Movie Review – Gigi & Nate

A young man’s life is turned upside down after he is left quadriplegic. Moving forward seems near impossible until he meets his unlikely service animal, Gigi – a curious and intelligent capuchin monkey. This movie is a different take on the classic feel-good movie about overcoming hardships. Of course, all with a new companion and family.

I really enjoyed Gigi and Nate. I pulled up my heartstrings as you would expect. Even got me tearing up a little bit at one point. This means it obviously hit the mark for me correctly. I also enjoyed a few of its non-formulaic elements that I wasn’t quite expecting going in. They might feel like the film took a hard turn on a side plot. On my counter, life doesn’t always take the road your planning for. It wanders in directions you never expected. Sometimes the road is uphill and sometimes the road is down. What are you going to make out of the journey you’re on? Speaking of unexpected journeys, there will be slight spoilers in the next paragraph. So choose your own adventure time. Skip next paragraph if you do not want any spoilers.

With that side plot development, the easiest way to put it, the animal rights Karen was an unexpected twist. I thought it was fun to kind of see that person as the villain. But of course, the villain doesn’t think they’re a villain. We’ve all seen or heard stories in real life of people like her. And of course we’re relating to Gigi and Nate’s story by then. So of course a person like that is going to disrupt what is happening with them. Because the animal rights Karen thinks they know what’s best for everyone. Are they really correct? Takes the movie in a tangent but worth the time.

Walking out I also couldn’t tell 100% of the time if it was a real monkey the entire time or if it was a CG monkey. I think there was a blend of both. Either way I don’t think it mattered. It was adorable and conveyed a lot. So even if part of it was a real monkey it was an amazingly trained or natural talent (I’ll give it that). The journey that Gigi and Nate takes us on is an uplifting story. That you should walk out feeling good about. If you enjoy those kind of movies or in need of a little hope or enjoyment in your life. I recommend spending 2 hours and go see it.

Tell a friend to see it?
Yes

Would I rewatch it?
Yes

Would I want to own a copy?
No

Must-see in theaters?
To support, sure. This movie does not require a big screen or sound. Communal viewing of course could help as well. But the story could transfer to the small screen.

Grade: A

About The Peetimes: I found 3 Peetimes. The 1st is for emergencies. The 3rd would be my recommendation. All the Peetimes have some emotional moments. I did my best to summarize them.

There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Gigi & Nate.

Rated:	(PG-13) (Language |Some Thematic Material)
Genres:	Drama, Family
Starring:	Charlie Rowe, Marcia Gay Harden, Jim Belushi
Director:	Nick Hamm
Writer(s):	David Hudgins
Language:	English
Country:	Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Plot
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.