Inside Scoop from Stars of Gifted Movie!

I got the inside scoop on the new movie, Gifted, y’all!

It opens April 7th in select theaters!  

That’s me, right behind Jenny Slate, and that’s Oscar winner Octavia Spencer over there on the right… GASP!!! I told Jenny she has a great name and gushed over Marcel the Shell. Jenny is the voice of Marcel… you HAVE to watch it here. She mentioned there WILL BE a Marcel the Shell movie coming!!! As for Octavia, I did not get to get close enough to her to make myself look like a dork to her face. It’s probably for the best.

That’s Mckenna Grace holding that little stuffie and Captain America Chris Evans. I didn’t get to talk to Captain America Chris, or even touch his shoulder, but… CLOSE ENOUGH.

But I did chat for a few moments with Mckenna. I asked to shake her hand and she adorably stood up and replied, “I’m a hugger!” So we hugged.

I was asked to be part of this press junket covering the new movie, Gifted. It is a movie about an child prodigy (Mckenna as Mary) being raised by her uncle (Chris as Frank). At first I was excited, but then I was all, “But what if I don’t like the movie?”

So I watched the trailer and emailed back with, “YES”.

The movie’s stars Chris Evans (Captain America, anyone?), Mckenna Grace (amazing young up-and-coming actor), Octavia Spencer (she needs no introduction/Oscar Award winner) and Jenny Slate (if you have not seen Marcel the Shell, then you NEED to – delight in Marcel. SHe’s done loads of other stuff to, but Marcel is my fave).

The movie jumped right into the story line. There was no easing into the plot.

If you are a crier, bring some tissue.

If you are a critic of child actors, prepare to be impressed.

I knew Chris Evans would impress. I KNEW Octavia Spencer would do that thing she does… Jenny Slate played a perfectly charming teacher.

But Mckenna as Mary knocked it out of the park, as far as my opinion is concerned.

My kids have been in musical theatre for yeeears, so great child acting is of particular interest to me.

I say she was the center of the movie. I forgot I was watching a little actor. I got sucked into her emotion, her cuteness, her heartbreak. 

YOU GUYS.

I don’t know where you fall into place on the parenting of a “gifted child” chart. My kids are decent students, but my husband and I have bred creative kids, not math prodigies. However, I have had to educationally advocate for my kids, but not like Frank had to for his niece.

I am pretty sure we have all had to advocate for our kids when it comes to “the system”, and that is how I connected with this film.

Sometimes it feels educators have no confidence in our ability to parent our kids. It feels like the world is against us at times. Sometimes it’s the teachers that erect walls, sometimes it’s the administration… or even the bureaucracy of it all.

But no matter what your or my story is, many of us have had to stand in the gap for our kids when it comes to their education. We have had to make a stand… after all, we are the ones who are there for the nightmares, and the fevers… the hourly changes in food preferences, and emotional rollercoaster moments that only we get to see day AND night. We are the ones who know our kids and love them beyond measure (and often reason). We all, at some point, have had to stand and fight on behalf of our kids and man… 

So. Should you see the movie?

I say, Yes.

And bring tissue. 

Danielle Smith of Extraordinary Mommy captured live video of the junket. You can watch the interviews with Mckenna and Chris here. You can watch the interview with Jenny and Octavia here!

I especially

And below is the question I was able to ask Mckenna and her answer. What an amazing girl!

 

A post shared by RoleMommy (@bethfeldman) on Mar 25, 2017 at 6:57am PDT

So. Mark your calendar and find out when your local theater will be showing Gifted. The movie opens April 7th at limited theaters and everywhere April 21st!

Disclosure: A special thanks to Fox Searchlight for covering all Gifted movie junket travel expenses Of course… all thoughts and opinions are my own!