Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.
"Gifted" tells the story of Mary, a very smart young girl raised by her uncle Frank. Mary's grandmother wants to take her away to a special school for gifted children, but Frank believes Mary should have a normal childhood. The movie follows their legal battle and explores themes of family, education, and what it means to be a child. While watching, you can learn vocabulary related to school ("principal," "curriculum," "scholarship"), family ("grandmother," "uncle," "custody"), and emotions ("angry," "sad," "happy"). You'll also encounter legal terms like "court" and "testify." This movie uses a range of language, from everyday conversations to more complex discussions about mathematics and education. You'll hear characters express a wide variety of emotions – love, anger, sadness, and joy – which can help you understand how to express feelings in English. The dialogue is generally clear and easy to follow, making it good practice for listening comprehension. Pay attention to how characters use informal language with each other, and more formal language in the courtroom, to understand the differences in register. "Gifted" is a great movie for English learners because it presents a compelling story with relatable characters. The emotional depth of the film will keep you engaged and motivated to understand the dialogue. The variety of language used will expose you to different vocabulary and sentence structures. By following the story and the characters' interactions, you can improve your listening comprehension, expand your vocabulary, and gain a better understanding of American English in different contexts.
Here are the first 15 of the more difficult words in Gifted: