If I Had Known I Was a Genius (2007)

A teenager with a high I.Q. who decides to become an actor. When his TV show gets cancelled, he is faced with a difficult career choice.

Director:

Dominique Wirtschafter (as Domenique Lett-Wirtschafter)

Writer:

Markus Redmond

Stars:

Markus Redmond, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith David

Cast

Credited cast:
Markus Redmond	...	Michael Reed
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Mom
Keith David	...	Dad
Debra Wilson	...	Teresa Reed
Sharon Stone	...	Gloria Fremont
Tara Reid	...	Stephanie Robbins
Della Reese	...	Nana
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nikita Ager	...	Cute Girl Club
Reed Alexander	...	Gifted kid #1
John Balma	...	Gifted School Teacher
Daniel Benzali	...	Walter
Jenica Bergere	...	Bitchy Young Woman
Nadia Bjorlin	...	Faith
Kwesi Boakye	...	Little Boy
Mark Boone Junior	...	Engine Man

Storyline

Underestimated and completely misunderstood boy genius living with a dysfunctional family goes through a series of life challenges and finds it very difficult to fit in anywhere. He finds his true calling when his path collides with his drama teacher who notices his special gift and potential to become an exceptional actor. He attemps to realize his dream of becoming an actor but not without facing desbelief and contempt from both his family and friends.

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Plot Keywords:

repetition in title | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2007 (Romania)

Also Known As:

Genius: If Only I Had Known

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chicago Pictures,Andrea Sperling Productions,Genius Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Annoying, invertebrate whiner

"If I had known I was a genius"--it would change nothing! Here's why. So, he's very smart. He knows it. Why does he end up working at Walmart? With gifts such as his, becoming a loser is not fate, it's a choice. Why do you need to know your IQ anyway if everyone says you are very smart and you know you finish tests perfect even in a really good school? If you indeed have high IQ you would figure things out, or bypass your mother and ask plenty of other people who know the number. You could do all that if you really were smart. But he chooses to cry about it and blame his mother instead. He gets a TV show career where being test-smart is useless (we all know how "smart" most Hollywood is) He needs to grow a spine, too. His mother tells him he cannot become an architect because "everything's built already". Well, if you can put 2 and 2 together (high IQ) you would say "ridiculous"! But all his life he can never stand up to anyone, make his own choices without listening to all these idiots around him, including his mother. No wonder he ends up such a loser. The whole movie is just like that--a whiny guy who never makes his own career choices. No amount of IQ can compensate for that. You could build those rockets, boy, if you only made a decision to.

Then there is the idiot mother. You are comfortable telling your son all his life he's ugly (how inspirational is that!) but the minute he gets 165 IQ you resist like crazy telling him he's a genius. You yell when he wants to become an architect but are OK with a career proposition of a weird drama class teacher? Wait a minute, you said your son was ugly, how can you let him on TV? She would be much more useful as a mother if she died at his birth.

I could go on and on about it, but to anyone who, like myself, will sit through the entire film hoping this guy would finally turn around and kick everyone's rear end, forget it. He never will, and I bet, in real life, someone like that would continue working at Walmart.