Little Man Tate (1991)

Jodie Foster and Dianne Wiest star in Foster's engaging directorial debut. Single mom Dede Tate is doing her best to raise her brilliant-but-lonely son Fred on a waitress's salary. Jane Grierson (Wiest), something of an expert on being brilliant but lonely, spots Fred's genius and wants to enroll him in her school for the gifted. It's a simple story, but it is very well told. Foster and Wiest both give excellent, sensitive performances, conveying the selfishness in each character's desire to have Fred to herself as well as the pain in not being able to fulfill all his needs on her own. Adam Hann-Byrd gives a remarkable performance as Fred, showing his intelligence without getting precious about it. Foster already shows a steady directing hand, but the best moments are the more whimsical ones in which she reveals the quiet exhilaration of Fred's mental leaps, as when a pool game suddenly becomes a beautiful collision of lines and forces. The DVD version shows the film in its original widescreen format and includes commentary from Foster. --Ali Davis Amazon.com

Good flick but maybe could have used a little more development

I recently watched this movie again - I had seen it about a year after it came out, when I was about 11 years old.

I like the idea behind this movie - while I was (or am) not by any stretch as intelligent as Fred, the main character in this movie, I was more intelligent than many of my peers and thus experienced a lot of the same sorts of conflicts that Fred did. As such, I enjoyed this movie in that I could relate to it.

On the other hand, there were a lot of areas in this story where the psychology could have been explored in a fuller and more meaningful way. While I would not go as far as some of the other reviewers who have stated that the characters were two-dimensional, I would say that the portraits of the main characters could have used a couple more coats of paint.

Of the main characters, I think that Dede, Fred's mother, was best represented. Jane, on the other hand, who runs the Institute where Fred winds up attending, is a fascinating case in psychology and this movie only scratched the surface. There is a certain pathology that comes with highly motivated and successful people that has to be consciously worked through to be able to have a full sense of humanity. There are aspects of a balanced, fruitful life - such as a meaningful relationship with another person, and/or raising children - that are not dependent on intelligence, success, etc. Without them, even the most successful life feels hollow and empty. We see somewhat of a glimpse of this in this movie, but I think a little more exploration of this would have been welcome. Of course, there's only so much you can do in a two hour movie.

What makes this movie interesting, and again, it would have been nice to have this more fully explored, is Fred's observation of Jane's situation and his realization that he is heading down the same path, and doesn't want to. Through his experiences with his mother and later with Connick's character, Eddie, he knows that there is more to life than merely being intelligent and motivated. It is this balance that he is searching for, and it drives him to near-madness. I think this situation cleaned itself up a little too neatly in this movie. But, again, there's only so much you can do in two hours.

With respect to the production side of things, this movie was excellently directed, and the cinematography was superb. The soundtrack was above-average. The main character actors each did a respectable job. Overall, I would recommend checking this movie out. April 6, 2008

little man tate dvd

good movie. receioved w/o problem. great film for younger audiences to teach tolerance or to teach first director flaws, though jodie foster is way too critical of her directing debut. September 16, 2007

Little Man Tate

Little Man Tate is an excellent movie with first class acting and direction (Jodie Foster, Dir.). This is a movie the entire family can enjoy. It will expand your awareness of people around you, and stimulate discussion and appreciation of the gifts each person has, even if there are no geniuses in your family. It is a thoroughly engaging, heart-tugging, and often very funny movie. May 12, 2007

Wonderfull

I just love this movie. After showing her skills in acting, Jodie Foster, steps forward to prove that her skills on directing are not less impressive.
I do recomend this movie, great acting, very moving, show it to your children. January 12, 2007

A Good Story About A Gifted Child

Jodie Foster not only acts in this film, she directs as well. Harry Connick Jr. also stars in this movie, along with Adam Hann-Byrd who plays Fred Tate, the main character. Let us not forget who discovers Fred, Jane Grierson played by Dianne Wiest. His mother loves him, but Jane sees his potential and requests that Fred join her program. He fits in better with the gifted children, and is happier with the new setup than he was before. There are some special effects in this movie, to show you how Fred's genius mind works. All in all, a very good story. September 22, 2006

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