‘Gigi and Nate’ is a heartwarming story

Category: Movies

 

Inspired by a true story, Gigi and Nate is a heartwarming story of a young man whose life was tragically altered but found hope in the form of a monkey. The story also delves into the question of what animals are appropriate to keep as service animals.

Nate is about to go off to college. On the Fourth of July when his family is celebrating the holiday, his adventurous side nudges him into jumping into a lake from a high ledge. Little did he know that that one action would change his life forever.  Nate ended up with a meningitis that resulted in him being a quadriplegic.  For an active and adventurous young man, this was a horrific result of one act. 

His family was also devastated yet they were appreciative that Nate was alive. Nate did not feel the same and tried to kill himself. His future was bleak. What did he have to look forward to? What was he going to do with the rest of his life? He was depressed and saw nothing good in his future. 

Then Nate was provided with a service animal in the form of an eight-year-old capuchin monkey named Gigi. It took awhile before Gigi blended into the family, but Nate took to her from the start. Little by little Gigi helped Nate with his exercises and their bond grew stronger. They were not only working on Nate’s rehabilitation, they were also best friends. Gigi was as much a part of the family as anyone. With her help and love, Nate’s progress became remarkable to the point that the doctors were amazed.

But this wonderful surprise in their lives was shattered when an animal rights group decided that capuchin monkeys were not safe to have as service animals. Their legal battle became a tragedy for Nate and his family. 

Gigi not only gave Nate back much of his mobility, she gave him hope. His outlook for his future was not bleak anymore. She taught him skills and even though she could not speak, she taught him how to be happy again.

Yes, there are sad parts to this story but rest assured that it results in a happy ending. 

Charlie Rowe plays Nate with much emotion and heart. The cast includes several veteran actors. Marcia Gay Harden plays his mother, Jim Belushi plays his father, and Diane Lane plays his grandmother.

This is a hopeful story. While they would have preferred Nate never gotten sick, it shows that given a difficult situation, it is possible to make the best out of it and for those who are faced with a life-changing illness and disability, there is hope. Hope and love are the key. And in this case both come in the form of a little monkey.

“It’s a beautiful movie about real people and real experiences and written in the most honest and authentic way,” Belushi said. “The reason I know it’s authentic and real is because most people have gotten that phone call, where the electric energy through your system changes. That phone call I’ve had in my life, and it is a gut-wrenching moment that puts you into shock and once you come out of the shock, you have a lifetime of adjustment.”

While Nate adjusts to his circumstances and a future that is different from what he originally planned, his entire family must also adjust. The story take audiences on the changes within the family through the darkness to the light. “This script, this family, we’re watching them recover as a family,” Belushi acknowledged.

Rowe stated, “I want the audience to feel moved, I want them to feel energized,” he says. “I want them to feel everything I felt when I read the script for the first time. It’s a rollercoaster on four wheels. It’s about family and the difficulties of losing something you love.”

Gigi and Nate is rated PG-13 for some thematic material and language. It opens in theaters September 2, 2022.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.