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A Kid Like Jake

A Kid Like Jake

201892 minRMidcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Director
Silas Howard
Starring
Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra Jonas

On the eve of the admissions cycle for New York City kindergartens, Alex and Greg Wheeler have high hopes for four-year-old Jake. The director of Jake's preschool encourages them to accentuate Jake's gender expansive behavior to help him stand out. As Alex and Greg navigate their roles as parents, a rift grows between them, one that forces them to confront their own concerns about what's best for Jake, and each other.

Where to watch

Where can I watch A Kid Like Jake?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists A Kid Like Jake streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about A Kid Like Jake?

A Kid Like Jake earns 3 badges, led by Preferred by Women and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is A Kid Like Jake worth watching?

A Kid Like Jake's Midcredits score is the 34th percentile of all films, from 8.4K ratings across 6 sources. 34% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

34th percentile

Better received than 34% of films

30th percentile among Drama35th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)40th
Approval (how many liked it)29th

59 /100

40th percentile of all films

38th percentile among Drama42nd percentile among 2010s

Critics 58 · Audience 59

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

34% liked it

29th percentile of all films

24th percentile among Drama28th percentile among 2010s
34% rated it 7–1066% rated it 1–6

Critics 52% · Audience 47%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

81st percentile

8.4K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$8.9K
Domestic gross$58K
Worldwide gross$61K

29th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film focuses on the parents' struggle rather than on Jake himself, leaving the child nearly absent from the screen.

Fans praised

  • Strong lead performances from Claire Danes and Jim Parsons
  • Realistic, natural dialogue and authentic parenting moments
  • Humane, compassionate handling of a sensitive subject

Detractors panned

  • Jake barely appears, story stays with the adults
  • Thin, stage-bound writing with over-talk and little showing
  • Fails to connect emotionally or offer insight into the child

What stands out

ActingDivisive68

Danes and Parsons praised as credible; detractors find them miscast or TV-typed

DialogueDivisive58

Fans call it natural and organic; critics find it overly theatrical

Emotional impactDivisive55

Fans moved by parent's journey; detractors feel detached and unmoved

OriginalityDivisive48

Timely subject but 'Ma Vie en Rose' did it better; play adaptation feels familiar

CharactersDivisive40

Jake underdeveloped; parents' conflicts sketched rather than deepened

Plot and storyDivisive38

Thin, talky, stage-derived structure; lacks narrative drive

Pacing35

Slow, padded, could be trimmed to a short; editing odd in early scenes

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

Watch experience

What is A Kid Like Jake like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
ContemplativeBittersweetTense
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its material with serious, earnest intent, though it struggles to find a consistent footing between social commentary and character drama, at times tipping into heavy-handedness.
The rideThe film is described as 'profound in its simplicity' with a quietly emotional conclusion that brings tears, suggesting a contemplative and bittersweet mood that peaks near the end.
StructureThe narrative unfolds in a conventional, chronological fashion, following the parents over roughly eight months as they navigate the admissions process and their own evolving understanding. The structure is straightforward and dialogue-driven.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers pondering the complexities of parenting and gender identity long after the credits roll, while also evoking a quiet poignancy about the family's difficult journey.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% (this title) · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Fish out of water: Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).

4% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a couple navigating the unfamiliar and pressurized world of private kindergarten admissions, a social system they must learn to navigate. The plot is driven less by a classic archetype and more by the parents' journey of understanding, fitting the fish out of water pattern within a societal setting.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% (this title) · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Parenthood · 2% of filmsIdentity · 14% of filmsMarriage · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeA couple must navigate the challenge and redefine their roles as parents when their preschooler's gender-nonconforming behavior is highlighted during school admissions.
StanceThe film questions what acceptance means and challenges the parents' liberal self-image, without settling whether their approach is ultimately right.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Roger Neill
SettingBrooklyn, New York, during kindergarten admissions season
MusicRoger Neill's score likely underscores the film's tender emotional beats without overwhelming the dialogue-driven scenes.

Content guide

Is A Kid Like Jake okay for kids?

R

A Kid Like Jake is rated R.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UK12
  • Germany0

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does A Kid Like Jake have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in A Kid Like Jake?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Claire Danes
as Alex Wheeler
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jim Parsons
as Greg Wheeler
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Octavia Spencer
as Judy
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
as Amal
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ann Dowd
as Catherine
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Amy Landecker
as Sandra
Leo James Davis
as Jake Wheeler
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Julia Chan
as Michelle
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Lee Aaron Rosen
as Tom Hedwall
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Kelly Deadmon
as Cynthia Hedwall
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like A Kid Like Jake?

Movies like A Kid Like Jake include The Squid and the Whale (2005), Marriage Story (2019) and After the Wedding (2019). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in Brooklyn, and most are chamber dramas.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its subject: parenthood. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with A Kid Like Jake?

3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: chamber drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.