Did you know that child prodigy movies are extremely popular amongst all generations? From kids to teens and even adults—everyone enjoys a well-made, impactful, and entertaining child prodigy. This is because child prodigy movies are very engaging, intriguing, and informative and can educate you in more than one way.
In fact, it is believed that certain child prodigy movies can allow kids to develop their empathy and critical spirit, thanks to their identification with the characters. It helps them adapt strategies that they can use to solve conflicts when facing similar situations. It helps them gain knowledge that they can use to solve real-world problems. And most of all, these films inspire other kids and boost their confidence.
If you are bored of watching movies where only the ‘adults’ are the geniuses and heroes, have a look at these 5 best child prodigy movies of all time.
From Queen of Katwe to Searching for Bobby Fischer, below are the 5 top child prodigy movies that should be on your binge list.
Queen of Katwe: Helmed by Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, Queen of Katwe is an American sports biopic based on the life of Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi, a girl who lived in Katwe, a slum located in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The film showcases the inspiring story of Phiona who bags several victories at the World Chess Olympiads despite all the troubles she faced while living in poverty. The film stars Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, and Lupita Nyong’o and won several awards and accolades. Mira Nair received a lot of critical acclaim for depicting the motivating story of this child with extraordinary capabilities. It is not just a film, it’s a lesson on life about beating all odds to achieve what you have manifested. Released in 2016, Queen of Katwe remains one of the best child prodigy movies of all time.
Little Man Tate: Starring Adam Hann-Byrd, Dianne Wiest, Harry Connick Jr., David Hyde Pierce, Debi Mazar, and P.J. Ochlan, Little Man Tate is a story of a seven-year-old child prodigy named Fred Tate. When Fred’s single mother discovers that her child is a genius, she ensures that she provides him every opportunity and chance that he needs to express his gift to the world. Fred, on the other hand, finds it difficult to adjust to the ‘new normal and socialize with others given that he is ‘gifted’ and a little different from others. Released in 1991, this American drama film is considered to be one of the finest child prodigy movies and received a lot of critical acclaim upon its release. The film has been helmed by Jodie Foster.
Akeelah and the Bee: The film depicts the story of Akeelah, an 11-year-old gifted gifted girl who enrolls herself in a spell bee competition because of her special talent and passion for spelling. The film showcases how she participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and ends up winning the competition with endless support from her mother and coach. The film stars Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, and Curtis Armstrong in key roles and has been directed by American filmmaker Doug Atchison. It was released in the United States in 2006 and won several prestigious awards including BET and BlackMovie awards.
Gifted: Ace American filmmaker Marc Webb’s Gifted is a story of Frank Adler (played by Chris Evans) who single-handedly raises his niece Mckenna Grace, a seven-year-old girl with exceptional mathematical abilities. When Mckenna’s remarkable talent comes to the attention of Frank’s formidable mother, he is drawn into a custody battle with her over the gifted girl. The film stars Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer in key roles and is one of the most popular child prodigy films of recent times. It was released in 2017 and received positive reviews along with several accolades.
Searching for Bobby Fischer: Through this film, director Steven Zaillian raised many important questions about how a gift can also become the biggest curse for a child prodigy. Searching for Bobby Fischer is based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin. It follows the story of a seven-year-old boy who is a genius at chess but is refusing to push harder because of certain reasons. The film stars Max Pomeranc, Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, and Laurence Fishburne, the film bagged nominations at the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and received a lot of critical and commercial acclaim.
Final Takeaway
Apart from these top 5 Child Prodigy films, there are other iconic films about child geniuses such as Finding Forrester, Vitus, Good Will Hunting, and A Brilliant Young Mind that should definitely be on your watch list if you love watching films about gifted children.
FAQs
- Is it important to have a high IQ to be a prodigy?
The latest study has confirmed that it is not important for a child prodigy to have a high IQ. There can be kids with low IQ who are child prodigies and others with high IQ who are not. However, according to researchers, the IQ of child prodigies varies from 108 to 147.
2. At what age can a child be considered a prodigy?
Children who are under the age of 10 and are gifted with exceptional talent can be considered prodigies.
3. Which is the most popular child prodigy film of all time?
American family drama Little Man Tate directed by Jodie Foster is considered to be the most popular child prodigy film of all time.
MORE INTERESTING ARTICLES FOR YOU
How to develop critical thinking in your child 
Pronunciation development in your child 
How to teach your child to dress by himself ?