hyped garbage

Fantastic!

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Little Man TatePeople prefer smart children because smart teenagers are assholes.Luckily, the wunderkind in this drama is still cute enough not to be a jerk.Dede (Jodie Foster) is a single mom struggling to raise her gifted 7-year-old Fred (Adam Hann-Byrd) on her own. When a psychologist Jane (Dianne Wiest) notices Fred's aptitudes for math and piano she suggests he attend her institute for exceptional youth. Fred's later enrolled in university where he meets a coed (Harry Connick Jr.) who he connects with. Meanwhile, Jane moves to exploit Fred's talents on TV while his mom is on summer vacation.Although a typical child prodigy movie, right down to the annoying kid genius, this Jody Foster directed picture manages to capture the pressure put on both phenoms and parents to succeed. This achievement alone makes it notable. Plus, it's nice to see child math prodigies before they grown up and kill themselves.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Child genius in a working-class environment goes off to college under the auspices of a nonpareil female mentor, which brings forth resentment and maybe some jealousy in the kid's single mom. Seemingly slight drama is full of dead-on touches of youthful heartache which can resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced childhood disappointment (such as a birthday party no one attends). Fred Tate isn't a happy, sunny kid--he's "pensive"--and he's almost always a fish-out-of-water. Director Jodie Foster (who also stars as Tate's mother) does a good job of guiding us through all the complicated emotions inherent in this story, but intentionally veers off track at the end, giving us a really happy ending that feels like a cheat. Foster may have added it for the benefit of the audience as an emotional release, but I didn't buy it. Despite this fault--and a somewhat wayward section at the university which seems designed to show off Harry Connick Jr.'s sass and musical talent--the film has a velvety kind of vulnerability which is quite touching. Foster as an actress does a good job (although her character's trashy mouth gets tiresome), but Dianne Wiest is unable to come up with anything surprising as Fred's mentor (who, too easily, is shown to be brilliant but lonesome herself). **1/2 from ****

This work presents the challenges of raising a gifted child. It is never a 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.Jodie Foster gives a fantastic performance as a mom under the aforementioned circumstances.Many may consider the ending weak, if they are unable to demonstrate the ability to see beyond the story itself. If you can, then this work is well done and offers hope in the end.I found it a bit better than mildly entertaining, but it's not something I will want to watch again.It rates a 6.7/10 from...the Fiend :.

Little Man Tate was one of my favorite movies as a child, I don't know why, but maybe because my grandmother and I bonded over this movie, it's just special to me. But I was a little disappointed to see a low rating on IMDb, I think this is an absolute treasure of a film. Jodie and Dianne are just such a terrific pair of actresses and are perfect casting for the film. I know Jodie Foster was in charge of the film and she did a terrific job. The boy who played Fred was so charming and fit the role perfectly. The story is so touching and beautiful, not to mention original since the story of gifted children isn't really discussed that well.Fred is a young boy who is extremely gifted, his intelligence is something very special. But his mom, DeeDee, doesn't really let him expand since she is a single mom wanting her son just to be normal. But Fred is discovered by Jane Grierson, a professor of highly intelligent and gifted children, giving Fred the chance to expand his world and even takes him to college at a young age. Fred meets interesting characters throughout his journey learning that maybe life has more to offer than what he used too.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. David Hyde Pierce was such a fun addition to the cast, he really makes his screen presence enjoyable, so does Dianne. But the whole cast is just perfect and seemed to enjoy doing this movie together. I would highly recommend this movie, it's a good one to watch.7/10