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Shine (1996)
7.6/10on IMDb
Released
Choose this for a more painful version of the relationship between a prodigy and an adult intent on shaping his future. The film follows pianist David Helfgott from his father’s strict household toward a life in which there are people willing to care for him without demanding a performance.
More about Shine23
The Soloist (2009)
6.7/10on IMDb
Released
Follow a newspaper columnist who hears Nathaniel Ayers playing a battered violin on the street and tries to help him. Their friendship keeps pushing Steve to rethink what help means when a musical gift gives him a way into someone’s life.
More about The Soloist24
Music of the Heart (1999)
6.7/10on IMDb
Released
Roberta Guaspari teaches violin to children in East Harlem and has to persuade adults that they deserve the chance to learn it. Choose this for a mentor story where each rehearsal depends on building trust and where the whole class gets to find out what it can do together.
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The Fabelmans (2022)
7.5/10on IMDb
Released
Watch Sammy’s camera turn from something his mother encourages into something that can expose a family secret. If you liked the way Will’s intelligence sometimes makes intimacy harder, the scenes between Sammy and Mitzi offer a version built around filmmaking.
More about The Fabelmans26
Rain Man (1988)
8.0/10on IMDb
Released
Watch Charlie see his brother Raymond’s remarkable memory as a way to solve a money problem in Las Vegas. If you liked the way Good Will Hunting asks who benefits from a young man’s gift, the brothers’ road trip puts that question in a family relationship.
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Sing Street (2016)
7.9/10on IMDb
Released
Try this for a gentler version of a talented kid finding someone willing to listen. As Conor puts together a band in 1980s Dublin, his older brother Brendan gives him a crash course in music and a much-needed ally at home.
More about Sing Street28
Pawn Sacrifice (2015)
7.0/10on IMDb
Released
Pick this for a more isolating look at chess talent after Searching for Bobby Fischer. Bobby Fischer can read a board well enough to take on the Soviet champion, but you can watch the work his circle must do to keep a championship match together off the board.
More about Pawn Sacrifice29
The Theory of Everything (2014)
7.7/10on IMDb
Released
Watch how Stephen and Jane’s relationship changes as his scientific career takes shape and he needs more physical support. The film spends time on the work of staying close, which may be what you remember most about Will and Skylar.
More about The Theory of Everything30
The Imitation Game (2014)
8.0/10on IMDb
Released
Choose this for the cooperation Alan Turing has to learn at Bletchley Park. A newspaper crossword helps recruit talent including Joan Clarke, and their connection gives the work a personal dimension. The appeal is in watching intelligence become useful once others can take part.
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August Rush (2007)
7.4/10on IMDb
Released
Choose this for the scenes where the Wizard hears what a boy with no formal training can do with a guitar. There’s a way for Evan to reach people through music, and you can also see how easily the adult who champions him can claim it for himself.
More about August Rush32
The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)
6.7/10on IMDb
Released
Pick this for a darker look at what can happen when an adult spots a child’s gift. Lisa hears her five-year-old student recite poetry and starts taking over the conditions in which he can share it. Her growing obsession gives the mentor story its unease.
More about The Kindergarten Teacher33
The Great Debaters (2007)
7.5/10on IMDb
Released
Watch professor Melvin Tolson take a group of students from a small Texas college seriously enough to expect them to debate the most prestigious teams. You’ll get the pleasure of seeing an educator sharpen his students’ arguments while the world around them tries to deny them a hearing.
More about The Great Debaters34
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
7.4/10on IMDb
Released
Watch a composer take a teaching job and spend years learning what his students need. If you wanted more of the mentor’s life outside the sessions in Good Will Hunting, the distance between Glenn Holland’s musical ambitions and his relationship with his deaf son gives you plenty to sit with.
More about Mr. Holland's Opus35
A Star Is Born (2018)
7.6/10on IMDb
Released
Watch musician Jackson Maine hear the potential that Ally has nearly given up on and bring her onstage. If you liked Will’s fear that being seen could wreck a relationship, this version follows two people whose connection grows more complicated as one of them succeeds.
More about A Star Is Born36
Amadeus (1984)
8.4/10on IMDb
Released
Watch court composer Salieri recognize the brilliance in Mozart’s work and grow resentful of the person who made it. Choose this fictionalized rivalry if you want a harsher look at what happens when a gifted person has to deal with someone who understands exactly how extraordinary the gift is.
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