FISH OUT OF WATER: LITTLE MAN TATE, PARADISE, THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS
It is, of course, hard to be a child in this world, for all sorts of reasons. Movies of all kinds have tried to explore children as they adjust to difficult situations and surroundings. Three such movies, each wildly different, were Jodie Foster's LITTLE MAN TATE, Mary Agnes Donoghue's PARADISE, and Wes Craven's THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS. All three happen to be about little boys learning to adjust, and while none of them are great movies, they're pretty good.
Foster, of course, knows what it's like to be a child in difficult circumstances, having not only been a child actor (she received her first Oscar nomination - for TAXI DRIVER - at the age of 12), but also having been the target of John Hinckley Jr.'s affections when she was still a teenager. So it seems natural that she would gravitate towards this story of a seven-year old prodigy, and even want to direct it. What's nice is she shows some assurance behind the camera.
The seven-year old boy in question is Fred Tate (Adam Hamm-Byrd), who is a math whiz, can not only play piano beyond his age but also compose music, and also writes poetry. His mother Dede (Foster) is a dancer who waits tables in between gigs, and obviously loves Fred, but can't really talk to him. Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest) is a former child prodigy who know runs a school for gifted children, and invites Fred to spend the summer there. But while Jane of course can offer Fred all sorts of intellectual experiences, emotionally she's cut off.
Where Foster and writer Scott Frank are on sure footing is looking at how Fred is both a prodigy and still a kid. He still gets mad at things, but he can also see all the answers in, say, a panel show. And there's a nice relationship with another boy genius (P.J. Ochlan), who warns Fred of the pitfalls they share. And Hamm-Byrd, in his first film, is a real find. He doesn't go over the top, but is quiet, and is able to project self-assurance and vulnerability at the same time.
The problem with the movie, of course, is the conflict between Dede and Jane, despite the good performances by both actresses (Wiest in particular is good at subjugating her usual warmth). You'd think it would have occurred to Hollywood by now that many of us have figured out emotion and intellect not only can work together but often must. But no, they need to set up a conflict that is supposed to add dramatic weight but seems shoehorned in. Still, despite that flaw, LITTLE MAN TATE is mostly quiet, observing, and patient, and stays with you because of that.
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