“Gifted” is directed by Marc Webb, known for his dreamy romantic hit
“500 Days of Summer.” In “Gifted,” Webb once again gives another
heartfelt movie about a single man raising his spirited young niece Mary
(Mckenna Grace) in a coastal town in Florida. But Mary is a brilliant
child prodigy and Frank's intention that she lead a normal life are
thwarted when the seven-year-old’s command of mathematics comes to the
attention of his formidable mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan)—a wealthy
Bostonian whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Mary
and Frank. As family tensions and disconnections flare, uncle and niece
find support in Roberta (Octavia Spencer), their protective landlady
and best friend, and Mary’s teacher Bonnie (Jenny Slate), a young woman
whose concern for her student soon develops into a relationship with her
uncle as well.
“I don’t think there’s a single member of the crew she didn’t reach out
to and make laugh on a daily basis. producer Karen Lunder says of the
actress who personified the character of Roberta. “She brought warmth
and humor to this pivotal role. She’s also the one person who knows
Frank almost better than himself. Most importantly, Roberta is the comic
relief, which comes out of her relationship with Frank. She’s always
giving him the business, but she’s also deeply emotional. You care so
much about Roberta and worry whether she will be able to continue to
have the relationship with Mary.”
Spencer recalls what attracted her to the role, “What intrigues me
about Roberta is that her relationship with Frank and Mary is an
integral part of the story. She’s a surrogate mom to the girl and to
this habitually single guy, she’s a sister and a mom, whatever the
relationship requires. If I were to describe the anatomy of GIFTED, Mary
would be the heart, Frank would be the muscle and the sinew and Roberta
would be the spine. It all works wonderfully together and that’s why it
resonated with me on so many levels.”
Ultimately, Roberta discovers the power she does have in this
untraditional family unit: “You realize that these people coexist in a
way that is very much family. They need each other. Frank has a very
tough decision to make, and when he makes that decision he asks Roberta
for help. I really love that the end of the movie starts the same way as
the beginning, with Frank and Roberta’s relationship.”
“Gifted” opens May 3 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
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