Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd) was a boy genius. For most parents that would be a blessing, but for Dede Tate (Jodie Foster), it was probably more of a burden. Dede was a waitress and clearly not highly educated-- in fact it seemed that Jodie Foster simply reprised her role from the movie "The Accused." Fred Tate also seem to be burdened with his genius.
Fred Tate seem to be perpetually lost. There did not seem to be a clique, a group, or a place for him--a highly advanced seven-year-old. "Little Man Tate" was mostly about finding that place for this gifted child. He thought he found a place with Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest) and her school for the gifted, but even that wound up being a bust.
By the end of the movie Fred Tate claimed that he had found happiness, but had he? Yes, he was having his eighth birthday party that was full of guests and they were all having fun, but that was just an event. I get that that event was supposed to be symbolic and analogous to his life at that point--meaning that he now had friends and something of a normal life that he was pleased with, but the preponderance of the movie before that all indicated that he was never going to be quite satisfied. Whenever he'd found happiness it never lasted. I could see Fred Tate in 10 or 15 years being Will Hunting, a genius janitor that is still not quite living up to his potential nor is he quite happy with his life.
So, for the time being Fred Tate is happy, which makes his birthday party the perfect point to end a movie on a happy note. Whether or not that happiness will last is anyone's guess.
Fred Tate seem to be perpetually lost. There did not seem to be a clique, a group, or a place for him--a highly advanced seven-year-old. "Little Man Tate" was mostly about finding that place for this gifted child. He thought he found a place with Jane Grierson (Dianne Wiest) and her school for the gifted, but even that wound up being a bust.
By the end of the movie Fred Tate claimed that he had found happiness, but had he? Yes, he was having his eighth birthday party that was full of guests and they were all having fun, but that was just an event. I get that that event was supposed to be symbolic and analogous to his life at that point--meaning that he now had friends and something of a normal life that he was pleased with, but the preponderance of the movie before that all indicated that he was never going to be quite satisfied. Whenever he'd found happiness it never lasted. I could see Fred Tate in 10 or 15 years being Will Hunting, a genius janitor that is still not quite living up to his potential nor is he quite happy with his life.
So, for the time being Fred Tate is happy, which makes his birthday party the perfect point to end a movie on a happy note. Whether or not that happiness will last is anyone's guess.