“A Bond Of Love”, A Movie With Powerful Teachings
We often ask ourselves what is best for new generations, and doubts multiply when children have high abilities. However, not everything is black or white in terms of child development. This is the starting point on which the plot of the film “A Tie of Love” ( “Gifted” ) is based.
Technical data of “A Tie of Love”
“A Tie of Love” is an American film directed by Mark Webb, which premiered in 2017. The protagonist is Mary (McKenna Grace), a funny girl with high intellectual abilities. Mary always says what she thinks and may have inherited her uncle Frank’s (Chris Evans) sharp tongue.
Both lead normal lives in a small town at the will of Mary’s mother, but when the protagonist starts school, everything changes. The protagonist’s lifestyle is called into question due to her exceptional gifts for mathematics.
This battle between being a “normal” girl or exploring her potential crosses the screen and strikes parents’ hearts. Anyone can find themselves in the situation of the girl, the uncle, the grandmother or the neighbor at some point, but what would be the right thing to do?
“A Bond of Love”: reflection on priorities
Frank wants Mary to integrate into school, have friends and have fun. She tries, but as soon as the girl’s abilities come to light, the people around her and appearing in her life begin to treat her differently. Doing the right thing sometimes involves sacrifices, but who is right? Mary’s grandmother or Uncle Frank?
Grandmother and advanced studies
The protagonist’s grandmother prioritizes the advanced education required by Mary’s skills over personal development. The age difference between the girl and her classmates is huge, so it would make her mature prematurely.
Education is a great pillar. However, is education just about studying? In this case, the price to be paid can be high when there are certain social and emotional needs.
the uncle and normal childhood
Frank has satiated Mary’s curiosity over the years and fed her most affectionate part. They don’t have a comfortable life, but they both enjoy the little things. In the girl’s circle of acquaintances there are people of all kinds who treat her as just another child.
Although at school, Mary is not able to develop her full potential, in the film this is presented as an opportunity to strengthen the girl’s affective relationships and social development . Talking and working with different people helps children to learn to relate little by little and to prepare for the future.
Who teaches who?
Sometimes we think that children, because they are children, are not experienced enough to know what they want. In certain respects this may be so, but there are times when they teach us lessons.
Mary helps us rediscover values that we feel are right and that we may not give the importance they deserve. For a child or an adult to feel loved is the most important thing. In fact, there is a dialogue from the protagonist that sums it up perfectly:
Mary distinguishes who loves her interestedly for her knowledge and who loves her unconditionally. This is probably one of the most difficult lessons we learn in our lifetime.
Furthermore, the relationships that the different characters have teach us that, over time, we lose the ability to listen and empathize with others.
Sometimes it’s better to set aside our opinion or our circumstances and listen to others without any pretense. This will also help us discover things we didn’t know about, as there is a big difference between listening and listening.
