ZAMBOANGA CITY STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula

Zamboanga City

The Gifted, Wonder

Marc Webb directed and Tom Flynn wrote this 2017 American drama film.
Chris Evans plays Frank Adler, Mckenna Grace plays Mary Adler, Lindsay
Duncan plays Evelyn Adler, Jenny Slate plays Bonnie Stevenson, and Octavia
Spencer plays Roberta. The plot follows an intellectually gifted seven-year-old
who becomes the subject of a custody battle between her maternal uncle and
maternal grandmother.

Single Frank Adler, who works as a freelance boat repairman and lives in a
trailer park on the Florida coast, has been guardian to his seven-year-old
niece, Mary Adler, since she was a newborn after her mother, Frank's sister,
Diane Adler, committed suicide. At the time, Frank was a philosophy professor
at Boston University. He moved with Mary in an effort to "escape". Like her
mother, Mary is a math prodigy, of which Frank is well aware. Frank has home
schooled Mary up until now in an effort to protect her from people like who he
was escaping from, his and Diane's own mother, uncompromising (to use
Frank's vernacular) Evelyn Adler, who, if she had custody, would have had a
singular focus on the math prodigy aspect of Mary, much like she was with
Diane. Mary's only real friend besides Frank, who has largely treated Mary like
an equal in being up front with her about most things, has now decided to go
to a regular public school in an effort to socialize her with other children and
to make her feel like a normal child. Roberta routinely sits with Mary to allow
Frank his regular Friday night out at the bar by himself. Although Frank
cautions Mary about not being too "obvious" at school, Mary's teacher, Bonnie
Stevenson, quickly discovers not only Mary's advanced math abilities, but her
background as Diane's daughter. Although Miss Stevenson, like Frank, wants
what's best holistically for Mary, the process of providing an advanced
education to Mary at the expense of all else begins to snowball to the point
where Evelyn learns of Frank and Mary's whereabouts. Not agreeing with any
of Frank's choices, Evelyn sues for full custody, which brings into light the
entire dynamic that existed and exists between Evelyn, Frank, and Diane.

In my conclusion, the moral lesson of this movie is that every individual

should always be kind to people and give them a reason to want to stick with
you. What is this? Don't let people tell you what you should or shouldn't do.
Make decisions on what you believe is right and don't let someone else boss
you around. Courage is a clear theme. Though Frank is sometimes gruff and
sarcastic (which every person possesses in real life), he cares deeply for Mary
and for her happiness. Mary, who's in second grade, may be young, but she's
an intellectual giant who has compassion for those whom she sees being
ridiculed by others. Never underestimate one’s capacity; there is always a room
for improvement. Improvement is a constant change.