10 Movies Gifted Children Will Love

What child doesn't enjoy watching a good movie? Gifted children certainly aren't any different, but some movies may be more appealing to them than other movies. These are movies that feature gifted characters, like Belle in "Beauty and the Beast," or traits such as honor or themes like fantasy or heroics.

Here are ten good movies that will appeal to gifted kids.

1

Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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It's little wonder that gifted kids love "Harry Potter," which was adapted from the wildly popular novel series. Harry Potter is a boy with qualities gifted kids possess or admire such as courage, loyalty, and honor. The Harry Potter books include themes that are important to gifted kids like love and friendship. Many gifted kids also identify with Harry, who doesn't quite fit in anywhere; who is different. He often feels alone and isolated and struggles to do the right thing. He is smart, but he doesn't excel in school. It is possible to see many reflections of giftedness in Harry Potter.

The "Harry Potter" movies bring the characters and the stories from the books to life.

2

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
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Throughout history, we have looked up at the night sky and pondered the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. "E.T." is a story about that possibility. It is heartwarming and especially appealing to gifted children, because so many of them love fantasy and outer space. More than that, the story appeals to their empathy for others and also their sense of honor.

Gifted kids will be engrossed by the story of two children's attempt to help E.T. get back home.

3

SpaceCamp

Space Camp
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"SpaceCamp" is a must-see movie for any gifted kid who loves space. Just about every kind of gifted teen is depicted in this movie: the "brain," the kid who doesn't care, the girl who seems to dumb herself down. They all manage to work together when the shuttle they're on actually blasts off into outer space!

My son watched this movie for the first time when he was about six years old, and from the first moment wanted nothing more than to go to a space camp ourselves—which we managed to make happen when he was eight.

4

Matilda

Matilda
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Matilda is a precocious little girl who has special abilities and whose parents don't understand her. It's no wonder, though: they are uncaring and pretty unethical characters, while Matilda is sensitive and moral. Matilda feels alone and is treated quite unkindly at the horrible school her parents send her to. Her only friend is her teacher. The story does have a happy ending, however!

5

Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy
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Harriet is a young girl who aspires to be a writer—and a spy. She loves to write down her observations about life and people, including her best friends. Unfortunately for Harriet, her notebook ends up in the wrong hands and her friends learn all about the comments Harriet has written about them. Gifted kids will enjoy this movie for a number of reasons; for one, many of them are often attracted to spy activities and mystery, while others may like to write and keep journals.

An issue this movie covers is the supposed objective reporting of people that the subjects of the reporting might not see as so objective. This is an issue that some gifted kids may need to deal with in their own lives.

6

Little Man Tate

Little Man Tate
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"Little Man Tate" is the story of a profoundly gifted young boy and his mother, and his search to be accepted for who he is. What's so interesting about this story is that it demonstrates that while gifted kids aren't necessarily walking brains, their intellectual needs can't be ignored. Tate's mother considers his emotions over his intellect while the director of Tate's new school considers his intellect over his emotions. It's not until the two come together that Tate finds real happiness. Many gifted kids may relate to what Tate has to go through.

7

October Sky

October Sky
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"October Sky" is based on a true story, which makes it all the more inspiring. The kids in the story are from a very poor coal-mining town and whose futures are tied to coal-mining. But they have an interest in space and rocketry and that interest is fostered and encouraged by one of their teachers. However, the movie is about more than just the boys and their interest in rocketry. It's a truly inspirational story about family, hope, faith, and perseverance in the face of all odds. One of the boys in the story, eventually ended up as, among other things, an aerospace engineer for NASA.

8

Willow

Willow
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This is a movie for the older kids, particularly those who love high fantasy (e.g. "Lord of the Rings"). There is an evil queen, a special child, fantastic creatures, and of course, a battle against good and evil—all the ingredients of a good fantasy. The title character is played by Warwick Davis, who played Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter movies.

9

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot
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"Billy Elliot" is the story of a young boy who discovers a love and incredible talent for ballet despite that his father wanted him to be a boxer. Billy's loves for ballet makes him a misfit and creates a rift between him and his coal-miner, working-class father. It's a story of love, perseverance, understanding, and support. Gifted boys who are exceptionally sensitive will appreciate Billy's struggles—even if they don't aspire to become ballet dancers themselves. Any gifted sensitive boy who doesn't pursue the typical male-dominated pursuits, such as boxing, basketball, and others, will no doubt relate to Billy.

10

The Last Starfighter

The Last Starfighter
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"The Last Starfighter" is the story of Alex, a boy who lives in a trailer park and who loves to play video games. He finds himself recruited to be a gunner by an alien defense force. What is wonderful about this story, aside from the sheer fun of space battles against good and evil, is the value of the recognition of ability and the hope it brings with it. Alex, after his space battles, knows he is destined for more than living out his life in his dreary trailer park.

2 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Vaivre-Douret L. Developmental and Cognitive Characteristics of "High-Level Potentialities" (Highly Gifted) Children. Int J Pediatr. 2011;2011:420297. doi:10.1155/2011/420297

  2. Eren F, Çete AÖ, Avcil S, Baykara B. Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted Children and Their Families. Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2018;55(2):105-112. doi:10.5152/npa.2017.12731

By Carol Bainbridge
Carol Bainbridge has provided advice to parents of gifted children for decades, and was a member of the Indiana Association for the Gifted.