Little Man Tate
Starring:
Jodie Foster
as Dede Tate
Dianne Wiest as Jane Grierson
Adam Hann-Byrd as Fred Tate
Harry Connick Jr. as Eddie
Dianne Wiest as Jane Grierson
Adam Hann-Byrd as Fred Tate
Harry Connick Jr. as Eddie
I.
SUMMARY
It's not what he knows. It's
what he understands.
It tells the story of Fred
Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who
struggles to self-actualize in
a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his
intelligence. Foster plays Fred’s mother Dede, who attempts to give her son a
"normal" childhood while simultaneously feeding his intellectual
curiosity.
Dede Tate is a single mother,
a working-class woman of average intelligence raising a 7-year-old boy who
shows every indication of being a genius.
In most respects, Fred Tate is
a normal child. He is polite and helpful around the house. But his reading and
mathematics levels are rather astounding, and he plays the piano expertly as
well. Fred's intellect comes to the attention of Jane Grierson, a psychologist
who runs a school for gifted kids. She seeks permission from Dede to admit Fred
to the school, which likely can develop his intellectual gifts in a way that a
public school cannot. She is reluctant, though, preferring that Fred have a
normal upbringing and also a bit put off by Jane's manner. Fred fits in nicely
at the institute, befriending Eddie, a man in his 20s who permits Fred to hang
out with him. Fred also becomes acquainted with one of Jane's prized pupils,
the brilliant but slightly bizarre Damon Wells, a whiz at math who wears a
black cape wherever he goes.
Proud of her son's
intelligence but anxious about his being unprepared emotionally, Dede must
decide whether to let him continue in this special environment or return to
their former life, when it was just mother and son.
I.
REACTION
Through the eyes of an
exceptionally gifted child of seven, 'Little Man Tate' delivers a fascinating
insight of the seclusion, maturity, separation and cleverness of what it is to
be highly impressive yet very young and how authoritative it is to achieve a
balance when educating and raising such children.
This story is truly timeless, gifted education is still in the formative
stages today. The movie shows that a careful balance between the nurture of the
parent and the wisdom of the educator can give children an environment to reach
their potential in a healthy way.
Little Man Tate is a very good movie and very charming. I know some
might find it a little boring, but honestly, you have got to give this movie a
chance, it has great drama and some fun comedy along the way.
Fred 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 is on the other end of the scale as a psychologist whose field is gifted children. Jane takes an interest in Fred, believing his intelligence must be nurtured even if it means a child of seven into a university full of young adults.
This film takes us into the heart of what it is to be a child sensation 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.
Fred 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 is on the other end of the scale as a psychologist whose field is gifted children. Jane takes an interest in Fred, believing his intelligence must be nurtured even if it means a child of seven into a university full of young adults.
This film takes us into the heart of what it is to be a child sensation 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.
This fascinating story in a
manner that is bittersweet, touching and, at times, funny. The characters are
all interesting and likable and you can't help but feel for Fred's joys and
despairs.
Through Fred, we can see that the academic world of gifted children
isn't just filled with the nice, polite, precocious, bespectacled children that
we are often shown on news magazines or public television programs. We are
allowed to see that some are as outright insolent and fake as the adults who
claim to be only nurturing their gifts.
This work presents the challenges of raising a gifted child. It is never an easy as it seems, raising a child who is more intellectual than you are - a fact wrenchingly portrayed herein. The emotional needs of these children often go unattended, as the parents usually struggle to satisfy the intellectual needs.
This work presents the challenges of raising a gifted child. It is never an easy as it seems, raising a child who is more intellectual than you are - a fact wrenchingly portrayed herein. The emotional needs of these children often go unattended, as the parents usually struggle to satisfy the intellectual needs.
It 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.
Fred meets
interesting characters throughout his journey learning that maybe life has more
to offer than what he used too.
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