Little Man Tate (1991)

A single mother raises a child prodigy on her own, struggling to give him every opportunity he needs to express his gift.

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 | asperger's syndrome | child's point of view | child genius | talented child | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Hyde Pierce and George Plimpton later appeared as Richard Nixon's lawyers in Nixon (1995).

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Goofs

(at around 50 mins) During a short part of Fred's piano piece, the notes he is hitting are obviously different to the ones that would be needed to make the sound. There is a part where the music is going down, but Fred's hands are moving up the keyboard.

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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 Baby on Board (1992)

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Soundtracks

Mozart's Piana Quartet In E Flat Major, KV493
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as Mozart)
Performed by Jacques Rouvier/Mozart String Trio
Courtesy of Denon/Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Okay

The film isn't great by any stretch of the imagination, but it's lovingly realized and this gives it a bit more clout than the typical after-school special on smart and lonely children. Typical little genius boy story, all he needs is love blah blah blah...

Weist, Foster, and Adam Hann-Byrd all give excellent performances despite the often hackneyed material. Foster's directorial debut is strikingly minimalist, and beautiful at times.

Most of the film is a throwaway. Several moments stick out as absolutely wonderful, but it's not really worth it in the end. A good one to rent if you're up for an evening of "life's lessons" movies, but steer clear otherwise.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

1 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Little Man Tate

Filming Locations:

Upham Hall Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$230,106, 14 October 1991

Gross USA:

$25,010,896

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,010,896

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1