The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983) (TV)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Leslie H. Martinson

Writers:

Oliver Hawthorne (screenplay)
Oliver Hawthorne (story)

Release Date:

6 February 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

A very intelligent teenager is sent to college where he meets his roommate, a popular jock. Therefore...

Plot Keywords:

College | Acronym In Title | Genius | Child Prodigy | Intelligence

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Gary Coleman	...	Nick Newell
Robert Guillaume	...	Professor Mills
Kari Michaelson	...	Julie Gordon (as Kari Michaelsen)
Mel Stewart	...	Debs
Darian Mathias	...	Dinah
Charles Bloom	...	Travis Ault
Clayton Rohner	...	Jeff Langford
Harriet Hilliard	...	Professor Conklin
Dean Butler	...	Steve Bensfield
Harrison Page	...	Walter Newell
Starletta DuPois	...	Minna Newell
Christina Murrill	...	Denise Mills
Jason Max Adams
Karen Anders
Jimmy Baron

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Pomona College - 333 N. College Way, Claremont, California, USA

Company:

Guillaume-Margo Productions

Loved it as a kid, but now find it just ok

Back when we were young (the MTV generation), a lot of us looked up to Gary Coleman. We loved Diff'rent Strokes, and everything he did. He was the hottest thing to come down the pipe. He was also in several TV movies to capitalize on his presence. He paired up frequently with Robert Guillaume in these films (who doubled as executive producer in this one). Gary plays a child genius named Nick, who admires Professor Jason Mills, an astronomy professor. The problem is that Mills treats him harshly (like any pompous college professor) and Nick doesn't know how to connect with him. The acting is good, but the story is kind of blah. It mainly serves as an exploitation flick for Coleman, whose charm shines through. But we don't find how how or why he is a child genius. That isn't the point to this film. The point is to milk the Coleman Cash Cow for all it's worth. There are a few supporting players that are worth mentioning though. The late Mel Stewart plays the likable caretaker Debs, who takes a liking to Nick and is his closest ally on the campus. Keep an eye out for Rance Howard, Crispin Glover, Corinne Bohrer, and Clarence Gilyard Jr. in small roles. If you want to see a better film that features the Coleman/Guillaume pairing, try the 1979 remake of The Kid From Left Field.