A couple of comments before the reviews. Writing this column requires at least two to three visits to the theater each month. There are times, especially during the first four of five months of the year, where itâs difficult to find a decent movie to write about. The previews in the theatre donât offer much hope. Interestingly, the very good movie I am writing about never showed up with a TV spot or in a preview. I got lucky finding this one.
Gifted
Gifted
Entertainment Rating: ★★★
Rating: PG-13, several scattered profanities, stressful moments
Possible Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actress: Mckenna Grace, (although it is highly doubtful the academy would nominate a seven year old child, although in my opinion she is deserving)
This is the third film over the past six months about a math prodigy. Many of you saw Historical Figures, an Oscar awarded film, only a handful saw The Man Who Knew Infinity. Both were true stories about genius level mathematicians who were at the MIT level when they were in kindergarten. This is not a true story, but nonetheless it was just as, or more, engaging than the aforementioned.
Mckenna Grace is amazing as seven year old Mary Adler, whose math skills are on par with just about anyoneâs. Her Uncle Frank Adler, played by Chris Pine, is her guardian as Maryâs mother died while she was an infant. After a bit of home schooling, she enters first grade, and it only takes a few minutes for her teacher to realize her new student is something special.
Suddenly out of nowhere, the grandmother, who little Mary has never met, blows into town demanding custody, based on her newfound knowledge that her granddaughter is the prodigy of all prodigies. Needless to say, a custody battle ensues, with a few unexpected twists and turns. But the heart of this movie is the relationship between Frank, Mary, and a one eyed cat named Fred. This story will tug at your heartstrings, and watching little Mckenna Grace is more than worth the price of admission.
Going in Style
Going in Style
Entertainment Rating: ★
Rating: see comments
Possible Oscar Nominations: None
This movie is rated PG-13, thatâs a joke. It should be R rated as it is filled with profanity, including plenty of blasphemy and âFâ bombs.
The previews suggested this might be a fun movie to watch. Three old geezers played by Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, and Morgan Freeman plan a bank heist, so they will have enough money to live on as their pensions have been lost. As I watched the TV spots promoting the film, I thought it might be a bit predictable. I was wrong; it was totally predictable, so much so that you could almost cite the lines before they were spoken.
The three actors, all fine performers in their own right, sleepwalk through the script. Other than that there is one brief scene lasting ninety seconds or so that was a bit special, but only because a child was the center of the moment. Refreshing to say the least, she didnât swear. I canât think of one thing that would lead me to recommend this to anyone.
