TVOn Friday Streamz will present the latest documentary ‘Laurent, the childprodigy’. It examines the life of the Belgian-Dutch gifted Laurent, whoobtained his master’s degree in quantum physics summa cum laude at the age oftwelve. However, wondrous whiz kids, wisecracking smarts and other brilliantlywired block beasts are not a rare phenomenon on your TV screen. From a Ugandanchess prodigy in ‘Queen of Katwe’ on Disney+ to the widely gifted and renownedwizard ‘Harry Potter’ on Streamz. These clever cobblestones quiz youeffortlessly under the table.
‘Gifted’ (Disney+)
Gifted but also frail, that’s Mary Adler, a seven-year-old girl who showssigns of extraordinary math skills. The young genius is raised by her uncleFrank (played by Chris ‘Captain America’ Evans) after her equally brilliantmother commits suicide. While Frank is busy giving Mary as normal a life aspossible, Mary’s grandmother thinks otherwise and wants to exploit hergranddaughter’s talents for her own benefit. This results in a bitter custodybattle between the two. This tear-jerking drama from Marc Webb has beenpraised by critics for its impressive cast and truthful portrayal of familyconflicts, and has easily increased its modest $7 million box office budgetsixfold. Talk about a mathematical miracle!
‘Matilda’ (Netflix)
She could speak perfectly after 18 months, after 3 years she could read andafter 5 years she could multiply numbers with double digits. If anyone is topof the class, it’s Matilda. Like Laurent, Matilda also cannot explain why sheis so gifted. She just is. This 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s booktells the story of an extremely gifted Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson), whogrows up in a dysfunctional family with an aloof, immoral father (played byDanny DeVito, who also directed the film) and a selfish, binge-addictedmother. The biggest bully, however, is Principal Agatha Trunchbull. WhenMatilda realizes she possesses the miraculous power of telekinesis, she startshitting back at all the bullies in her life, including her unkind parents.
‘Queen of Katwe’ (Disney+)
Were you completely blown away by ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ on Netflix? Then youurgently need to discover ‘Queen of Katwe’ on Disney+. This 2016 award-winningfilm starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo tells the true story of PhionaMutesi, a nine-year-old girl growing up in the slums of Uganda, East Africa,who accidentally discovered the sport of chess. When she starts to hone hertechnique more and more, she is seized by the chess bug and participates ininternational tournaments that send her to the absolute world top. Aninspiring formula that tells the typical ‘zero to hero’ story, but at the sametime lands with the viewer in a refreshing way. Thanks to the magneticrenditions of newcomers such as Madina Nalwanga (Phiona) and the lamentedNikita Pearl Waligwa (Gloria), who died suddenly in 2020 from the effects of abrain tumor.
Fuller House (Netflix)
In the vein of ‘Young Sheldon’, the series about the handsome childhood ofSheldon Cooper from ‘The Big Bang Theory’, the follow-up show to ‘Full House’also has a character in its ranks that deserves its own spin-off, morespecifically Max. This precocious, intelligent young lad is the second son ofthe oldest Tanner daughter DJ and steals every scene he appears in. Ascientific genius, he likes to dress in plaid shirts and, like Sheldon,carries a briefcase to school instead of a backpack. He is neat and tidy andlikes to poke fun at others who are less intelligent than him. For fans of’Full House’, the show is a pleasant reunion with some of the key figures fromthe nostalgic sitcom, including ‘Uncle Jesse’ (John Stamos), Stephanie Tanner(Jodie Sweetin) and even the annoying girl next door Kimmy Gibbler (AndreaBarber).
‘Harry Potter’ (Streamz)
One story that still appeals to many bright youngsters is the adventures ofHarry Potter. The film series based on the books by JK Rowling may be veryclose to the fantasy genre, but it contains many reflections of giftedness, aswell as themes with which gifted children can identify. Because Harry is alsodifferent and does not fit in, but he is destined to develop his talents anddo great things with them. He’s not the only one who hangs together withbrilliant bolts, by the way. His schoolmates are also unusually gifted to agreater or lesser extent, and we’d even venture to say that the perfectionistbookworm Hermione Granger is the franchise’s biggest smartass. Not countingAlbus Dumbledore, of course.