BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Megamind To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

rzajac I just became aware that Jodie Foster had done some directing. I watched Home for the Holidays yesterday, just finished Little Man Tate.This is what all American film should be. The writing is perfect. The pacing, the humor, character development, are fantastic. Enough attention is paid to all the fundamentals, like the shots and editing.In short, it's a wonderful take on the whole head/heart thing. Raw cognitive power is nothing without a healthy affect. The good news is that Fred is never really in danger; in danger of a tragic dehumanization. That's part of the delicacy of the film: No black vs. white, simplistic exposition here. This is a very, very colorful film that sweetly transits us from a looming rarefied sterility to the warm embrace of friends and family. Somehow, without spelling it out for Those of You On Drugs, you are left with the assurance that future opportunities for Fred to use his special gifts are no less secure for all that.

FilmCriticLalitRao It is rather unfortunate that "Little Man Tate" did not get all the success it deserved.It may be due to the fact that cinema enthusiasts in USA and elsewhere were not at ready to receive such kind of a different yet intelligent film.This charming,poetic,out of the box film was like a bolt from the blue for them.The problem is that most of the times people are interested in pure Hollywood films or in uncommon,peculiar independent films from USA.Little Man Tate did not belong to any of these categories as Jodie Foster created a film which could not be easily pigeonholed.This film's star attraction is young actor Adam Hann Byrd who gives astounding performance as young genius Fred Tate.As Jane Grierson,Fred Tate's educator,Dianne Wiest too plays an important role in the film.We get to see glimpses of Fred Tate's turbulent life which gets metamorphosed when he is found to have qualities of a creative genius at a very young age.His life takes a turn for the worst when he finds that his stature of precocious child has deprived him of his natural growth and a normal childhood.Little Man Tate is good film for all those who would like to be enlightened, entertained,educated and motivated.

moonspinner55 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 ****

bjhissong I LOVE this movie!!! In fact, it is my favorite. I was a senior at the University of Cincinnati at the time it was filmed and my best friend is in two scenes. The college scenes were filmed primarily at the University of Cincinnati, in Cincinnati, Ohio at McMicken Hall and outside the campus. The scene with Harry Connick Jr. at his apartment is in a dilapidated apartment building on Ludlow Ave. The scenes of Odyssey of the Mind were filmed at the Wexner Center of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. During filming Jodie Foster kept a low profile, as she also directed. This story is truly timeless...gifted education is still in the formative stages today. The movie shows that a careful balance between the nurture of the parent and the wisdom of the educator can give children an environment to reach their potential in a healthy way. Jodie Foster is wonderful as the loving but uneducated mother and Harry Connick Jr. has his first screen role in a major motion picture!