Little Man Tate is a 1991 motion picture which tells the story of Fred Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-actualize in a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his intelligence. Jodie Foster (who also directed) plays Fred’s mother Dede, who attempts to give her son a “normal” childhood while simultaneously feeding his intellectual curiosity. The film marked Foster’s directorial debut. Large portions of the film were shot at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio. The movie grossed about $25 million.

Tagline: It's not what he knows. It's what he understands.

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, and that he is not taken advantage of by people who forget that his extremely powerful intellect is harboured in the body and emotions of a child. Written by Murray Chapman

The story of the intellectually-gifted eight-year-old Fred Tate, his mother Dede and the director of a program for gifted children, Dr Jane Grierson. It explores the tension between Fred's emotional and intellectual needs and between his mother and Dr Grierson. Written by Mike McBain