Gigi & Nate, 2022.
Directed by Nick Hamm.
Starring Charlie Rowe, Marcia Gay Harden, Jim Belushi, Diane Ladd, Josephine Langford, Zoe Colletti, Hannah Riley, Sasha Compère, Olly Sholotan, Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, Mishel Prada, Welker White, Lindsay Ayliffe, Rae Becka, Sean Hankinson, and Pat Dortch.
SYNOPSIS:
A young man’s life is turned upside down after he is left a quadriplegic. Moving forward seems near impossible until he meets his unlikely service animal, Gigi – a curious and intelligent capuchin monkey.
Director Nick Hamm’s Gigi & Nate gets off to a relatively distasteful start. It’s no secret that 17-year-old Nate (a questionable casting choice in Charlie Rowe, who nonetheless turns in a solid performance) will suffer a tragedy and require the assistance of service capuchin monkey Gigi (this goes for fetching objects, simple company, emotional support, and more).
The extended prologue celebrating the Fourth of July misguidedly builds up to that inevitable horror as if it’s a Final Destination movie; Nate goes cliff diving, he joins his older sister and her boyfriend on a boating adventure with a local girl he charms into joining them, there’s an incoming storm possibly suggesting struck by lightning, and eventually, a great deal of pain takes over during dinner. It turns out that plummeting into a body of water ended up giving Nate meningitis.
Before and during the ER visit, the script from David Hudgins introduces viewers to Nate’s immediate family. This ranges from artistically inclined mom Claire (played by Marcia Gay Harden, who utilizes a ‘Karen’expression throughout the movie, especially when demanding a chopper to airlift her brain-damaged son to a hospital closer to home rather than accepting the dangerous reality of the situation and undergoing the necessary stability precautions and initial assessment in the perfectly acceptable facility she is already receiving medical support from), to dad Dan (a mellow Jim Belushi who looks bored and like he doesn’t want to be in the movie let alone part of the dysfunctional family at the center of it), older sister Katy (Josephine Langford), younger sister Annabelle (Hannah Riley), and the sassy, outspoken grandmother known as Mama Gibson (Diane Ladd).
There are not many smart, creative choices in Gigi & Nate (inspired by a real-life capuchin monkey and a quadriplegic), but thankfully, the film has the good sense to flash forward four years to Nate having somewhat adjusted to a quadriplegic lifestyle. Naturally, he still battles depression, but optimism and potential happiness are on the horizon with finally being granted a service animal.
One of the only worthwhile scenes here is also the initial meeting between disabled man and helpful creature taking place in a shelter where service animals undergo training, with Elliott Davis’ cinematography following the monkey’s eyes as Nate circles around the room in his power wheelchair (and I will give the filmmakers props for getting those details right and using an actual high-grade wheelchair), softly introducing himself and getting acquainted.
After a deeply miscalculated opening act, the filmmakers can now focus on the bonding between the titular characters. It’s also appreciated that the filmmakers seem to be taking other aspects of Nate’s life seriously, such as receiving assistance from a home aide and regularly scheduled physical therapy (which, from personal experience, is accurately depicted). The four-year jump also allows Charlie Rowe to play Nate with a sense of humor regarding his condition rather than taking viewers through internal suffering.
The problem is that the tone of Gigi & Nate is nothing more than the standard disability inspirational porn. It is a safe and decidedly mainstream portrayal of this life (there are maybe two earnest moments) and how a service animal can uplift a family struggling emotionally and mentally.
Making things worse, the story also slips into wish-fulfillment territory; remember that girl he charmed onto a boat ride four years ago before getting meningitis? Her name is Lori (Zoe Colletti), and she currently works at a grocery store. In a contrived fashion, they reunite and quickly fall for one another, with Nate invited over for a college rager, where Gigi becomes as popular as a game of beer pong.
Older sister Katy is now married to her longtime boyfriend and somewhat fell out of keeping in touch with Nate following the incident. When she does stop by, she immediately expresses her disapproval for using a monkey as a service animal. For whatever reason, that part of her character disappears with little reasoning. Mom and dad also frequently get into arguments as caring for Nate have taken a toll on their lives.
If that wasn’t enough plot for Gigi & Nate, the young man also goes viral on social media while also having to contend with an animal rights activist (Welker White) who believes the monkey is dangerous, among other things. There are scenes of protesters causing a fuss outside the family home, with the film careening into an overblown courtroom drama where Nate pleads his case of why he should be allowed to remain in possession of Gigi.
On paper, this is a fascinating debate, but this movie has no nuance. It’s all schmaltzy melodrama, and I wish I could throw it off the same cliff Nate dives off in the opening. There’s no sincere attempt to say or do anything insightful here, and the closing bits of dialogue are so cheesy one might gag.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
