Watch Boy Genius
- 2019
- 1 hr 33 min
-
5.0 (215)
"Boy Genius" is a 2019 coming-of-age comedy-drama about a 12-year-old child prodigy named Emmett. Emmett is a genius who thinks that he has everything figured out, until he meets an equally brilliant girl named Charlotte, who teaches him about the real world outside of academics. This film stars Zach Gilford as Emmett's father, Kevin, and Rita Wilson as the principal of the private school where Emmett is enrolled. Tracie Thoms plays the role of Emmett's mother, Susan, who left the family to pursue her career in academia.
The movie takes place in New York City, where Emmett is a student at The Fermi School for Gifted Children. He is at the top of his class, a natural at math, science, and anything else intellectual. However, despite his academic success, Emmett struggles to navigate the social side of middle school. Emmett is a loner who prefers the company of his textbooks to that of his classmates. He has a strict daily routine that includes waking up at 5am to read the news and exercise, and he micromanages everything from his diet to his clothing.
Emmett's father, Kevin, is a workaholic lawyer who is more focused on his career than on his son. He frequently misses Emmett's milestones and tends to communicate with him through PowerPoint presentations rather than heart-to-heart talks. Emmett's mother, Susan, is a professor of linguistics who left the family when Emmett was still a toddler to pursue her academic career. Although she is emotionally distant, Emmett idolizes her, and her absence has left a gaping hole in his life.
Emmett's world is rocked when a new student named Charlotte joins the class. Charlotte is a brilliant and precocious kid who is unafraid to speak her mind. She challenges Emmett's beliefs and exposes him to the harsh realities of the world beyond the classroom. Charlotte is the opposite of Emmett in every wayâhe is reserved and analytical, while she is outgoing and emotional. The two form an unlikely friendship, and she helps Emmett to break out of his shell and see the world in a different way.
However, when Emmett suspects that Charlotte is being mistreated by her father, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He drafts a legal document to emancipate her from her parents, and sets out on a quest to set Charlotte free. Along the way, he realizes that there is more to life than academic success and that sometimes the most important lessons are learned outside of the classroom.
"Boy Genius" is a heartwarming and funny film that explores the pressures of being a child prodigy and the importance of emotional intelligence. It is a story about growing up and discovering who you are, and will leave audiences of all ages feeling inspired and uplifted.
Boy Genius is a 2019 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.0.