IMDb RATING
7.1/10
31K
YOUR RATING
A socially awkward teenage maths prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.A socially awkward teenage maths prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.A socially awkward teenage maths prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.
- Awards
- 10 wins & 11 nominations total
Featured reviews
Excellent performances all round for this charming story concentrating on a family who have a son on the autistic spectrum. The characters are very believable and put in sterling performances. The youngsters especially are great. It gives an accurate insight into the world of autism from everyone's point of view. Sally Hawkins as the mother gets it totally right! Fine actress she is. I know it's early days, but I would like to see some Oscar nominations for this movie. I would like to give this movie a 10, but I feel the ending is somewhat too simplistic and almost Disney-esque 'Happily Ever After' scenario. Autism isn't a one-size-fits-all condition, and people shouldn't come away with the idea that everyone with autism is a genius. The social awkwardness is portrayed beautifully as is the feeling of not fitting in and seeing the world in a way that's different to most people. I highly recommend this movie. The whole story about an International Math Competition is very engaging. You will wipe your eyes too!
This movie came onto my radar because of the talent involved, I didn't really know what to expect, so I blindly went to see it.
From the start this film pulls you in and pull on your heart- strings. Granted, I was jet-lagged when I saw it, which probably explained why I was teary-eyed for much of the film. The movie, is very much a character film. It tackles every aspect of Nathan's life and that of the people around him. The film manages to be a family drama, a coming of age movie with a dash of romance, and a comedy at the same time. It all seamlessly fit together and keep you captivated.
The cast is out of this world. The group of young actors they chose is simply impressive because they are all so natural that it's easy to believe that they are the characters they're portraying. Asa Butterfield is wickedly talented and morphed into Nathan for the duration of the film.
Morgan Matthews' background in documentary film-making has a huge impact on how realistic and natural the film feels. The film really shows a wide spectrum of teenagers, among the socially awkward, quirky, math prodigy children. He conveys a strong message by showcasing these kids as they are and not falling into common stereotypes.
A Brilliant Young Mind is a gem that I would recommend to every one. I LOVED this film, it's touching and amazingly well made.
@Wornoutspines
From the start this film pulls you in and pull on your heart- strings. Granted, I was jet-lagged when I saw it, which probably explained why I was teary-eyed for much of the film. The movie, is very much a character film. It tackles every aspect of Nathan's life and that of the people around him. The film manages to be a family drama, a coming of age movie with a dash of romance, and a comedy at the same time. It all seamlessly fit together and keep you captivated.
The cast is out of this world. The group of young actors they chose is simply impressive because they are all so natural that it's easy to believe that they are the characters they're portraying. Asa Butterfield is wickedly talented and morphed into Nathan for the duration of the film.
Morgan Matthews' background in documentary film-making has a huge impact on how realistic and natural the film feels. The film really shows a wide spectrum of teenagers, among the socially awkward, quirky, math prodigy children. He conveys a strong message by showcasing these kids as they are and not falling into common stereotypes.
A Brilliant Young Mind is a gem that I would recommend to every one. I LOVED this film, it's touching and amazingly well made.
@Wornoutspines
I pre-ordered "X+Y" from the UK, not realizing it was being released in the US (under a different name). This ended up being one of my favorite movies of this year, but I feel like many people will not give it a chance for several reasons, but mainly the subject matter.
"It" is a delicate petal to step around to a lot of people. Nathan is not the epitome of all people on the spectrum, he is unique and also based on a real person (albeit loosely). You don't have to have any kind of "diagnosed condition" to understand the hardships portrayed in the film. His is not the only struggle, just the most emphasized.
I must say that I was impressed with Asa Butterfield's portrayal of Nathan. Not many actors can convey emotions or thoughts without actually saying much of anything. When you feel empathy for a character, you know the actor is doing far more than just saying their memorized lines. That being said, everyone did a pretty good job bringing their characters to life.
"It" is a delicate petal to step around to a lot of people. Nathan is not the epitome of all people on the spectrum, he is unique and also based on a real person (albeit loosely). You don't have to have any kind of "diagnosed condition" to understand the hardships portrayed in the film. His is not the only struggle, just the most emphasized.
I must say that I was impressed with Asa Butterfield's portrayal of Nathan. Not many actors can convey emotions or thoughts without actually saying much of anything. When you feel empathy for a character, you know the actor is doing far more than just saying their memorized lines. That being said, everyone did a pretty good job bringing their characters to life.
My wife and I watched this movie on Amazon streaming, it turns out to be significantly better than I had hoped. Young Butterfield, around 16 or 17 during filming, does a remarkable job playing a complex teenager.
The subject is nominally a maths prodigy who gets the opportunity to be a member of a team representing England for the maths olympics. But that only is the starting point, the boy lost his father at a young age and being borderline autistic finds relating to others and having meaningful conversations very difficult. All he enjoys doing is mathematics.
Asa Butterfield is remarkably good as the boy, Nathan Ellis. He bonds with a maths teacher who helps him along and urges him to apply for the maths team. But when he gets to the far east where they will train with a Chinese team he is immediately a fish out of water with no idea how to fit in, but he gets help from a young Chinese girl, English actress Jo Yang as Zhang Mei, who likes Nathan and gives him a way to learn to be a better adjusted person.
A really good movie. A bit of a "Good Will Hunting" ending.
The subject is nominally a maths prodigy who gets the opportunity to be a member of a team representing England for the maths olympics. But that only is the starting point, the boy lost his father at a young age and being borderline autistic finds relating to others and having meaningful conversations very difficult. All he enjoys doing is mathematics.
Asa Butterfield is remarkably good as the boy, Nathan Ellis. He bonds with a maths teacher who helps him along and urges him to apply for the maths team. But when he gets to the far east where they will train with a Chinese team he is immediately a fish out of water with no idea how to fit in, but he gets help from a young Chinese girl, English actress Jo Yang as Zhang Mei, who likes Nathan and gives him a way to learn to be a better adjusted person.
A really good movie. A bit of a "Good Will Hunting" ending.
Genres at IMDb is WRONG.. not a comedy.
It is true this movie does have a few touching moment that will make you smile, this does not make it a comedy. The films subjects include the affliction of Autism, coping with illness, coping with lose and living without returned love, self inflicted boundaries and the struggle to overcome dealing with others regardless of your own struggle. The story is about a young boy with autism who faces the difficulties coping with life without the key person he was dependent on. Add to this his autistic ability at math which places him in a scenario where he placed in a new environment. Along with the boy, we also see the difficulties of his mother which must deal his affliction and teachers who must deal with his. Overall, not just about the child. The base of the film is in England and in China with great scenery. Added t this is fin acting and a good plot. Without a spoiler, he finally comes to a change in his life with the help of many who loves him. I found the ending touching.
It is true this movie does have a few touching moment that will make you smile, this does not make it a comedy. The films subjects include the affliction of Autism, coping with illness, coping with lose and living without returned love, self inflicted boundaries and the struggle to overcome dealing with others regardless of your own struggle. The story is about a young boy with autism who faces the difficulties coping with life without the key person he was dependent on. Add to this his autistic ability at math which places him in a scenario where he placed in a new environment. Along with the boy, we also see the difficulties of his mother which must deal his affliction and teachers who must deal with his. Overall, not just about the child. The base of the film is in England and in China with great scenery. Added t this is fin acting and a good plot. Without a spoiler, he finally comes to a change in his life with the help of many who loves him. I found the ending touching.
Did you know
- TriviaAs stated in the end credits, the movie was inspired by Beautiful Young Minds (2007). The character Nathan Ellis is based on Daniel Lightwing, specifically his experiences before and during the IMO competition.
- GoofsThe double rainbow that Nathan and Zhang Mei see from the train when they arrive in England is wrongly generated. The secondary rainbow should be inverted with purple on the outside of the arc but in the movie red is on the outside. The rainbow should also be opposite the sun so the shadows on the ground should point towards it.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Conan: David Oyelowo/Asa Butterfield/JR JR (2015)
- SoundtracksSweetheart, What Have You Done to Us
Written and performed by Keaton Henson
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd
Licensed courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd
- How long is A Brilliant Young Mind?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- X+Y
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $171,793
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $31,408
- Sep 13, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $1,043,620
- Runtime1 hour 51 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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