Little Man Tate (1991)

“You see, Fred, it isn’t the size of a guy’s IQ that matters. It’s how he uses it.” – Damon

Number of Times Seen – Twice (Theater in ’91 and 26 Oct 2020)

Brief Synopsis – A waitress raises her gifted son on the streets while still trying to give him the best education that he needs.

My Take on it – This is a film that I recall seeing in the theater when it came out and despite it being nearly 30 years since I first saw it, I still remembered quite a lot of what happens.

This was Jodie Foster’s directorial debut and she does a nice job with it.

In addition, she has a prominent supporting role here as the mother of this gifted child who wishes to grant ere every opportunity available to his growing mind.

They do a wonderful job showing us how this character was brought up in an unconventional way, yet still thrived mentally even if his social skills need work.

We can see how much he needs to expand his ability to learn by constantly needing to challenge his mind.

Adam Hann-Byrd is great in the lead role and I’m still a bit shocked that this role didn’t help him find more work in the industry.

Dianne Wiest and David Hyde-Pierce are both great here as the mental mentors for this child who try to help him evolve both on an intellectual level and on a social one.

Bottom Line – Intriguing story that works quite well. Foster is great in the main supporting role and directs this story so well.  We get a clear idea as to how this child was brought up and how he needs to find an outlet for his learning process to continue while also finding ways to challenge his mind. Hann-Byrd is great as the main character and I’m a bit surprised that he never managed to further himself within the entertainment industry. Love seeing Hyde-Pierce and West in this film as the mentors trying to help him both evolve mentally while also dealing with his social awkwardness. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – One of two movies that Orion Pictures planned to release in the last quarter of 1991. The other was Blue Sky (1994). Due to financial difficulties, they could not afford to release both, so it was decided to release this one, since Orion wanted to promote Jodie Foster as an Oscar nominee for The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Blue Sky (1994) was not released for another three years. Foster and Lange both ended up winning Best Actress awards, instead of having to compete with each other. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)

_______________________________________

Check out my *updated* movie stats here

To see my reviews of Oscar Winning Performances check out this link

To see my reviews of all Oscar Best Picture Winners click here (now complete)

Here is a link to my movie index A-Z