A Gifted Man

A Gifted Man is an American television series about a talented but self-absorbed surgeon (Patrick Wilson) who starts questioning his purpose in life when he is visited by the spirit of his dead ex-wife (Jennifer Ehle). It premiered on CBS on September 23, 2011. The pilot episode was directed by Jonathan Demme, who also serves as an executive producer on the show along with writer Susannah Grant.


Synopsis


Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) is a talented but self-absorbed surgeon at an upscale New York City clinic. He lives a comfortable and materialistic life due to the wealthy clients he treats, but is nevertheless discontent with his life and acts coldly to those around him. This life is thrown into disarray, however, when he is visited by the ghost of his ex-wife Anna (Jennifer Ehle), who was recently killed in a car accident. Anna asks Michael to help keep running the free clinic she previously directed, which leads Michael to be exposed to poorer patients in need who are far different from his usual clientele. Michael's sister Christina (Julie Benz), a single mother struggling to care for her troubled teenage son Milo (Liam Aiken), believes in the supernatural and is thrilled with the idea that Anna is back in Michael's life, as she insists he was a better person when she was around.




Cast


Patrick Wilson as Michael Holt
Jennifer Ehle as Anna
Julie Benz as Christina
Liam Aiken as Milo
Margo Martindale as Rita, Michael's assistant
Pablo Schreiber as Anton, a shaman and spiritual healer who helps Michael understand his otherworldly experiences. Schreiber appeared in the pilot as a guest star but was later upgraded to a regular cast member.
Rachelle Lefevre as Kate, a doctor working at Anna's clinic
Afton Williamson as Autumn, a volunteer working at Anna's clinic






Production


Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme is one of the series' executive producers.
A Gifted Man is produced by CBS Television Studios and Timberman-Beverly Productions. Jonathan Demme, Susannah Grant, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Neal Baer are executive producers. Demme directed and Loucas George produced the pilot episode.




Reception


During an early review of the pilot episode, HitFix writer Daniel Fienberg praised the cast as well as Demme's direction, although he questioned whether the show would be as good without Demme and feared the premise could become predictable.
David Hinckley of the New York Times gave the show three stars out of five, saying "The cast here nails their roles, from Wilson down to support players like Emmy winner Margo Martindale as his loyal assistant, Rita. Ehle has a much trickier role and handles it well. It’s a show that wants to say something. Now it needs viewers who want to listen." Mary McNamara of the LA Times said "with just a few tiny modifications, A Gifted Man could be a smart satiric comedy, but I don’t think that is what Grant is shooting for," poking fun at Julie Benz's character's cosmic beliefs and dysfunctional family. Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe compared the show to Grey's Anatomy, saying "[the show] needs to transcend that limited and overused construct, and set the characters free from endless debate over whether Anna is real or not. Let the actors find drama in more earthly concerns. I think they’re up to it." Robert Bianco of USA Today says "Wilson has the magnetism and acting chops to lead a network series. Gifted Man could not have been given better actors. It needs to give them better in return." Phil Nugent of The AV Club gave the pilot a B rating.