Teacher, Bonnie (Jenny Slate) asks Mary (Mckenna Grace) a few math questions.
GIFTED
Film Review by Marlene Ardoin
Child geniuses, like one-eyed cats, may have problems being accepted by the status quo. The film “Gifted” raises the question, what is the best way to raise a gifted child?
Seven-year-old Mary (Mckenna Grace) is being raised by her mother’s brother, Frank (Chris Evans), because her own mother (also a child prodigy) committed suicide when Mary was just six months old.
Her uncle, Frank, a former college philosophy professor, has chosen to take Mary off the grid to home school her himself.
As Mary grows older, he decides to place her in a public school, so that she can learn to navigate the world and have a normal childhood, with friends her own age.
On day one in school, Mary is like a whale trying to survive in a theme-park pool. She is doing calculus, while the other kids are trying to master 1 + 1.
When her teacher, Bonnie (Jenny Slate), tries to hook them up with a special school, Frank says, “No.”
He does not want Mary to end up like her ill-fated mother and he is trying to hide Mary from her grandmother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), who he fears will cripple and exploit her.
Special mention, Octavia Spencer as Roberta, (who appears in all the best films this year, Hidden Figures, The Shack) adds warmth to this film as Frank’s landlord, who walks all over his boundaries, while being the mother figure in Mary’s early life.
Having studied and worked in early childhood education settings, I have the personal opinion that all children from birth to 5 years are geniuses.
Their minds are soaking up information voraciously and they are all capable of learning whole languages by merely being exposed to them.
Having a high IQ does not mean that such children will grow up to be a success.
Such children need to be nurtured and supported. And, to be a success, they need to love what they are doing and to have the will to put in the hours to develop their talent.
What is not mentioned is the importance of religious exposure. Steve Jobs was exposed to Christianity by his adoptive parents, which he rejected. Later, in his life, he did take to Buddhism.
Ego appears to be a stumbling block for nearly all such children. When you are the smartest person in the room, humility does not come naturally.
Pablo Casals still practiced on his cello at age 80, telling others that he did it because, “I think I am getting better.”
Whether you are raising a child prodigy or any child, “Gifted” will give you a great deal to think about.
What Are Child Geniuses Like As Adults?http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1303853
9 Child prodigies who actually ended up doing something
http://mentalfloss.com/article/27906/9-child-prodigies-who-actually-ended-doing-something
How Do You Raise a Prodigy?:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/magazine/how-do-you-raise-a-prodigy.html
Raising an Accidental Prodigy:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704559904576230570655238148
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4/23/2017 # Gifted