Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- whimsical
- witty
- wistful
- family movie night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s inventive visuals and poignant family story, while finding its whimsical excess occasionally overdone.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
T.S. secretly boards a freight train and crosses the United States to attend the Smithsonian ceremony.
T.S.’s maps, diagrams, inventions, and observational perspective shape the film’s highly designed visual language.
The death of T.S.’s twin Layton remains unspoken within the ranch family and shadows T.S.’s understanding of his journey.
T.S. receives elite scientific recognition from the Smithsonian but must handle the adult world without his family’s knowledge or support.
Films like The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, and why
Moonrise Kingdom
Shares a whimsical visual style, child-centered adventure, eccentric family dynamics, and tender coming-of-age themes.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Shares a precocious child protagonist, playful authorial design, family dysfunction, and bittersweet emotional undercurrents.
Hugo
Shares a fantastical road journey, imaginative visual storytelling, family grief, and a young protagonist seeking connection.
The Little Rascals
Shares a child-led adventure, whimsical tone, rural-to-urban journey, and themes of independence and belonging.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Release Date
- 2013-10-16
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (911)
Cast
- Kyle Catlett
- Helena Bonham Carter
- Judy Davis
- Callum Keith Rennie
- Niamh Wilson
- Jakob Davies
- Rick Mercer
- Robert Maillet
- Dominique Pinon
- Julian Richings
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet about?
- A gifted Montana boy secretly rides the rails to Washington after winning a Smithsonian prize, carrying a family secret he cannot yet understand.
- What is The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet as mild.
- What did critics think of The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s inventive visuals and poignant family story, while finding its whimsical excess occasionally overdone.
- Which films are like The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet?
- Films with a similar feel include Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums, Hugo, and The Little Rascals.
- How long is The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet?
- The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet?
- In United States, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
