The ‘genius’ trope has been explored extensively and often, brilliantly, in films. Usually, the geniuses we see in movies are adults, and their intellect acts as their characteristic feature rather than the focal point of the plot. But if the movie is about a child prodigy — someone who excels at one or more skills at an early age — the approach is a little different. Child prodigy films tend to focus inward and attempt to understand the nature of their protagonist’s intellect. This is perhaps because no matter how stunning an adult’s intelligence in any field might be, the same exhibited by a child is more inherently shocking. Due to this unexpected nature, child prodigy movies are often characterised by dilemmas. There’s a fragile balance between encouraging such children and pushing them too far.
To understand such dynamics better, here are the 12 best child prodigy movies which explore the aforementioned themes and more:
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1. Vitus (2006)
Vitus is a lesser-known Swiss film, written and directed by Fredi M. Murer. It is about a 12-year-old piano prodigy, Vitus (Teo Gheorghiu), who feels burdened by the weight of his talent and his parents’ expectations. His well-meaning parents wish for him to become a renowned concert pianist. However, they don’t understand him well, and Vitus feels stuck in a joyless regimented life.
His only true comfort is his eccentric grandfather, with whom he shares a special bond. The movie follows Vitus as he tries to escape his parents’ dreams so that he can follow his own — that of being “normal.” This movie explores the necessity of an ordinary childhood, and the psyche of the normal child that resides within the prodigy. The film suffers from some sentimental and conventional turns. But the audio-visual innovations and the heart-warming bond between Vitus and his grandfather still make it a good watch.
2. Gifted (2017)
This film from Marc Webb is a custody battle drama revolving around a child prodigy. The adorable and snarky 7-year-old Mary (Mckenna Grace) is a gifted child who lives with her maternal uncle, Frank (Chris Evans). She displays mad math skills, just like her late mother. Frank tries to give Mary a normal childhood. But his mother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), wants Mary to continue the family legacy and devote herself to mathematics.
Thus, the custody battle ensues between Frank and Evelyn. They are two people with essential philosophical differences, who have incompatible ideas of what’s best for Mary. The film deals with the fine line between encouraging and burdening a child prodigy. Mary’s late mother has a looming presence in this regard, which effectively drives the point home. Gifted is a touching film with an interesting family drama and is elevated by heartfelt performances of the cast.
3. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
This movie follows real-life chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc) at the age of seven. Josh tries to develop his talent without losing himself in the process. His journey is influenced by a variety of contrasting forces in his life. The characters surrounding him offer different approaches not only on chess or on different ways of nurturing a child prodigy, but on life itself.
Attempts are made to mould Josh into becoming the next Bobby Fischer. But this troubled chess master also represents the risk of pursuing genius at the cost of everything else. Fischer’s absent presence adds a lot of depth to the film. Steven Zaillian did a brilliant job in his directorial debut, and Conrad Hall helped him present his subject through some incredibly imaginative cinematography. The movie asks a lot of difficult and complex questions, and has been executed with intelligence and insight.
4. Fresh (1994)
Boaz Yakin’s child prodigy film, Fresh, also a hood film, transcends the formulaic trappings of both the genres. Fresh (Sean Nelson) is a 12-year-old chess prodigy, who lives in the gritty world of the urban ghetto. He works as a drug dealer out of sheer necessity, and in the meantime, learns chess from his alcoholic father. Gradually, he gains such insight into this complex game that he decides to apply its strategies in the game of life.
He comes up with a plan to save himself and his sister from their hopeless existence by scoring a metaphorical checkmate on the top dogs of their society. The film goes to dark and violent places, and presents its criminal world with unflinching realism. Nelson gives an impressive performance as a toughened, yet childlike, genius. Yakin’s remarkable directorial debut feels raw and fresh even today.
5. Billy Elliot (2000)
This is a coming-of-age story of a child prodigy set in a period of socio-political strife. Billy (Jamie Bell) is an 11-year-old, working class boy who turns out to be a ballet prodigy and develops a great passion for the art. His ballet teacher sees his immense talent and pushes him in all the right ways. However, working against his dreams are the 1984–85 miners’ strike background and its by-product — the stereotypical ideas of masculinity.
Billy’s love of ballet rather than a traditionally masculine sport like boxing, becomes a point of tension with his father and brother. This brings a variety of relevant socio-cultural issues to the forefront. Some elements are perhaps feel-good to the point of unrealistic wishful thinking. But it’s still a good movie, covering various interesting themes like the art-artist relationship, class divides, unemployment, police violence, gender stereotypes, and character growth.
6. La Bamba (1987)
This biographical film follows the life and career of Chicano rock ‘n’ roll star Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips). Phillips was an adult when he took up this role. But the film depicts the life story of Valens, who had been a musical prodigy from an early age. He developed an interest in music at the age of five and went on to master a variety of instruments over time. By 17, he was a rock star with three major hit songs.
But it was also at this young, untimely age that he met a tragic death. February 3, 1959, the day he passed away, came to be known as ‘The Day the Music Died.’ The film gives us a brilliant portrayal of Valens and his dysfunctional, but loving, family and his relationship with his girlfriend. These personal elements intertwine with his great talent and passion for music, and the trajectory of his rise to stardom. This well-rounded biopic is energetic, true to life, and does justice to the lasting legacy of the real Valens.
7. Queen of Katwe (2016)
This biographical film depicts the life of chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) at the age of ten. She lives in the slums of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda with her mother and siblings. She has no education, possessions, or prospects. Her life changes when she meets Robert (Oyelowo) who coaches her at chess and sees her great potential.
This is a feel-good rags-to-riches Disney story with a setting and cast that separates it from the mainstream. The performances of the cast are commendable. The film boasts some great cinematography which captures the economically disadvantaged corner of Uganda brilliantly. Director Mira Nair handles the chess metaphors well, and establishes the connections between the game and Phiona’s life with subtle touches. This encouraging take of a marginalised pawn becoming a queen with a little help from her family and friends is worth a watch.
8. Big Hero 6 (2014)
The animated Disney superhero film features the 14-year-old robotics prodigy, Hiro Hamada, voiced by Ryan Potter. This charming and creative film is set in the near-futuristic metropolis, San Fransokyo, a vibrant blend of San Francisco and Tokyo. Hiro initially uses his skills to win back-alley robot fights. To turn Hiro onto better things, his older brother, Tadashi (Henney), takes him to his college’s research lab.
There Hiro meets a colourful crew of robotics specialists and Tadashi’s creation, Baymax (Scott Adsit), an inflatable robot. When tragedy strikes, Hiro, his new friends, and Baymax form a high-tech superhero squad — the Big Hero 6. A chase for the villain and adventures ensue. Hiro’s intelligence and inventions are impressive, but the greater highlight is the bond between him and Baymax. The movie also emphasizes the role of the child prodigy by focusing on ideas rather than pure action. This interesting approach helps this superhero film stand out.
9. Little Man Tate (1991)
Jodie Foster’s directorial debut revolves around a child genius who faces social and psychological struggles because he is different. Single mother Dede (Foster) realises that her 7-year-old son, Fred Tate (Adam-Hann Byrd), has advanced intelligence and can master the fields of music, art, and math. She tries to provide him with adequate opportunities and also address his emotional needs, but this turns out to be a complicated and difficult task.
When child psychologist Jane (Wiest) attempts to nurture Fred’s talents in the way that she thinks best, tension arises between her and Dede. Meanwhile, Fred wishes to have friends and a normal childhood. He is a normal child in many ways, but the other kids can’t relate to his perception of the world, making him an outcast. The movie presents an honest and thought-provoking take on the emotional world of child prodigies. The characters are well-drawn and the performances powerful.
10. Finding Forrester (2000)
This film is about a 16-year-old writing prodigy, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), who befriends a writer named Forrester (Sean Connery). Jamal is a smart teenager from the Bronx who plays basketball with his friends and tries to fit in with them, but his true talent lies in writing. Forrester is an alcoholic literary recluse in the style of J.D. Salinger. When he notices Jamal’s talent, he begins to guide the budding writer.
Jamal attempts to hone his writing skills and also deal with the attitude of his peers and teachers. This is another film from Gus Van Sant (after Good Will Hunting) which focuses on the relationship between a young genius and their mentor. It utilises familiar tropes, but executes them well. Finding Forrester is a feel-good underdog story with some humorous touches and great performances.
11. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
This is an entertaining, emotional film about an 11-year-old girl Akeelah (Keke Palmer), from a poor neighbourhood in Los Angeles. Akeelah tries to use her talent for spelling to overcome her socio-economic disadvantages. Coming from a background where intellect is best kept under cover, she aims to qualify for and win the National Spelling Bee. But she is a problematic character herself, and this brings more tension and conflict to the film.
The film explores several complex social and cultural dynamics. Palmer does an excellent job, as does Laurence Fishburne as her mentor, Dr. Larabee. The movie does get somewhat sentimental and formulaic, but it still depicts a moving and important story rather well. Akeelah’s character development and her bond with Dr. Larabee and two of her fellow contestants make it a compelling watch.
12. A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
Inspired by director Morgan Matthews’ own documentary, Beautiful Young Minds, this film presents the coming-of-age story of autistic math prodigy Nathan Ellis (Asa Butterfield). Nathan is a teenager with a great passion for mathematics, but he struggles to connect with the people around him. When he qualifies for the prestigious Mathematical Olympiad, he goes to Taiwan to train with the other math geniuses.
One of them is Zhang Mei (Jo Yang), whose friendship slowly brings Nathan out of his shell and changes his life. Nathan attempts to cope with his anxieties regarding his performance in the competition as well as his social and emotional demons. The movie strikes a good balance between matters of the mind and the heart. It is thought-provoking and the performances are strong. It is not sans clichés, but is still a genuine and warm crowd-pleaser.
Conclusion
These are some exemplary films revolving around child prodigies. They offer various insights not only about the children themselves, but also about how others perceive and treat them. No matter how striking or unbelievable their achievements might be for their age, it is ultimately important to remember that they are still children. For some other interesting takes on the child prodigy trope, you can also watch The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and Good Will Hunting (1997).
