The Kid with the 200 I.Q.

Thirteen-year-old Nick Newell leaves middle school for college after his extraordinary intellect opens doors most kids never see. He moves into a campus where lectures, study groups, and adult conversations are the new normal, and he has to learn how to fit in without losing what makes him different. The situations are often funny, sometimes awkward, and occasionally tense as Nick tries to keep up socially while following a rigorous course load. A particular professor, Jason Mills, proves both mentor and challenge, pushing Nick to prove himself beyond test scores. The film treats Nick's smarts with warmth and sarcasm at turns, showing how a young person copes with school, friends, and authority figures when he stands out more than he blends in.

The project was made for television in 1983, directed by Leslie H. Martinson and created by Oliver Hawthorne and Phil Margo. Gary Coleman headlines as Nick, with Robert Guillaume, Kari Michaelsen, Mel Stewart, and Darian Mathias in supporting roles.

As a TV movie it didn't have a theatrical run, so there are no box office totals to report. It was produced for the small screen and circulated through television viewing rather than cinema revenue.

Among audiences who remember early 80s television, the movie figures into Gary Coleman’s body of work and his image as a precocious, sharp-tongued child actor. Fans of vintage TV often cite the film when discussing his roles, and it remains part of conversations about child stars transitioning between sitcoms and standalone films.

Critical response has been mixed, reflected in a modest user vote average of 5.0/10 from a small sample. Reviewers and viewers note the film balances light comedy with drama, and that it looks at themes of belonging, expectation, and the gap between intellect and emotional maturity without heavy-handedness.