Little Man Tate (1991)

Fred Tate is a prodigy. He's also a lonely, little boy with the emotional needs that his single mom covers. Worries about world problems gives him ulcer. He takes a quantum physics summer college class at 7.

Director:

Jodie Foster

Writer:

Scott Frank

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest, Adam Hann-Byrd

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jodie Foster	...	Dede Tate
Alex Lee	...	Fred Tate at 2
Adam Hann-Byrd	...	Fred Tate
Michael Shulman	...	Matt Montini
Nathan Lee	...	Matt's Teammate
Celia Weston	...	Miss Nimvel
Danitra Vance	...	Clinic Doctor
Dianne Wiest	...	Jane Grierson
David Hyde Pierce	...	Garth (as David Pierce)
Debi Mazar	...	Gina
Richard Fredette	...	Bartender
George Plimpton	...	Winston F. Buckner
Jennifer Trier	...	Grierson Institute Teacher
P.J. Ochlan	...	Damon Wells
John Bell	...	Joey X

Storyline

Dede is a sole parent trying to bring up her son Fred. When it is discovered that Fred is a genius, she is determined to ensure that Fred has all the opportunities that he needs, and that he is not taken advantage of by people who forget that his extremely powerful intellect is harboured in the body and emotions of a child.

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Plot Keywords:

boy genius | ulcer | asperger's syndrome | voice over narration | title directed by female | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

1 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mentes que brillan

Filming Locations:

Upham Hall Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$230,106, 11 October 1991, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$25,010,896

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poem Fred recites in class is "Death" by Rainer Maria Rilke, from "Uncollected Poems".

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Goofs

When Fred first enters Jane's office, there is a card on her desk (at around 52 mins) that Fred takes (at around 57 mins) but which is soon back on the desk (at around 1 min).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Fred Tate: It's funny, cause I *think* I can even remember being born. For the first two weeks of my life I didn't even have a name. Dede couldn't make up her mind. She finally decided on Fred. She said that she had never heard of a little kid named Fred before.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: Jodie Foster/Flula Borg/Neko Case (2018)

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Soundtracks

What The World Needs Now Is Love
Lyrics by Hal David
Music by Burt Bacharach

User Reviews

A Glimpse Into The World Of Raising A 'Genius'

This story is a realistic account (I admit, I am assuming) of what it must be like to be a child genius, not fitting in with kids your own age nor with older kids. It must really be difficult for all involved.

Adam Hanna-Byrd, as "Fred," is the star of the show and plays that young kid. Jodie Foster plays his mother. The kid's a neat little guy and the main adult characters, played by Foster and Dianne Wiest, are interesting, too. The latter plays the head mistress of a school for gifted children. She and Foster clash a lot about how to bring up the child.

The only thing that marred this film was the language. There is too much profanity (six usages of the Lord's name in vain, for example) for a "family film" like this. There is no reason for all of it in a thoughtful, kid-themed movie. Anyway, it's still worth a look.

It's nice to see Hanna-Byrd, in real life, is living much more of a normal existence, having gone to college and graduating in 2004