Gifted (2017)

When you think of Chris Evans, you immediately think of Captain America, but in his latest film, Gifted, the only super power that Evans’s character Frank Adler has is the love he feels for his 7-year-old niece Mary (Mckenna Grace), who he is raising in a small coastal town in Florida.

Frank isn’t a natural as a father. He has a lot of doubts that the parenting decisions he makes are the correct ones, but the one thing he does know is that Mary, who, like her mother before her is a math prodigy, needs a normal life. But that is threatened when her exceptional talent is discovered by her teacher Bonnie (Jenny Slate), who suggests Frank send Mary to a special school for gifted children, and he rebuffs the idea.

“I think a lot of the movie is about parents and kids and watching a parent be too overbearing and expecting too much out of a kid and how the kid rebels,” Evans told Parade.com at a roundtable to promote the film. “Frank watched his sister have that dynamic and to some degree Frank feels like the second fiddle because, I think, Frank was probably a pretty clever mathematician as well. But, when the light is shining on your sibling, it’s easy to feel forgotten.”

As a result of Frank’s refusal to do what she thinks is the right thing, the principal of Mary’s school contacts Mary’s grandmother (Lindsay Duncan), who sees in her grandchild the chance she lost when her daughter, on the verge of a huge math breakthrough, died tragically. The grandmother sues for custody and the battle for who should raise Mary is on!

“I think initially Frank’s decision to abscond with Mary was not only the loyalty to his sister, but probably born out of a little bit of resentment towards his mom,” Evans continues. “I think the needs of Mary, to be honest, may have been pretty far down the totem pole in terms of his priorities. I think as Mary grew, he recognized that she needed certain things, but I think initially his motivations were a little human and probably flawed.”

In our conversation with Evans, he also talked about his enjoyment of films that feature family stories, what it was like working with Mckenna, his relationship with cats, whether or not he will continue on as Captain America, and more.

Superhero movies are cool, but telling human stories like this one, is that why you wanted to become an actor?

I wish I knew. I think I wanted to become an actor because I just like movies, whether it was watching something like Kramer vs. Kramer or watching the old Batman movies. Whatever it was, I just think I wanted to be a part of cinema. Personally, if I had a specific flavor, this is a little bit more of my speed. I really like films that touch on family dynamics, but again, I like all movies.

What was it like working with Mckenna?

She’s a little angel. You know what it is? You remember that this is fun. You remember that this isn’t a job. You remember that it kind of feels like summer camp. She comes to set every day just exploding with energy, and she knows everybody and she wants to talk to everybody. A lot of times on film sets in between takes, actors go back to their trailer. She’s always just going and moving and up and always happy to be there. You really remember how lucky you are.

You’re not a parent yourself, but here you are playing a parental figure. Did that make you reflect on when you want to be a parent or when you don’t want to be a parent?

It more made me reflect on what my childhood was like more than anything else. My sister has kids, all my friends have kids, so I certainly know what it’s like to be a parent today. Maybe not intimately, but the broad strokes. Working on this film more than anything else, it wasn’t necessarily about the awareness of what parental duties are, but what it was like being a kid and especially being a kid in an adult world. I remember as a kid, I cried the first day of everything. Name it, school, camp, whatever.

I was very timid. McKenna comes to a dinner with adults and she stands on the chair and gives a speech and is fearless and shakes hands. I would have come to that same dinner and hidden under my mother’s skirt. More than anything else what it brought to light was man, my childhood was very timid. I was really nervous as a kid.

I was a scared kid. I didn’t like leaving home. I didn’t have a lot of friends. I had one friend until I was maybe like in eighth grade. I always had one friend, that was it. Each year it would change. It wasn’t even like I carried it over. I had one friend and if that friend was sick, I didn’t talk to anybody at school.

What about your cat co-star, One-Eyed Fred?

I’m not a cat person. I respect cats, I think they’re beautiful creatures. I just don’t think they like me and I think they know that I’m not a cat person. They’re like horses, they can smell it on me. I pet them and they’re looking at me like, “Who is this guy?”

What was it like working with Octavia Spencer?

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

Are you really thinking about possibly giving up the role of Captain America after the next couple of Avengers movies?

It’s 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 like 47 Wolverine movies and they somehow keep getting better. It’s a character I love and 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 because my contract is up after Avengers 4.

If we engage further, I’d be open to it. I love the character and 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.” So, it’s tough thinking about not playing the guy.

Are you looking to direct again after Before We Go?

Yeah, I am. I only directed one and it’s tough. It’s tough trying to find content. The first time I directed, to be completely honest, we found a little broken script and we tried to give it a spit polish. But if you’re not writing original content, you have to find available scripts and the truth is most available scripts are going to bigger directors than me. So, you really end up having to find little diamonds in the rough. I’m looking.

But, the second one has to be something that – no disrespect to the first film I directed, but it really was born out of the opportunity that someone was willing to give me a chance and you say, “I’m going to take it regardless.” Second time out, I really want to make sure it’s a project you wake up thinking about.

Usually for the Marvel press tours, you get asked about your workout routine. What was it like to relax from it to film this?

It was the best.

Gifted, also starring Octavia Spencer as Roberta, Frank and Mary’s landlady and best friend, opens in theaters on Friday, April 7.