It's not a new story I guess..... yet it's so beautifully told.
Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a single man, is raising his seven year old niece Mary, a precocious whiz kid, a mathematical prodigy, in a small rural town in Florida. There's a beautiful relationship there, with some brilliant acting, loads of love and fun intelligent banter.
Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a single man, is raising his seven year old niece Mary, a precocious whiz kid, a mathematical prodigy, in a small rural town in Florida. There's a beautiful relationship there, with some brilliant acting, loads of love and fun intelligent banter.
An idyllic setting, intruded upon by Frank's mother, Mary's grandmother, who has high ambitions for the child, and there is the ensuing custody battle for Mary. A trans generational custody battle between the powerful and rich grandmother, and the reclusive and caring uncle. (the mother, a mathematical genius herself, committed suicide and left Mary in Frank's care)
Yes, that's a dead give away. The movie is that predictable, yet with a depth and freshness that's alluring, and all heart.
The relationship between Frank and Mary has some lovely moments. He wakes her up from bed and coaxes her out on her first day of school, saying he has special breakfast for her, and when she's eating her cereal, she recalls and asks whats's special, and he turns around the Kellogs box to show 'Kellogs special'. So cute.
A sequence in silhouette, against a setting sun, when she asks him if there's god. And he's like 'I don't know' and she's like 'just tell me, Roberta knows, how do you not know' and Frank's like " what Roberta has is faith, I can't tell you what to have faith in" "What about Jesus?" " Jesus, that's different, that guy's a rockstar, but god, I don't know'. Loved the level of thought and respect in dealing with a seven year old.
McKenna Grace as the gap toothed daughter, cocky and forthright was so absolutely cute. Frank is rightly described by a girl in the movie...... 'quiet, damaged, hot guy'.
A sequence in silhouette, against a setting sun, when she asks him if there's god. And he's like 'I don't know' and she's like 'just tell me, Roberta knows, how do you not know' and Frank's like " what Roberta has is faith, I can't tell you what to have faith in" "What about Jesus?" " Jesus, that's different, that guy's a rockstar, but god, I don't know'. Loved the level of thought and respect in dealing with a seven year old.
And then there's the perspective of her grandmother Evelyn "she's not a normal child, she's gifted, treating her as normal is negligence on a grand scale". The movie does bring out varying facets of dealing with a gifted mind, the moral dilemma I guess 'Is it about what such a mind owes to society, and if yes, at what cost to oneself'. Deeply relevant.
She forces a separation. And I'd be amazed if there's a dry eye in that moment.
She forces a separation. And I'd be amazed if there's a dry eye in that moment.
There's the sensitive and kind school teacher Bonnie played by Jenny Slate, who recognizes Mary's abilities right off, and in supporting it also gets romantically involved with the uncle. There's nice chemistry there, which apparently was an off screen romance too, so I guess that came through as well.
McKenna Grace as the gap toothed daughter, cocky and forthright was so absolutely cute. Frank is rightly described by a girl in the movie...... 'quiet, damaged, hot guy'.
On the aside, later in the day, I happened to sit with Dhruva for a while watching 'Captain America, The winter soldier' and it took me a while to put Chris Evans from the 'gentle uncle' into 'captain america'.
I said so to Dhruva, and he asked what role that was, and when I told him, he says...."don't know how different amma, he sounds as idealistic, as individualistic, as intense, just in different context". I was pretty stumped, now less by Chris Evans and more by Dhruva's reading. Loved it. And the movie too. :)
I said so to Dhruva, and he asked what role that was, and when I told him, he says...."don't know how different amma, he sounds as idealistic, as individualistic, as intense, just in different context". I was pretty stumped, now less by Chris Evans and more by Dhruva's reading. Loved it. And the movie too. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment