Little Man Tate (Movie)

Little Man Tate is a 1991 dram film. The movie was directed by Jodie Foster. The screenplay was written by Scott Frank. The film stars Jodie Foster (Dede Tate), Dianne Wiest (Jane Grierson) and Adam Hann-Byrd (Fred Tate). It deals with the tension between a single mother raising a child prodigy (Dede Tate) and Dr. Jane Grierson, the director of a program for gifted children, and the emotional and intellectual needs of the child (Fred Tate). The movie has an IMDb score of 6.6/10. It won a total of 2 awards and was nominated for 1 award.

Plot

The movie is about a single mother, Dede Tate, raising her child prodigy, Fred Tate, on her own and trying to give him every opportunity to express his talent. Seven-year-old Fred Tate's talents in science and the creative arts are largely intuitive. Fred is a sensitive boy who keeps most of his emotions to himself and worries about world problems. But more than anything, Fred wants to make friends, but he can't because he is seen as different in public school. His grandfather understands this and while he tolerates some of Fred's intellectual pursuits, he wants him to be like a "normal" boy.

Their lives change when Fred comes to the attention of Jane Grierson of the Grierson Institute, a school for elite children. Jane has also been recognized as an elite child in the past. Jane wants Fred to enroll at the Institute and, after getting to know him better, wants to take him under her personal protection. But taking Fred to the other extreme may not be what Fred needs to thrive. Tension builds between the two women as they try to do what they believe is best for Fred.

Theme

The movie offers intriguing insights into the world of gifted children. It deals with the loneliness, maturity, isolation and brilliance of being gifted but very young. It also emphasizes the importance of reaching a balance when educating and raising such children.

Cast and Characters

• Grandpa Tate (Jodie Foster): A working-class single mother raising her seven-year-old prodigy son Fred Tate on her own. She tries to give Fred every opportunity to express his talent and makes sure that his emotional needs are not ignored.
• Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd): A seven-year-old prodigy with largely intuitive abilities in science and the creative arts. He is a sensitive boy who keeps most of his emotions bottled up, worries about world problems and wants to make friends more than anything else.
• Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest): The director of the Grierson Institute, a school for gifted children. Having been recognized as gifted herself in the past, she is impressed by Fred's abilities and wants to take him into her school and make him her personal protege.

Box Office Performance

The film was made on a budget of approximately US$10,000,000. In its opening weekend (October 14, 1991) in the United States and Canada, it earned US$230,106. In total, it grossed US$25,010,896 in the United States and Canada and US$25,010,896 worldwide.

Awards and Nominations

The movie has a total of 2 wins and 1 nomination.

Awards

• Young Artist Awards (1993): Special Award: "Most Promising Young Newcomer" - Adam Hann-Byrd
• Jupiter Award (1993): Jupiter Award Winner: "Best International Actress" - Jodie Foster

Nominations

• Chicago Film Critics Circle Awards (1992): CFCA Award Nomination: “Most Promising Actor” - Adam Hann-Byrd

A Scene from the Movie (IMDb)