Chris Evans’ 2017 drama movie Gifted is a touching story about the difficulties of raising a child prodigy, but there are questions about whether it’s based on a true story or pure fiction. Seven years after its initial release in theaters, Gifted has become an unexpected streaming hit. Since arriving on Prime Video, Gifted has landed in second place on the streaming charts, behind Amazon’s own blockbuster series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power but ahead of Zendaya’s tennis drama Challengers.
In Gifted, Evans stars as Frank Adler opposite Mckenna Grace as Mary Adler, his ingenious seven-year-old niece who’s dropped on his doorstep after his sister’s passing. Mary is a gifted kid, hence the title, with an intellect way beyond her years. Frank wants Mary to go to school with kids her age and have a normal life, but her grandmother, Evelyn wants to send her to college where her gifts can flourish. It’s a really moving story, hence the interest in learning if there’s a real-life inspiration behind it.
Gifted Is Not Based On A True Story
It’s A Fictional Creation Of Screenwriter Tom Flynn
Gifted is not based on a true story, as its full plot is a fictional invention by screenwriter Tom Flynn. In 2014, Flynn’s script landed on the Black List (via The Hollywood Reporter), an annual collection of the best unproduced screenplays circling Hollywood. Gifted made it onto the roster with seven votes. Flynn’s script was written entirely from scratch. It wasn’t based on true events or any source material like a novel or a play.
Mathematician Jordan Ellenberg, who was a child prodigy himself, worked on Gifted as a mathematics consultant (via Wisconsin Public Radio). After reading an article that Ellenberg had written for The Wall Street Journal, director Marc Webb contacted him and asked him to share his experiences to help bolster the realism of the film. Ellenberg even has a cameo appearance in the movie as a professor giving a lecture on the partition function and Ramanujan’s congruences.
Mary Is Inspired By Various Real-Life Child Prodigies
Mary Isn’t Based On Anyone In Particular, But Highly Intellectual Kids Like Her Do Exist
While Gifted isn’t directly lifted from a true story, it pulls inspiration from similar situations in the real world. Stories of real-life child prodigies inspired the Evans and Grace feature. While Mary isn’t based on anyone in particular, the character was created as a parallel to highly intellectual kids like her, who do exist in real life. Famous child prodigies throughout history include Blaise Pascal, John von Neumann, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Gifted might not technically be a true story, but it pulls from situations, events, and experiences of real-life young geniuses.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Wisconsin Public Radio
