6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Dede is a sole parent trying to bring up her son Fred. When it is discovered that Fred is a genius, she is determined to ensure that Fred has all the opportunities that he needs.
Starring: Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest, Harry Connick Jr., Adam Hann-Byrd, David Hyde PierceDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
I have one sister who spent much of a long teaching career testing so-called talented and gifted kids, and another sister who spent an equally long career as a psychiatric social worker helping mentally ill and developmentally disabled people. At times, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two if they were to share anecdotes about their work lives. There would, for example, be talk of standard deviations from the norm, unorthodox behaviors, and problems with socialization. It’s interesting, if perhaps just slightly unsettling, that two “extremes” can be described in such similar terms, but as Little Man Tate makes abundantly clear, no mere description is able to adequately deal with some kids whose intelligence is off the Richter scale, leaving “civilians” like the kids’ parents and even professionals like mentors and/or teachers grasping (incompetently at times) for ways to not just engage these precocious types, but to actually help them matriculate into society at large. This debut directorial effort from star Jodie Foster is (ironically) a bit too simple minded in its portrayal of a hard working, average intelligence single mother trying to come to terms with the fact that her son is an undeniable genius. The film has a somewhat sanguine approach toward its subject which just slightly undercuts some of the interstitial drama before a basically upbeat ending, but it provides Foster the chance to explore an unusual story and to draw out a really winning performance from young Adam Hann-Byrd as young Fred Tate, the titular character with an unapproachable IQ.
Little Man Tate is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. This is a solid, always watchable, but fairly modest looking presentation. Elements exhibit their fair share of age related issues, but while there are occasional scratches, flecks and speckling, the two biggest issues are rather noticeable fading as well as slightly unkempt looking grain structure at times. Some of Little Man Tate boasts relatively accurate and nicely saturated color (see screenshot 3), but other scenes (and strangely exterior scenes at that) can sometimes look just slightly anemic (see screenshot 4). The overall appearance is on the soft side, something that a slightly clumpy grain structure tends to exacerbate. Still, detail is at least relatively commendable in close-ups, where elements like the natty pill on Fred's green jacket resolve with admirable precision. There's fairly significant wobble during the credits, but afterward things settle down and there are no major problems with image instability. As is Olive's stock in trade, there have been no restorative efforts made here but similarly no signs of over aggressive digital tweaking.
Little Man Tate's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track provides capable if unshowy support for the film's long dialogue sequences, as well as some musical interludes and even ambient environmental effects in both urban and rural areas. Fidelity is fine, and there are no issues with pops, cracks or dropouts.
There are no supplements on this Blu-ray disc.
Kind of like a willful child prodigy, Little Man Tate never quite goes where it should, or at least not in an expected way, and that's actually one of the film's central pleasures. If ultimately the denouement provides a too sanguine wrap up of Fred's emotional problems, the film at least has the courage to portray really smart people figuring out how to interact with "mere mortals." Never totally as emotionally compelling as it might have been due to a kind of surface gloss, Little Man Tate is nonetheless highly enjoyable and offers a sterling performance by Adam Hann-Byrd. Video is watchable if uninspiring, and audio is fine on this release. Recommended.
2019
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