Gifted Parent Guide

What would you do if you had a child who possessed an exceptional ability? Would you give them every opportunity to develop that talent, perhaps even to the exclusion of all other activities? Or would you want to broaden their interests, perhaps even to the neglect of their natural gift?

That is the dilemma explored in this movie. Mary (Mckenna Grace) has an extraordinary mind for math. Frank (Chris Evans), her uncle and guardian, wants the six-year-old to have an ordinary childhood, so he enrolls her in a regular first grade classroom. He hopes the environment will help her to socialize with other kids and expose her to a variety of learning experiences.

But Mary doesn’t blend into the crowd for long. Her boredom with the simplicity of her assignments attracts the attention of her teacher, Miss Stevenson (Jenny Slate), who excitedly shares the discovery with her superiors. When the school administrators realize that Frank has no intention of encouraging his niece to reach her full potential, they seek out another of Mary’s relatives, looking for more cooperation in what they believe is right for the student.

Who they contact is Evelyn Adler (Lindsay Duncan), the estranged grandmother of Mary, and mother of Frank. Although Evelyn has previously taken no interest in the illegitimate girl, she is suddenly very excited at the prospect of a genius in the family. With enough money and connections at her disposal to really give Mary a chance to make something of herself, Evelyn takes legal action against her son Frank so she can have custody of the prodigy.

The courtroom provides the perfect place to debate the pros and cons of “gifts”. Evelyn makes the case that such an endowment comes with the responsibility to use it for the good of mankind. Frank argues for a balance of education that gives a kid a chance to enjoy being a kid. And their lawyers go head to head by exposing hidden secrets and private hurts that explain some of the motives behind their clients’ divided opinions. Meanwhile Mary becomes a pawn in this adult game of life.

Some of the information disclosed is a bit heavy for what is intended to be a feel-good film. Along with mentions of a single woman’s pregnancy, there are discussions of suicide and references to dysfunctional family relationships. Other content concerns include depictions of sexual activity between an unmarried couple (passionate kissing and a morning after scene) and some crude talk. Alcohol is consumed to the point of drunkenness. Schoolyard bullying is shown (a child gets a bloody and broken nose). And a few profanities, as well as a single sexual expletive are heard.

Despite the obvious bias in the script, viewers will find themselves drawn into the big issues presented here. Providing more tug-of-war moments than you might expect, the film champions doing what is best for the child – but shows some of the challenges involved in determining exactly what that course of action maybe.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.