Rating: 4/5 apples
Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy named Mary (Mckenna Grace) in a coastal town in Florida. Frank's plans for a ‘normal’ life for Mary are interrupted when the seven-year-old's mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank's mom Evelyn whose plans for her Mary threaten to separate her and Frank.
This story was one that was nicely put together and definitely pulls on your heartstrings. It was hard to watch and generally a sad tale, but told in a clean and ‘entertaining’ way.
The casting and overall chemistry of the people involved in the plot helped the story progress smoothly. Although the story was semi-predictable, everything fell into place well from the story itself to the cast.
Chris Evans and Octavia Spencer in particular did a really good job in their roles. Chris Evans playing an uncle/father-type role was fitting and the chemistry between he and Mary was really cute.
Octavia Spencer as Roberta was a nice addition to the lineup of characters and her performance was nicely done. Every piece of the story and individual characters was put together and made sense.
Some other more minor details were the film and soundtrack. This movie has an average look to it with clean, Hollywood style filmwork, and I honestly couldn't even hear the score/soundtrack.
Overall this movie was an engaging drama with definite ups and downs and a charming cast. It wasn't one that I’d recommend right away, but it was a generally good film that’s emotional and keeps you engaged to the end.