We all know Chris Evans fights for justice for all mankind when he dons the Captain America costume. Now you can find him fighting for justice for his family in Gifted (in select theaters Friday, April 7th). Chris proves to us that even without a shield he’s a hero as Mary’s uncle Frank. Frank Adler steps up as his niece’s guardian when her mom dies. Years later when it comes out that Mary is a genius things get a bit complicated. You can read my thoughts on the movie here.
I was blessed with the opportunity to sit down and speak (by phone) with Chris recently.
What was it like working on the set of the movie?
It was fantastic, there were a lot of great people, a great script, a great director. It was one of those films that you hope others can be just like, that we felt like a family by the time we wrapped.
More on the director, Marc Webb.
He’s great. I think these kind of emotional, character-driven pieces are his specialty, and he certainly is an emotional guy himself. The best thing about him is that you really feel like you have an ally on those heavy days because if you’re becoming emotional in a scene there’s a good chance when they yell “Cut” and you look over at him he’s probably shedding a few tears. He’s very much in touch with his emotional side and very curious about the human condition and human experience, and I think that’s what he’s constantly looking to show in all of his work.
Favorite part of working with McKenna Grace.
She’s got a great personality. She always has energy. She’s full of life. She’s nine, so, I don’t know, she’s just a little ball of happiness, she’s always smiling, she knows everybody’s name. It’s really nice to be around that on a film set because you remember how much fun this job can be. I’m fully aware how lucky I am to do something that I love, that’s such a rare thing, but it’s really a wonderful reminder to know how much fun this job is, not just lucky and unfortunate, but truly just fun.
Preparing for the role.
Well, I kidnapped a kid and just studied it. No, I’m kidding. I have nieces and nephews and all my friends have kids and I’m around children quite a bit, so I think I have a pretty decent sense of the parent-child relationship and dynamic for the most part.
Bullying
I think it’s got to be a case by case basis. Sometimes I think it’s important to not resort to violence and lead by example, by not dropping to a bully’s level, but I guess there are times where someone is really out of line and if it was my kid popping them, I don’t know, it’s tough to say because I’m not a parent and I can’t exactly fully grasp exactly how I would approach each parental situation. But if it was offensive enough of a situation and my son or daughter came to someone else’s aid by popping a bully in the face, I don’t know, I’d like to believe that I would want to discipline my child and promote that that’s not the way to resolve conflicts, but maybe inside I’d be a little satisfied. Is that being a bad parent?
Favorite scene from the movie.
That’s tough. Favorite scenes for different reasons. I’m a little bit of a sap, I really like the hospital scene. (I loved this scene too. So sweet!) I know it’s a very tear-jerky moment. I like that type of stuff. I really actually loved, it’s actually a scene that I really wasn’t involved in too deeply, it was the scene where Lindsay Duncan is in the middle of being questioned by my lawyer. And Lindsay just has this unbelievable two-page monologue, it was so powerful watching her do it, and she had to perform in front of this whole courtroom of people. (I talked about this scene in my review. So powerful) And it’s very rare that you’ll be on a film set that after they yell “Cut” the crew applauds, so it was really powerful to watch her do it time and time again.
Photo by Wilson Webb. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved
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Thank you to Role Mommy Writer’s Network and Fox Searchlight for letting me be part of the call.
