Review: Gifted (12A)

A precocious six-year-old girl with a beautiful mind is the glittering prize of an acrimonious custody battle in Marc Webb's deeply moving drama.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Jun 2017, 08:07 BST
FAMILY: Lindsay Duncan, Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace in Gifted.FAMILY: Lindsay Duncan, Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace in Gifted.
FAMILY: Lindsay Duncan, Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace in Gifted.

Penned in broad strokes by screenwriter Tom Flynn, Gifted overcomes a formulaic structure to deliver hefty emotional wallops, and provides buff leading man Chris Evans with a meaty dramatic role to test his acting mettle.

Webb’s film is laden with delightful surprises, including a stellar performance from 10-year-old Mckenna Grace in the pivotal role of a quick-witted mathematical prodigy, who is sassy beyond her years.

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Florida boat repairman Frank Adler (Evans) home schools his cherubic niece Mary (Grace), who inherited her passion for algebra from her late mother.

Frank feeds the child’s insatiable hunger for knowledge but also jealously guards Mary’s playtime. He wants her to have a normal upbringing, full of laughter. He refuses a full scholarship for Mary to a nearby school for gifted children.

Soon after, Mary’s maternal grandmother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) turns up to stake a claim to the child and a heart-breaking court case ensues. Gifted is a heartfelt ode to sacrifice that succeeds despite its occasional reliance on cliches. The double-act of Evans and Grace are ably supported by Duncan as a steely matriarch.

On general release