In this uplifting drama inspired by actual events, Nate (Charlie Rowe) suffers a near-fatal illness and is left a quadriplegic just weeks before departing for college. As Nate tries to adjust to his new life challenges, his mother (Oscar® winner* Marcia Gay Harden) helps him bring home an unlikely service animal, Gigi — a curious and intelligent capuchin monkey. Nate and Gigi form an unbreakable bond, but when it’s threatened by a group trying to outlaw capuchins, Nate’s family rallies behind him to help him regain what he needs most: hope.

For thoughts on Gigi & Nate, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/QTrctxJOaZs?t=4780]

Video Quality

Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings Gigi & Nate to Blu-Ray with a lovely 1080p video presentation in its original 2.39:1. The flesh tones are natural with a stellar amount of detail present in close-ups. The image is virtually spotless with the bright, warm color palette radiating off the screen. The film employs nice splashes of colors within some of the clothing and nature itself, which makes for a really inviting image. The bright whites of some of the interiors show no signs of blooming, and the black levels are appropriately deep and with no discernible digital noise. There is a small amount of banding against certain gradients, but it is not a major issue. The presentation provides a grand amount of depth on display, especially in Nate’s guest house setup. The setting and the fabrics of the clothing provide crystal clear textural details. There is nothing to be mad about with this presentation.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a perfectly satisfactory DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that does everything it needs to do. The light music in the film comes through the speakers with unwavering fidelity. The movie is pretty sparse when it comes to the low end response, but it adds a bit of baseline texture. Dialogue is the standout aspect of the film, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being subdued by any competing sounds. There is very little in the way of kinetic sequences outside of the family dog chasing Gigi through the house, but the environmental sounds of each setting engage the surround speakers in a useful way. Ambient sounds in public spaces are precisely placed in the rear channels. The audio track gets the job done without breaking a sweat. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Photo Gallery: A four-minute collection of stills are provided here.

Trailer: A two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Gigi & Nate is essentially a Lifetime movie with a slightly better execution thanks to its relative star power and production budget. It hits every familiar beat you would expect from a heartwarming true story of hope and perseverance. The performances are decidedly middling, which may be more a product of the lackluster screenplay than a problem with any individual. Any positive notices come from the most generous reading of this film where you have someone you can make fun of the ridiculous aspects with while accepting the cloying sentimentality at face value. It is not offensively bad, just rather forgettable. Most discerning audiences will not find many redeeming aspects of this rather rote experience. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a very strong A/V presentation but next to nothing in terms of special features.

Gigi & Nate is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.