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critics consensus

The Young And Prodigious T.S. Spivet brings its bestselling source material beautifully to life, offering a blend of visual thrills and poignant pathos that help tie the film together despite an occasional surfeit of quirk. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

T.S. is invited to the Smithsonian to receive an award for inventing a perpetual motion machine. Without telling any of his family, he boards a freight train heading to Washington, D.C., to attend the ceremony.

Cast & Crew

Kyle Catlett
T.S. Spivet
Helena Bonham Carter
Dr. Clair
Robert Maillet
Giant Hobo
Judy Davis
G.H. Jibsen
Callum Keith Rennie
Father
Julian Richings
Ricky
Niamh Wilson
Gracie
Dominique Pinon
Two Clouds
Jakob Davies
Layton
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Director
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Screenwriter
Guillaume Laurant
Screenwriter
Francis Boespflug
Executive Producer
Tyler Thompson
Executive Producer
Frédéric Brillion
Producer
Suzanne Girard
Producer
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Producer
Gilles Legrand
Producer
Denis Sanacore
Original Music
Thomas Hardmeier
Cinematographer
Hervé Schneid
Film Editor
Lucie Robitaille
Casting
Aline Bonetto
Production Design
Jean-Andre Carriere
Art Director
Paul Healy
Art Director
Madeline Fontaine
Costume Designer
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Critic Reviews for The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

All Critics (50) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (11)

  • The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is the perfect 3D vehicle and Jeunet takes full advantage, offering a feast of amusing visual flourishes suited to the book's playfulness.

    January 1, 2016 | Full Review…

    Jay Weissberg

    Variety

  • The quirky charm, visual wit and melancholy undertow of Reif Larsen's The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet translate joyously to the screen in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spite.

    January 1, 2016 | Full Review…

    Jonathan Holland

    Hollywood Reporter

  • Even at its zippiest ... The Young And Prodigious T.S. Spivet is infused with a pervasive sense of melancholy and loss, with a family that seems as damaged as they are lovably quirky.

    August 6, 2015 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

    Jesse Hassenger

    AV Club

  • Like cross-breeding a chihuahua with a Jack Russell, the result may be doubly cute, but also doubly annoying.

    April 10, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Liam Lacey

    Globe and Mail

  • A challenging film that adults might enjoy but one that is likely to leave younger audiences bewildered.

    April 9, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Bruce DeMara

    Toronto Star

  • Adapted from a novel by Reif Larsen, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is an embrace of the telling detail and the off-kilter, singular vision of a child.

    October 29, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

    Philippa Hawker

    The Age (Australia)
View All Critic Reviews (50)

Audience Reviews for The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

  • Jul 15, 2014
    A visually gorgeous fable (even the 3D is amazing) that Jeunet really knew how to make entirely believable, but still it feels like a first draft with structural problems and in need of a better treatment. Besides, Catlett is pretty terrible at times, while only Carter and Davis stand out.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
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