  However, this isn’t the type of film that’ll get any Oscar recognition in terms of its depth.  While it does have its moments that might tug at your heartstrings or make you laugh, the film clearly has a hard time maintaining that same amount of emotional depth all the way through compared to some other powerful dramas.  Nonetheless, it managed to meet my expectations.  Chris Evans leads a very likable cast as an uncle who acts as a guardian to his intellectually gifted niece, who is portrayed wonderfully by Mckenna Grace.  Lindsay Duncan was also remarkable as the girl’s grandmother, while Octavia Spencer delivered the goods once again as the uncle’s next door neighbor.  Even though the film’s storytelling had a couple of miscalculations, it did a very nice job at showcasing how certain people respond to a gifted child, while also delivering an attention-grabbing connection between the main characters.

Overall, “Gifted” is far from extraordinary, but thanks to its likable cast and a heartwarming, yet mild, story, Marc Webb’s latest drama was able to solve its difficult equations with ease.  While it won't garner any awards recognition, especially the big awards, it has a decent amount of potential to attract those who are into films that make them feel good.  Yes, even those who are familiar with children who are gifted.

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