Plot
A young boy with stunted growth is convinced that God has a great purpose for him.
Release Year: 1998
Rating: 6.7/10 (12,891 voted)
Critic's Score: 39/100
Director:
Mark Steven Johnson
Stars: Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Ashley Judd
Storyline Simon Birch tells the story of Joe and Simon's heart-warming journey of friendship. Simon Birch was born with a condition that makes him much smaller than all the other kids in town. Now, due to his condition, Simon thinks God made him this way for a reason and highly believes in God. Together, Joe and Simon go on a journey of trust and friendship to find the answers to many things. Their friendship is put to the test when some unfortunate events happen.
Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, John Irving
Cast: Ian Michael Smith
-
Simon Birch
Joseph Mazzello
-
Joe Wenteworth
Ashley Judd
-
Rebecca Wenteworth
Oliver Platt
-
Ben Goodrich
David Strathairn
-
Rev. Russell
Dana Ivey
-
Grandmother Wenteworth
Beatrice Winde
-
Hilde Grove
Jan Hooks
-
Miss Leavey
Cecilley Carroll
-
Marjorie
Sumela Kay
-
Ann
(as Sumela-Rose Keramidopulos)
Sam Morton
-
Stuart
Jim Carrey
-
Adult Joe Wenteworth
John Mazzello
-
Simon Wenteworth
Holly Dennison
-
Mrs. Birch
Peter MacNeill
-
Mr. Birch
Taglines:
Destiny has big plans for little Simon Birch.
Release Date: 11 September 1998
Filming Locations: Elora, Ontario, Canada
Box Office Details
Budget: $30,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $3,321,370
(USA)
(13 September 1998)
(596 Screens)
Gross: $18,252,684
(USA)
(27 December 1998)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Sandra Bullock was, at one point, considered for the part of Rebecca Wenteworth.
Goofs:
Continuity:
As the bus heads down the hill towards the lake we see Simon with his glasses on - then there is a close-up of him without his glasses, then as the bus hits the water he's wearing them again and they fly off and hit the floor.
Quotes: Simon:
I said, what does coffee and donuts have to do with God? Rev. Russell:
They're merely refreshments so people can socialize and talk about up coming events. Simon:
Who ever said church needs a continental breakfast?
User Review
A fluid, graceful success-- enjoyable and uplifting
Rating: 10/10
Fantastic movie! I had avoided this one in the theaters last Fall because of
the theme. Consider this movie in light of the other "suffering child" movie
that came out around the same time, "Patch Adams." Bless those "Patch"
folks, they really tried, but that movie was dense, depressing, and the
characters were tedious if implausible. "Simon Birch," however, succeeded in
every sense. It evoked the late 1950's and early 1960's very well. Not just
the look of an American small town, but the vibe of the folks, especially
the adults, rang very true for me (I was there, same age as the Joe
character). The movie itself was wonderful to look at, and easy to lose
one's self within.
The other key aspect of the movie was title character, Simon. When I first
saw the previews for this, I thought that it could be good, but it could
also be awkward and painful to watch. There is a place for painful and
awkward movies, I suppose, but most often I choose to avoid them. When I
rented the DVD of "Simon Birch," I was willing to watch, but was still
expecting it to be somewhat of an ordeal, like taking bitter medicine. I was
so surprised! It does convey the considerable pain of the characters'
circumstances, yet it is also a story that is fluid with grace and
tremendous joy. I was touched, and I was also happy and uplifted. The entire
cast was stellar, especially the young boys who played Simon and Joe.
Everyone was awesome. What an accomplishment! I gave it a
10.
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