Gifted (2017)

If you could go back to school for anything, what would you study?

If I could go back to school for anything maybe carpentry, and that may sound strange, but I’ve always had a real interest in, I like any artistic endeavor that has an autonomous nature. And I love acting but it’s very much dependent upon a lot of other people, I can’t wake up on a Saturday and just act in my kitchen, I do, you just look a little crazy doing it. There’s something about carpentry; there’s something about being alone with your thoughts and the tools in your hand, I don’t know, there’s a simplicity to it, something beautiful, something’s always really struck me about it.

From director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, 500 Days of Summer), the family drama Gifted tells the story of Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a single man raising his young niece, Mary (McKenna Grace), after the death of her mother. Mary is sweet 7-year-old who also happens to be a brilliant math prodigy, and Frank is trying to give her a normal life, but his intimidating mother (Lindsay Duncan) has plans for Mary’s future that don’t include him.

During a roundtable at the film’s press day, actor Chris Evans talked about his attraction to films that touch on family dynamics, working with his young co-star, how the film made him reflect on his own childhood, and working opposite a cat. He also talked about how he’d love to continue playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that he’d like to direct again, but that he’s taking time to find the right project to get excited about.

Question: Superhero movies are great, but was the opportunity to tell a real human story like this what made you want to become an actor?

CHRIS EVANS: I wish I knew! I think I wanted to become an actor because I just loved movies, whether it was watching something like Kramer vs. Kramer, or the old Batman movies. I just wanted to be a part of cinema. Personally, this is a little bit more of my speed. I really like films that touch on family dynamics. But, I like all movies.

What was it like to work with McKenna Grace?

EVANS: She’s a little angel. She’s great. You remember that this is fun, that this isn’t a job, and that it kind of feels like summer camp. She came to set, every day, just exploding with energy. She knew everybody and wanted to talk to everybody. A lot of times, on film sets, between takes, actors go back to their trailer. She was just always going, always moving, and always happy to be there. You really remember how lucky you are. She’s almost 11, going on 40. She really has a maturity that is shocking.

You’re not a parent, yourself, but you’re playing a parent, even though you’re technically her uncle. Did that make you reflect on parenthood, at all?

EVANS: It made me reflect on what my childhood was like, more than anything else. My sister has kids and all of my friends have kids, so I know what it’s like to be a parent today. Maybe not intimately, but I have the broad strokes. Working on this film, it wasn’t necessarily about my awareness of what parental duties were like, but about what it was like being a kid, especially in an adult world. As a kid, I cried the first day of everything, you name it, whether it was school, camp, or whatever. I was very timid. So, more than anything else, what it brought to light was that my childhood was very timid. I was really nervous, as a kid. I had one friend until maybe 8th grade, and it would change, each year. I always had one friend, and if that friend was sick, I didn’t talk to anyone at school.

How did you feel about your cat co-star, Fred?

EVANS: I am not a cat person. I respect cats. I think they’re beautiful creatures. I just don’t think they like me. They’re like horses. They can smell that I’m not a cat person. I pet them and they look at me like, “Who is this guy?” When a cat claws, I go to pieces and just freak out. I panic.

What was it like to work with Octavia Spencer?

EVANS: Octavia really has this maternal instinct, and it just came out in full force. She really took McKenna under her wing and it was such a sweet thing to see.

Can you talk about your character Frank’s decision to give up his own life and career to move and take care of this child? What do you think his motives really were?

EVANS: The initial conflict is between Frank and his mom. I think a lot of the movie is about parents and kids, and watching a parent be too overbearing and expect too much out of a kid. He watched his sister have that dynamic, and to some degree, felt like the second fiddle. Frank was probably a pretty clever mathematician, as well, but when the light is shining on your sibling, it’s easy to feel forgotten. So, initially, his decision to abscond is not only the loyalty to his sister, but probably born out of a little bit of resentment towards his mom. The needs of Mary, to be honest, may have been pretty far down the totem pole, in terms of his priorities. As Mary grew, he recognized that she needed certain things, but initially, his motivations were a little human and probably flawed.

For the Marvel movies, you have a full work-out routine. What was it like to relax from that to film Gifted?

EVANS: The best! It was the shit!

Are you really going to be done playing Captain America, after the next two Avengers movies?

EVANS: It’s really not up to me. My contract is up. I’m not going to sit here and say, “No more.” I think Hugh Jackman has made 47 Wolverine movies, and they somehow keep getting better. It’s a character I love, and it’s a factory that really knows what they’re doing. The system is sound, over there. They make great movies. If they weren’t kicking out quality, I’d have a different opinion. But, everything Marvel does seems to be cinema gold. And like I said, I love the character. The only reason it would end is ‘cause my contract is up. After Avengers 4, my contract is done. Talk to Marvel. If we engage further, I’d be open to it. I love the character. It’s almost like high school. You certainly always look to senior year, and then, all of a sudden, senior year happens and you’re like, “I don’t know if I’m ready to go.” It’s tough thinking about not playing the guy.

Are you looking to direct again?

EVANS: Yeah, I am. It’s tough, trying to find content. The first time I directed (Before We Go), to be completely honest, we found a little broken script and tried to give it a spit polish. If you’re not writing original content, you have to find available scripts, and the truth is that most available scripts are going to bigger directors than me. So, you really end up having to find little diamonds in the rough. And I’m looking. No disrespect to the first film that I directed, but it really was born out of the opportunity. Someone was willing to give me a chance, so I said, “I’m gonna take it, regardless.” The second time out, I really want to make sure it’s a project that I wake up thinking about.

Gifted opens in theaters on April 7th.

Director Marc Webb, who has gone between indie hits (500 Days of Summer) and two Amazing Spider-Man movies, says Evans shows the emotive range he's capable of hitting in Gifted. Importantly, Evans is also able to work around the constraints of his superhero persona.

"If actors are known in the world one way, that brings a little piece of baggage. It’s OK for people to like Chris that way,” says Webb. “This is a new dimension for him. He gets emotional. There's one moment where he may shed a tear. It's not something Captain America is known for.”

During one power scene with Mckenna, Evans' Frank steps on a Lego brick mid-reprimand.

"My character is very human, someone with flaws and real struggles," says Evans. "The problems Frank has are far more relatable than saving the world from aliens."

The 35-year-old actor is eyeing a fork in his superhero road. He's about to suit up for 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, with production already underway. The follow-up, 2019's Avengers 4, could be a wrap for Evans as Captain America. Wearing a fitted T-shirt that shows the impressive first stage of his superhero training regiment, Evans says he's game to talk about extending his Marvel contract. But he's not going to gripe if it doesn't happen.
Captain America (Chris Evans) made new friends and

Captain America (Chris Evans) made new friends and took on Iron Man in 'Captain America: Civil War.' (Photo: Marvel Studios)

"I feel lucky to have been part of this chapter, of something that was unprecedented in movie history," says Evans of acting during an era of Marvel dominance.

He has already had an emotion-filled 2017. It started with February's viral footage of his wild celebration witnessing his beloved Patriots miracle Super Bowl win ("I wear my emotions on my sleeve"), followed by the announcement of his breakup from his Gifted co-star Jenny Slate after nine months together.

"Relationships are tricky, there are a lot of moving pieces," says Evans of his ex. "I’m endlessly grateful for having met her."

Chris Evans plays a father figure to a child prodigy (Mckenna Grace) in Marc Webb's comedy/drama 'Gifted.' Fox Searchlight

He plans on keeping busy with Avengers and will shoot Jekyll, which has Ellen DeGeneres as a producer.

But first, he'll need to settle that unpaid swear bill. "It's $463,000, give or take," Webb says. "Why do you think he's doing Avengers?"

Evans calculates differently. "It was one dollar for regular swears, five bucks a f-bomb. But I'm in the hole at least $100."

In Marc Webb’s upcoming film Gifted (out April 7), a blue-collar bachelor named Frank, played by Chris Evans, is raising his child prodigy niece Mary (played by Mckenna Grace) and is pulled into a custody battle with his own mother—the crux of the conflict being the young girl's school life. Frank wants Mary to have a normal education while Frank’s mother has other plans. Jenny Slate plays a schoolteacher who has recognized the mathematical ability of the young girl and developed a close relationship with her.

Webb has said he chose to direct Gifted because it was a step away from the choreographed intensity of his films Spider-Man and 500 Days of Summer, and his earlier career in music videos (Green Day, Maroon 5). The film is stripped down and relies heavily on the raw emotional performances of Slate, Evans, young Grace and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer. For Malibu Magazine, Slate interviewed Webb over the phone, and talked about Webb’s process, his relationship with actors and his desire to direct a warm, minimalistic film that manifested in Gifted.

JS What is the main change in your process from your first film to the most recent film, Gifted?

MW I am much more comfortable collaborating with actors and more respectful to the script, and I try to adhere to the spirit of it. People react to humans on screen, not just words. The gift writers give us—the words, structures, story, beginning, middle and end—is the foundation, and I am more comfortable with thinking on my feet and understanding context. I am more comfortable trying to engage in something spontaneous. A lot of my processes I developed when I worked on music videos. [It’s like] when you are doing stand-up, you exercise certain muscles, and you get comfortable with being present. Some of my process remains the same in that regard. I’m less susceptible to people badgering me from the studio and being fearful of that.

JS I think being affected by other people’s wants and desires is a big part of [growing]. As you look at the timeline of your work, do you feel it represents how you have changed as a person, and is it as valuable to you as the work is?

MW I think [it’s] hard to understand [as a director] why you engage with a movie or a story at any one time. A lot of it is chance, and it does connect to something. [With Gifted], I have nieces who are Mary’s age, and I think about them a lot. One of them is very good at math, and it was an easy thing to connect to in the script. There are other reasons: It may reflect where I am at as a human, but not in an obvious way, not just because I’m thinking of childhood or education.

I wanted to do a small movie that was minimal, where I could go off and be creative, and not be obliged by a huge crew. The process was a need to get back to my roots and do something very simple with people I liked and cared about and could relate to.

This is reflected in the movie, but not in an obvious way. The protagonist was not about finding simplicity for himself; it was, in a way, the opposite—someone who was trying to engage in more complex relationships but not sure how to do it.

JS That is the essential human struggle. You have directed a lot of movies and music videos. 500 Days of Summer (2009) was a very musical film. This was a different type of movie, but would you say there is a musical element to it?

MW Not in an explicit way. Math prodigies often have an overlap of math talent and musical talent. There is that sequence in Gifted in which Bonnie [Slate’s character] is connecting with Mary. It was all about connection, the whole intention was about making eye contact with her. I couldn’t crack that sequence until I listened to the music from the soundtrack of The Untouchables. It was a very romantic sequence. The pinnacle is when [Mary] looked up to you and smiled. It was a very subtle thing where the girl connects to that person, and a very deep moment where she realizes she has a friend. I would have never gotten to that moment without listening to music. It is just a part of the process and helps me meditate. It is not reflected musically in the film itself, but it is how I think and get myself away from the world and get in touch with myself.

JS What do you think you learned about working with a young actor, and what would you do again or not do?

MW Every kid has their own language, and learning how to speak that language is a very powerful thing. They are still developing it, and they have their own words, pauses, securities, insecurities. I think in terms of what I learned, Mckenna was pretty extraordinary because she could act out emotions on cue and could get to places [we] needed to get to in order to have that really ... emotional experience. I think that is raw talent and extraordinary, having looked at all actors we did. Dealing with more groups of kids, you can’t fake it. In order to get authentic behavior, you need to create a situation where they are feeling those feelings but, of course, less traumatically because you need to protect kids in those regards. It is a fun type of directing; you create a scenario where they need to feel, and you put a camera 10 feet away so they are unaware, and you record like a documentary. That was the process we developed in the movie that was very fun. We had a code word; when we said “Garfield” that meant to roll camera without saying action.

JS [Laughs.] I didn’t know what that meant, and I didn’t want to seem like an amateur, so I never asked.

MW We brought the kids in, and they behaved like they were in class and became the best actors in the world.

JS Part of what is interesting for me about working with you is that you respect the fact that everyone has his or her own code, and there isn’t one way an actor is going to work. It is demoralizing if they are forced to do it one way. One thing you said to me is that I could say 70 percent of what you asked and 30 percent of whatever I feel like. You created a really safe environment on the set, and we all became truly close—went out to dinner on the weekend and played games and became close friends. Did you feel it was important for this closeness to happen, that you had to get yourself very deep and be the leader of the closeness or set yourself aside? What was the balance for you?

MW I think I needed to feel warmth. Having just come off of these big movies that have powerful global presences, as a human I needed to be nourished. In a way, I was careful to select humans that were not just actors but allowed for that warmth.

I have never felt like I needed to sacrifice myself. I learned that if people have possession of their own characters and departments, you will get a richer experience because of it.

People tend to be respectful if I request something specific, but I am allowing people to have a fullness of their characters. In terms of the closeness, I feel like I needed that in that moment of my life. And given the warmth of the movie, it was really crucial. I thought there was a version of the movie with a lot of warmth there, and I tried to photograph that and keep it edgier in how we executed it so it wouldn’t be as contrived as it could be. I think it required naturalism. That kind of filmmaking is very specific and less rigid and more fun.

JS It was very fun. In addition to the naturalism, there is a “bayou-feel” of the movie, which is such a specific environment. What else would you say are the major differences with Gifted and The Amazing Spider-Man or 500 Days of Summer? Those are more heightened films, whether it’s heightened action or magical realism. With 500 Days of Summer, when I think of that movie I think of a big, red, cartoon heart—I think of candy, and it’s wonderful and makes you feel a specific appetite.

MW 500 Days of Summer was really technical. There was no improvisation. There was the “reality/expectation” sequence, and [the actors] had to hit their marks at an exact pace—the camera moved, and it was really rigid. I like that kind of filming; it was what I did with music videos. With Gifted, I didn’t want to be obliged to a technique. We kept everything handheld, and we shot everything on location. There was a very simple filmmaking philosophy. The lighting was pretty natural. We didn’t have a huge lighting unit, and it was there to make as little of a footprint as possible. Even at the beginning of the movie, there is no credit sequence. I just wanted to be minimalist. I didn’t want to show off.

I was just watching To Kill a Mockingbird, which is an incredible movie and will bring you to tears in 20 minutes, there’s so much good shit in it. And there is a great little opening credit sequence with the box [of trinkets] that Scout collects, and I thought, “Oh, I should’ve done that.” And then I was like, “No.” I wanted to keep it simple, and that was the philosophy I was going to adhere to. I didn’t want to make it technical; we weren’t using special effects or green screens. [We kept it] very real and very natural; we were not trying to show off and just keeping it about performances. I think it really worked. I think when audiences watch the movie, they respond to a very honest, very warm movie. It’s refreshingly uncomplicated and un-cynical. I liked that, and I’m proud of that—even if it isn’t a director’s showpiece. It reassures the audience about positive things, about nontraditional families. I really believe in the message and warmth of it. It is important to put out into the world.

JS Going forward now, especially with the way that our world is and a sense of anxiety and aggression and a sense of others feeling being pushed out, do you feel a responsibility or inclination toward creating more work like this that has warmth?

MW I think there are so many different, great things to do with art, and not all of it is being warm. I think you have to challenge yourself and be intellectually rigorous.

Movies that are daring and propose ideas that are uncomfortable to people are really important. Those aren’t always warm movies.

I was [in the middle of] making a movie when Trump got elected ... and half of our crew was pro-Trump and half were Hillary supporters. It was a complicated situation. Every filmmaker I know had an awakening in that moment and felt like we have to do something about this, and whatever that may be is personal. It made everyone sit up and take notice. ... Your question was about warmth. I think it’s an important component but not the only system that needs to be firing. MM

LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Reuters) — Actor Chris Evans, known for playing superheroes Captain America and The Human Torch, takes on a different kind of role in his latest film "Gifted", and spoke about being a celebrity in the digital age while promoting the film.

Evans, who got into an argument on Twitter with right-wing activist and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke earlier this year, explained that the heightened scrutiny people in the public eye experience causes them to be more cautious about what they say.

He felt differently, saying, "If you do or say something, it's very easy to take little snippets of that and blast that out there without knowing the whole story, so it enables a lot of people to misbehave".

"As a result, people at the center of it - the actors and the people being watched - have to be a little more mindful, which I think at times can cause them to be a little bit more taciturn, which is in my opinion a bit of a shame."