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Little Man Tate (1991)
Director: Jodie Foster
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Fred Tate (Hann-Byrd) is a gifted child: by age seven, he can play the piano backwards, paint like a master, and solve complex maths problems. But at school he's bored in lessons, and left doodling Da Vinci-style while other pupils frolic in the playground. Single parent mother Dede (Foster) comes into conflict with child psychologist Jane Grierson (Wiest), who takes the boy under her wing: tough-talking Dede is ready with the hugs, while Jane serves up macrobiotics and disciplinary lectures. Foster's directorial debut is a worthy attempt to explore a little understood subject, but the film is bogged down by an approach to Wiest and Foster's characters which polarises intellect and emotion. Hann-Byrd has more to grapple with, and perfectly conveys Fred's jumbled motives and acute sensitivity. Tackling a difficult project, Foster draws good performances from her cast, but could have done with a better script.Author: CM
Cast & crew
Director: Jodie Foster
Producer: Scott Rudin, Peggy Rajski
Cast: Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest, Adam Hann-Byrd, Harry Connick Jr, David Pierce, Debi Mazar, PJ Ochlan, Celia Weston, George Plimpton, Josh Mostel full cast
Duration: 99 mins
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