Review of Little Man Tate

Introduction

Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd) is the Little Man in the title. He`s a gifted seven year old who lives with his single mum, Dede (Jodie Foster) in a small apartment. Fred is gifted at maths, art and playing the piano amongst other things but at school he gets easily bored through lack of stimulation. In steps Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest). She`s a psychologist who specialises in gifted children and helps to push their potential. She`s also someone who`s very driven but has no children of her own and this in itself leaves her ill-equipped to deal with children on any emotional level.

Fred tries to fit in amongst the other young prodigious talents he meets at the Grierson Institute, but he`s still somewhat alone and finds it hard going. What he needs most of all is his mother, and she has to make some tough choices in deciding what`s best for her son.

Video

Presented with a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, Little Man Tate provides a slightly better than average transfer. There`s some dirt and minor compression problems that appear from time-to-time which isn`t too distracting, but I thought it could have been better. The colours are well balanced with a decent amount of detail and black coming through. Some locations look better than others, in particular Dede`s apartment has a nice earthy and warm look.

Audio

This comes with a DD5.1 audio track. Little Man Tate is a dialogue driven movie and not a home theatre tester, but what`s here works quite well. Dialogue is clear and the ambient sound and music is spread well across the front.

Features

Static menus lead to chapter selection, audio tracks, subtitles and a theatrical trailer. Yet again MGM shortchange UK owners when it comes to this disc compared to the R1 DVD. The American disc has director commentary with Jodie Foster, which is something that I would have liked here. What`s the point including any extras when all it comprises of is a trailer? Very poor.

Conclusion

This isn`t a complicated story in the slightest, anyone who watches it can pick up the emotional threads and will identify with the bond between mother and son. It is clichéd to a certain degree but it doesn`t feel too much like this at all, since the story keeps moving and doesn`t dwell for too long on any particular aspect. It`s one of those compact stories where nearly everything is resolved by the end credits. This isn`t a bad thing, it`s just a slice of life with Fred, his mother and Jane, the psychologist, and I think it works well in producing an entertaining and lighthearted film.

This is Jodie Foster`s directorial debut and thankfully it doesn`t appear too demanding a script to shoot by her appearing on both sides of the camera. I found the direction to be low key and unobtrusive which is spot on. There aren`t any lingering shots or scenes without purpose either; it`s well edited and the momentum is nice and steady throughout the 95 minute runtime.

There`s a certain sense of scale here too with little Fred (Adam Hann-Byrd) captured in this huge world which always brings home his vulnerability. I found myself endeared towards him and his relationship with Dede (Foster). The intimacy too is subtle and never over acted. I thought the cast performances here to be quite effective. From Jane`s (Dianne Wiest) contempt for Dede (Foster), Dede`s motherly love for her son, and Fred`s sensitivity, you can see their performances reflected in everything they do and this is quite touching.

I think Jodie has done quite well directing her first feature and can feel proud of herself. I enjoyed watching Little Man Tate and can certainly recommend this film if you`re looking for a heart warming feel good story with good performances. Buy the region 1 disc however for the inclusion of Jodie`s audio commentary.