Simon Birch (1998)
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A boy with dwarfism and his best friend navigate the complexities of faith, family, and tragedy in the 1960s.
The story
In 1964, 12-year-old Joe Wenteworth and his best friend Simon Birch, who was born with dwarfism, navigate life in the small town of Gravestown. While Joe struggles with the mystery of his identity as the town's 'love child,' Simon deals with his own challenges and a deep, unconventional faith. The two boys share a close bond, supported by a local woman who acts as a mother figure to Simon. Their lives are complicated by the local community's perceptions and the looming reality of their circumstances, as they seek connection and purpose in a world that often views them differently.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with an adult Joe Wenteworth visiting the grave of his late friend, Simon Birch, before transitioning to their childhood in 1964. Simon, who has dwarfism, and Joe are close friends in the town of Gravestown. Joe is the 'love child' of the town, and Simon is often overlooked by his distant parents. Their lives are intertwined by a local woman, Rebecca, who acts as a maternal figure to Simon. After a tragic accident involving a baseball kills Rebecca, the boys are left to navigate their grief. They eventually discover that the local pastor, Reverend Russell, is actually Joe's biological father. Following a series of events including a chaotic Christmas pageant and a bus crash in which Simon becomes a hero, Simon eventually passes away from hypothermia. Joe is later adopted by their friend Ben Goodrich. In the present day, an adult Joe visits Simon's grave with his own son, who is named after Simon.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mark Steven Johnson
- Writers
- Mark Steven Johnson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ian Michael Smith · Simon Birch; Joseph Mazzello · Joe Wenteworth; Jim Carrey · Adult Joe Wenteworth; Ashley Judd · Rebecca Wenteworth; Oliver Platt · Ben Goodrich; David Strathairn · Reverend Russell; Dana Ivey · Grandmother Wenteworth; Jan Hooks · Miss Agnes Leavey
- Genres
- comedy-drama; buddy comedy-drama; coming-of-age comedy-drama
- Themes
- friendship; faith; disability; identity
- Tone and mood
- drama; poignant
- Setting
- Gravestown in 1964
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; based on a novel; small-town life
- Source material / true-story basis
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office failure.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 39 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- The film was not allowed to use the book's title at the author's request.; Ian Michael Smith's role was his only acting role.; Sandra Bullock was originally cast as Rebecca.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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