The Great Brain (1978)
Based on the book by John D. Fitzgerald, this movie stars Jimmy Osmond as a mischievous boy out to swindle his whole town for everything they're worth...and who occasionally puts his smarts to use for a good cause.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
This isn't a great movie, by any stretch. The acting is hammy, and a very young Jimmy Osmond is frankly, too chubby to play The Great Brain. But if you like the John D. Fitzgerald novels, you'll find the film a treat. I'm glad it's out and that I taped it in the early 1980s. I'm not sure it's for sale on video. It's a definite G and post-toddler kids will like it. However, those adults unfamiliar with the Great Brain character will be turning off the channel or VCR pretty quickly. On the plus side, the sets of early, rural Utah are pretty well done and the cast, if inexperienced, is at least earnest.