The Gift (2015 American film)

The Gift is a 2015 American-Australian psychological thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Joel Edgerton in his feature directorial debut, and co-produced by Jason Blum and Rebecca Yeldham. The film stars Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall as a couple intimidated by a figure from Bateman's past played by Edgerton.

The Gift
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoel Edgerton
Produced by
Written byJoel Edgerton
Starring
Music by
  • Danny Bensi
  • Saunder Jurriaans
CinematographyEduard Grau
Edited byLuke Doolan
Production
companies
Distributed bySTX Entertainment
Release date
  • July 30, 2015 (2015-07-30) (L.A. Live)[1]
  • August 7, 2015 (2015-08-07) (United States)
  • August 27, 2015 (2015-08-27) (Australia)
Running time
108 minutes[2]
Country
  • United States
  • Australia
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million[3][4]
Box office$59 million[5]

It was released in the United States on August 7, 2015, as the first film released by STX Entertainment. The film grossed $59 million worldwide on a budget of $5 million and received positive reviews from critics, who praised Edgerton's direction and screenplay, as well as Bateman's performance.

Plot

A married couple, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn Callem (Rebecca Hall), relocate from Chicago to a Los Angeles suburb after Simon takes a new job. While out shopping, they run into Gordon "Gordo" Moseley (Joel Edgerton), Simon's former high school classmate. Gordo begins repeatedly dropping in unannounced and delivering gifts, such as expensive bottles of wine and a group of koi for their pond. His presence makes Simon tense and uncomfortable, but Robyn sees no problem.

Gordo invites Simon and Robyn and another couple to his large, elegant home, but when Gordo tells them that the other couple has cancelled and after leaving abruptly to deal with a work problem Simon becomes more suspicious. When Gordo returns, Simon tells Gordo to stay away from them.

The next day, Robyn finds the koi dead and their dog missing and when Simon drives to Gordo's house to confront him, he discovers it is not actually his home. In the days following, Robyn begins to suspect that she is not alone in the house while Simon is at work, finding faucets on and hearing footsteps moving past her. Unable to sleep, she steals prescription pills from her friend and neighbor Lucy (Allison Tolman) and one morning faints.

Soon the dog returns and Robyn receives a formal letter of apology from Gordo. She is puzzled by quotes from the Bible that refer to falsehoods and revenge and the phrase that he is "willing to let bygones be bygones." When confronted Simon claims he does not know what it refers to.

After making a well-received pitch to some of his firm's clients, Simon asks his boss about a promotion and is told that his only competition is his coworker Danny McDonald. The next day Simon confronts Robyn about the stolen pills and refuses to make peace with Gordo, telling her that it is the pills that are making her paranoid.

After some time Robyn becomes pregnant. While out shopping, she sees Gordo outside the shop, but when she goes outside to see him he disappears. At her baby shower, Simon's sister tells her that, when they were at school Simon and his friend Greg (David Denman) reported that Gordo had been molested by an older boy and that afterwards Gordo was bullied and forced to transfer schools. Robyn searches Simon's office and discovers that he has run background checks on Gordo, who has spent his life in and out of prison, and also Danny McDonald.

Robyn later finds Greg, who reveals that the molestation story was fabricated by Simon, who was a bully with a "real mean streak" and as a result of the false report, Gordo's father thought he was gay and tried to burn him alive, leading to his father's arrest for attempted murder, and Gordo being sent away to military school. When Robyn asks why Simon would have done such a thing, Greg replies "because he could."

Robyn confronts Simon about Gordo but he denies responsibility, blaming Robyn's suggestions of reconciliation on her own past traumas of being bullied at school. However, at Robyn's behest, Simon tracks down Gordo and half-heartedly apologizes, but Gordo does not accept it, knowing Simon is insincere and warns him that the past is not done with him yet. Furious, Simon attacks and threatens him and later lies to Robyn that Gordo accepted his apology.

Simon is promoted at his job however at his celebration party, Danny McDonald hurls rocks at Simon's house and shatters a window. He accuses Simon of fabricating information and ruining his career in order to get the promotion. After Danny is allowed to flee, Robyn begins to go into labor and she gives birth to a boy. The next morning, Simon is fired for lying about McDonald, and Robyn tells him that she wants to separate.

Simon returns home to find another gift box, which holds a bassinet that contains several small labeled packages, including containing an audio recording of the conversation Simon and Robyn had had earlier at Gordo's "house" making fun of Gordo and footage shot from inside Simon and Robyn's home that shows Gordo standing over Robyn when she had fainted earlier as a result of the pills, seemingly about to sexually assault her. Gordo records himself wearing the mask of a monkey, which Simon is deathly afraid of, as he touches Robyn, before the camera cuts away.

At the same time Gordo visits Robyn at the hospital and congratulate her, wearing his arm in a sling and delivering flowers, telling her that Simon had injured him. Simon rushes to the hospital but just misses Gordo, who smirks at him as the elevator doors close and then disappears, calling him soon after to taunt him, refusing to confirm or deny whether or not he raped Robyn, leaving Simon to wonder whether the baby is his. Simon attempts to see Robyn and the baby though she angrily glares at him and refuses to see him.

With his marriage over and his career destroyed, Simon breaks down as Gordo watches through a window and walks away, removing the sling from his arm.

Cast

Production

Development

The project was announced in August 2012, when it was reported that Joel Edgerton had written a psychological thriller script titled Weirdo, with which Edgerton would also be making his directing debut.[10] His inspirations for the screenplay included Alfred Hitchcock, Fatal Attraction and Michael Haneke's 2005 French film Caché,[4] as well as Park Chan-wook's Vengeance Trilogy.[11]

Filming

Principal photography began on January 19, 2015,[12] and ended on February 20, 2015.[13] A majority of filming took place at a home in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, where STX Entertainment also held promotional interviews for the film.[14]

The film was shot on an Arri Alexa with Canon K35 lenses, and was filmed in 25 days, according to its cinematographer, Eduard Grau. Grau was recommended by Nash Edgerton, who served as the film's stunt coordinator, after the two were part of the production for the 2013 short film Streetcar.[15][16][17]

In an interview with Collider, Edgerton revealed that he did not start filming his acting role until two weeks into shooting (devoting that time, instead, solely to directing). As soon as he did, his older brother Nash assisted on set behind the camera. Edgerton completed shooting his role as Gordo in seven days.[18]

Post-production

Post-production took eleven weeks from March–June 2015. Luke Doolan also edited Sundance winner Animal Kingdom (also starring Edgerton).

Distribution

On January 20, 2015, STX Entertainment bought the United States distribution rights to the film.[19] STX retitled the film The Gift.[20][21][22][23]

Release

STX initially set The Gift for domestic release on July 31, 2015,[24] and later moved it to August 7, 2015.[25]

Marketing

The first trailer was released on April 1, 2015.[26] It premiered on Twitter's live video streaming app Periscope, making STX Entertainment the first advertiser to work with Twitter on a campaign incorporating Periscope.[27]

Reception

Box office

The Gift grossed $43.8 million in North America and $15.2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $59 million, against a budget of $5 million.[5]

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $11.9 million, finishing third at the box office behind Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation ($28.5 million) and fellow newcomer Fantastic Four ($25.7 million).[28]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 92%, based on 190 reviews, with an average rating of 7.45/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Gift is wickedly smart and playfully subversive, challenging the audience's expectations while leaving them leaning on the edges of their seats."[29] Metacritic gives the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[31]

Time Out's Daisy Bowie-Sell praised The Gift as "darkly unnerving", commending its ending and comparing it positively to a similar film, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.[32] In a review for Indiewire, Katie Walsh lamented the film's use of common thriller cliches and restraint towards the climax, but lauded Joel Edgerton's direction, concluding: "His deft, controlled maneuvering of plot, character, style, and tone is damn near perfect for his feature debut—even if it is in service of a very standard genre piece."[33]

Critics also praised Bateman, known for portraying the “straight man” in comedies,[34] for playing against type as the mean-spirited Simon. RogerEbert.com’s Sheila O’Malley wrote that Bateman gives a “beautiful and focused performance” as someone who is “kindly and condescending, sometimes in the same moment,”[35] while Collider's Matt Goldberg commented that, while the film “almost goes too far in making [Simon] a sociopath”, Bateman's charisma worked for the character: “What makes Bateman inherently likable gives Simon a lot of his power, and it’s a memorable performance as we despise the character but also wonder if he deserves vicious comeuppance for what he did to Gordo.”[36] Slate's Keith Phipps made a similar argument, writing that “Bateman plays Simon with the easy charm and everyman approachability of past roles” but “pushes the charm into smarm and the approachability into sleaze.”[34]

Accolades
Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Sitges Film Festival Best Actor Joel Edgerton Won [37]
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Supporting Actor [38]
Best Wide-Release Film Nominated
Best Screenplay
Directors Guild of America Awards First-Time Feature Film Director [39]
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Breakthrough Film Artist (for producing, directing and screenwriting) [40]
Best Overlooked Film Runner-up [41]
Empire Awards Best Thriller Nominated [42][43]
Saturn Awards Best Thriller Film Nominated [44]
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References
  1. Holmes, Mannie (July 31, 2015). "Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman Celebrate STX Entertainment's First Premiere of 'The Gift'". Variety. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  2. "THE GIFT (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  3. Busch, Anita (August 4, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Will Top Busy Box Office Weekend – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  4. Chai, Barbara (July 29, 2015). "In Directorial Debut, Actor Joel Edgerton Delivers a 'Gift'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  5. "The Gift (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  6. Fleming, Mike, Jr. (January 13, 2015). "Jon Bateman To Star In Joel Edgerton's Helming Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  7. Sneider, Jeff; Ge, Linda (November 3, 2014). "Rebecca Hall to Star in Joel Edgerton's Directorial Debut (Exclusive)". thewrap. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  8. George, Sandy (September 9, 2013). "Joel Edgerton to shoot debut feature in California". screendaily.com. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  9. Lloyd, Kenji (May 21, 2015). "The Gift UK Release Date Set for August; Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall & Joel Edgerton Star". Final Reel.
  10. Eisenberg, Eric (August 15, 2012). "Joel Edgerton Developing Psychological Thriller Weirdo As Directorial Debut". cinemablend.com. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  11. Oster, James (August 3, 2015). "The Gift Interviews: Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall!". joblo.com. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  12. "On the Set for 1/19/15: Kevin Spacey Begins on Elvis & Nixon, Director Joel Edgerton Starts on Blumhouse Film & More". ssninsider.com. January 19, 2015. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  13. "On the Set for 2/23/15: Pirates of the Caribbean 5 & Snowden Begin Shooting, Joel Edgerton Wraps On Film for Blumhouse". ssninsider.com. February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  14. Ellwood, Gregory (August 4, 2015). "How did 'The Gift's' Gordo know I'm a Clippers fan?". HitFix. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  15. Grau, Eduard. "Eduard Grau Cinematographer The Gift". Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  16. "Streetcar (2013) – Full Cast and Crew". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  17. "Nash Edgerton". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  18. Radish, Christina (August 4, 2015). "Joel Edgerton on THE GIFT, Making His Directing Debut, JANE GOT A GUN, and More". Collider. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  19. Ford, Rebecca (January 20, 2015). "Showtime, STX Entertainment Announce TV Deal and First Four Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  20. Pedersen, Erik (March 25, 2015). "Joel Edgerton's Directing Debut Gets A Title". Deadline Hollywood. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  21. Roach, Vicky (January 14, 2015). "Joel Edgerton set to direct Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall in self-penned thriller Weirdo". News.com.au.
  22. Zuckerman, Esther (January 14, 2015). "Jason Bateman signs up for Joel Edgerton's directorial debut". Entertainment Weekly. New York City.
  23. George, Sandy (September 9, 2013). "Joel Edgerton to shoot debut feature in California". ScreenDaily.com.
  24. Lang, Brent (February 25, 2015). "STX Entertainment Dates Films With Matthew McConaughey, Julia Roberts, Jason Blum". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  25. "The Gift (2015)". Box Office Mojo. October 9, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  26. Eric Pederson, "'The Gift' Trailer: Joel Edgerton's Directing Debut Might Make You Rethink Nostalgia," Deadline.com, April 1, 2015.
  27. Garett Sloane, "Movie Studio Is the First to Live Stream a Trailer Premiere With Twitter's Periscope," Ad Week, April 1, 2015.
  28. "Weekend Box Office Results for August 7-9, 2015". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. August 10, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  29. "The Gift". Rotten Tomatoes. San Francisco, California: Fandango Media. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  30. "The Gift". Metacritic. San Francisco, California: Fandango Media. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  31. "The Gift reviews". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  32. Bowie-Sell, Daisy (August 3, 2015). "The Gift". Time Out. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  33. Walsh, Katie (August 5, 2015). "Review: 'The Gift' Starring Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman, And Rebecca Hall". Indiewire. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  34. Phipps, Keith (August 10, 2015). "How The Gift Gave Jason Bateman the Ultimate Jason Bateman Role". Slate. New York City: The Slate Group. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  35. O’Malley, Sheila (August 7, 2015). "The Gift movie review and summary (2015)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  36. Goldberg, Matt (August 6, 2015). "THE GIFT Review: Jason Bateman Shines in New Thriller". Collider. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  37. Mayorga, Emilio (October 17, 2015). "'Invitation' Tops Sitges".
  39. Hipes, Patrick (January 12, 2016). "DGA Awards Nominations: Iñárritu, McCarthy, McKay, Miller, Scott".
  40. "Central Ohio Film Critics nominations". January 3, 2016.
  41. "Awards Archive".
  42. Nugent, John. "Jameson Empire Awards 2016: Star Wars and Mad Max lead the nominations". Empire. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  43. Lewis, Rebecca. "Mad Max: Fury Road leads the pack at the 2016 Jameson Empire Awards". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  44. Bryant, Jacob (February 24, 2016). "'Star Wars,' 'Mad Max,' 'Walking Dead' Lead Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Los Angeles, California.
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