Gifted Endorsement: Elective Hours
“Frank says I’m not supposed to correct older people.
Nobody likes a smart ass.”
– Mary Adler
If this movie doesn’t have you tearing up immediately, you’re probably an alien. Its sweet, funny, compassionate, and loving qualities make it all around endearing movie. Every character from Frank to Mary to Roberta and even Fred are dynamic and unique.
The movie starts with Mary showing her distaste for the idea of attending school with idiot kids her age, and Frank shows the wit it takes to raise a child with intellectual superiority. I love the look on her face when he uses the word ‘ad nauseam’ and she realizes she doesn’t understand the meaning! What? I don’t know everything? Her first day of school proves to be difficult resulting in being sent home after yelling at the principal. Things do start to look up as she protects a classmate from an older bully and brings Fred in for show and tell. Fred is amazing. Who wouldn’t want an orange one-eyed bandit that rides in boats and plays on the beach?
It wouldn’t be a movie if we didn’t have a few more difficult and dramatic situations, and in walks grandmother. Evelyn does not agree on the importance of social and emotional needs of a 7 year old that Frank deems crucial. She immediately demands custody to insure Mary will be the best mathematician the world has seen since her daughter Diane. We learn Diane passed away 6 1/2 years prior and Frank has been taking care of Mary since this time. Of course, Mary doesn’t want to live with her grandmother and Frank doesn’t want her to go, so now we have a custody battle. During the case, Mary learns her biological father was in town and did not wish to meet her. She’s heart-broken by this, but here comes Frank again with his brilliant parenting skills. He takes her and Roberta to a hospital where they wait and observe. Finally, they witness the true happiness of many people celebrating the birth of a child, not just the parents.
Back at the courthouse Frank is accused of being an unfit guardian and a deal is made. Mary must live with a foster family until the age of 12 when she can make her own decision on where she would like to reside. She is crushed. Frank is crushed. Roberta is crushed. You can understand Mary is upset about this decision, but shocked when we find out she doesn’t want to see Frank! At least that’s the story we get from the foster dad. About this time, Frank discovers Fred has been giving up to a local shelter. Just when you can’t imagine it getting any more dramatic, he races in and saves Fred and two other cats from death by euthanasia!
Now he’s really angry, and he and Roberta storm the foster family’s home. The cat was given up due to allergies, and who else but dear grandmother is allergic to cats. Yep, she’s there living in their guest house and tutoring Mary. A new deal is made. Evelyn drops the case and in turn, gets to publish her daughter’s mathematical findings.
In the end, a balance between meeting social needs and intellectual capabilities are met. Mary gets to attend high level math classes and go to school with her peers. As the credits roll, you find yourself wishing every mathematical prodigy was given the opportunity to be raised by a Frank.