Gifted (2017)
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A mathematical prodigy becomes the center of a heated custody battle between her uncle and her grandmother.
The story
In St. Petersburg, Florida, seven-year-old Mary Adler, a mathematical genius, lives with her uncle and de facto guardian, Frank. Frank, a former philosophy professor and now boat mechanic, feels strongly that Mary should attend a normal elementary school so she can have a normal childhood. However, after Mary shows remarkable mathematical talent in first grade, the school principal encourages Frank to send her to a private school for gifted children. This leads to a conflict when the principal contacts Frank's estranged mother and Mary's maternal grandmother, Evelyn, who believes Mary has an obligation to use her talents to help further society.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In St. Petersburg, Florida, seven-year-old Mary Adler, a mathematical genius, lives with her uncle, Frank. When Mary's talent is discovered by her teacher, the school principal suggests she attend a private school for gifted children. This prompts a custody battle with her maternal grandmother, Evelyn, who wants Mary to be tutored exclusively in mathematics. During the legal proceedings, it is revealed that Evelyn kept Mary's mother, Diane, isolated and focused solely on math. Frank, who wants Mary to have a normal childhood, eventually strikes a deal with Evelyn: he will allow her to publish Diane's completed work on the Navier–Stokes problem if she drops the custody case. Mary is returned to Frank's care, where she continues to attend a public school while taking advanced courses in her spare time, and Frank returns to his roots in philosophy.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Marc Webb
- Writers
- Tom Flynn · writer
- Cast and characters
- Chris Evans; Mckenna Grace; Lindsay Duncan; Jenny Slate; Octavia Spencer
- Genres
- comedy; drama
- Themes
- prodigy; family; education
- Tone and mood
- drama
- Setting
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Premise and plot tags
- legal drama; courtroom drama; child prodigy
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Evans and Grace, but noted its predictability.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 60 · scale: 100 · review count: 33; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Young Actor/Actress · Critics' Choice Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was on the 2014 Black List.; The film was shot in Georgia because Florida lacked financial incentives.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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