Little Man Tate (1991)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Jodie Foster

Writer (WGA):

Scott Frank (written by)

Release Date:

11 October 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It's not what he knows. It's what he understands.

Plot:

Dede is a sole parent trying to bring up her son Fred. When it is discovered that Fred is a genius,...

Plot Keywords:

Gifted | Cigarette Smoking | Forest | Globe | Talk Show

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jodie Foster	...	Dede Tate
Dianne Wiest	...	Jane Grierson
Adam Hann-Byrd	...	Fred Tate
Harry Connick Jr.	...	Eddie
David Hyde Pierce	...	Garth Emmerick (as David Pierce)
Debi Mazar	...	Gina
P.J. Ochlan	...	Damon Wells
Alex Lee	...	Fred Tate at 2
Michael Shulman	...	Matt Montini
Nathan Lee	...	Matt's Teammate
Celia Weston	...	Miss Nimvel
Danitra Vance	...	Clinic Doctor
Richard Fredette	...	Bartender
George Plimpton	...	Winston F. Buckner
Jennifer Trier	...	Grierson Institute Teacher

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1994) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Jodie Foster became director after Joe Dante left due to creative differences.

Goofs:

Continuity: Fred's briefcase strap when he's talking with Eddie.

Quotes:

Garth: Why don't you play magic digit?
Damon: Hey Garth, check out this magic digit
[flips Garth the bird]

Movie Connections:

Featured in 1992 MTV Movie Awards (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

What The World Needs Now Is Love

Engaging insight into the world of exceptionally gifted children

Through the eyes of a exceptionally gifted child of seven, 'Little Man Tate' delivers a riveting insight of the loneliness, maturity, isolation and brilliance of what it is to be highly prodigious yet very young and how imperative it is to achieve a balance when educating and raising such children.

Fred (Adam Hann-Byrd) is a very special little boy. He is able to play complicated musical pieces, pen deep and meaningful poems, calculate complex mathematical problems at an age when his classmates are still learning to tie their shoes and mastering their alphabet. He's a child old before his time, capable of thoughts far beyond the average adult's understanding, but at the core of it all, he is still just a seven-year-old who wants to fit in at school and have friends. His mother Dede, played by Jodie Foster, determines the best way to raise her beloved son is to treat him like any other child to the extent that she never really acknowledges his gifts, whereas Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest) is on the other end of the scale as a psychologist whose speciality is gifted children. Jane takes an interest in Fred, believing his intelligence must be nurtured even if it means plonking a tot of seven into a university full of young adults.

Jodie Foster and Dianne Wiest deliver strong, solid performances as two women who both love this child and just want what is best for him, even if their approaches are very different. However, it is Adam Hann-Byrd who steals the show as the lead character of Fred. He depicts the brilliance of the character as well as his awkwardness in dealing with both 'normal' contemporaries and fellow gifted children. He is wonderful in showing how Fred is just a kid who wants to be liked, and how he desperately needs the adults around him to provide him a balance between being treated like the seven-year-old he is while allowing his towering intellect to thrive.

This film takes us into the heart of what it is to be a child prodigy and how it can be both a gift and a curse. We see Fred surpassing his adult classmates in his university course yet he struggles to interact with peers his own age who are of average intelligence. Through him, it is easy to see that being perceived as 'normal' can be the greatest gift of all. It also highlights the abysmal state of the state education system in teaching such children.

I really recommend this film as it delivers this fascinating story in a manner that is bittersweet, touching and, at times, humorous. The characters are all interesting and likable and you can't help but feel for Fred's joys and woes.