Parents' Guide to

Little Man Tate

By Alyssa Ellsworth, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Moving story of a smart boy and protective mom.

Movie PG 1991 99 minutes
Little Man Tate Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Spencer H.
Spencer H. Adult
November 9, 2022
age 14+

Great story from Jodie Foster but language and implied sex scene is far too strong for a PG rating

Jodie Foster's directorial debut coming very soon after her second Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs is a very good follow up to that wonderful performance to utilize her talents as an actress and director. With a PG rating and a kid as the main character you may think this is a lighthearted family movie but think again. While nothing here to warrant an R rating, it definitely should have been PG-13 even in 1991 when the MPAA was still pretty lenient about content in PG films. The language alone warrants a PG-13, with more than half a dozen uses of s--t, d--k, g-----n, a--hole, and many uses of the Lord's name in vein tied in with several hells and damns. I think this has far too much swearing for a PG rating and for family audiences. With less swearing it could have been a great family movie. Also a character played by Harry Connick Jr. is shown in bed with a woman and sex is heavily implied. There is also one finger gesture and a brief masturbation reference. Again, Foster does a good job telling her well acted story and it is definitely entertaining but I would not recommend this as a family movie. Even for 1991 standards this should have been rated PG-13, and I would say it is a story only suitable for 14 and up. For older teenagers it should be fine and they should find something relatable to the story. Still it's a shame that a movie with potential to be an excellent family film ruins that potential with so much language and other inappropriate content. Suggested MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, thematic elements, and some suggestive material.
Moviegoer Mom
Moviegoer Mom Parent of 11 and 13-year-old
October 6, 2012
age 13+

Not what we expected

Thought this movie was borderline depressing. Fred never got to do what he wanted and it seemed no one really understood Fred. Mom loved him and tried to provide fun but could not honor his intelligence and need for intellectual stimulation. Jane enjoyed his talent but could not treat him as a person. Glad my children decided not to watch it. We were disappointed and wondered what was the point??
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Seven-year-old Fred (played hauntingly well by Adam Hann-Byrd) is a budding young math/science/music genius and a sensitive soul writing poetry about his loneliness. His mother, Dede (Jodie Foster), is a hard-working waitress who wants to give him a normal life but realizes that his intelligence demands special treatment -- from school and from her. Fred is barely surviving public school, where kids never pick him for the kickball team and he amuses himself by playing mind games on the perplexed teacher. When Jane (Dianne Wiest), the head of a school for the gifted, reaches out to Fred to join in two special summer programs, Dede is torn between feeding Fred's intellect and wanting to shelter him from the world. Despite his intellectual gifts, Fred is clearly a little boy who needs his mom, who wants very much to have friends and who strives to be accepted.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

LITTLE MAN TATE, Jodie Foster's directorial debut, is as empathetic as its main character, if not as brilliant. Some of the characters, though well-acted, are written as broad stereotypes. For example, good-time Eddy breaks his promises, successful Jane cannot cook, dance-loving Dede dislikes seeing her son buried in a book, and Fred is brilliant at everything (not just numbers or art). Kids will enjoy the maturity with which the characters are treated; this is not a movie that talks down to its audience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the relationship between Fred and Dede changes over the movie: What makes the characters lose or gain confidence? Fred is portrayed as a very rare sort of genius, one who excels at everything he touches but who also feels things very deeply. How does he relate to other kids? The character of the "mathemagician" says that without Jane and the academic approval she brings, he would just be "another creep in a cape." How does he differ from Fred? Parents might wish to discuss the broader theme of accepting people different from themselves.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 18, 1991
  • On DVD or streaming: October 7, 2003
  • Cast: Dianne Wiest , Harry Connick Jr. , Jodie Foster
  • Director: Jodie Foster
  • Inclusion Information: Female directors, Female actors
  • Studio: MGM/UA
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 99 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG
  • MPAA explanation: language
  • Last updated: April 24, 2024

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