Simon Birch
by Mark Steven Johnson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ashley Judd, David Strathairn, Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Oliver PlattDirector: Mark Steven Johnson
Writer: Mark Steven Johnson
Producer: Billy Higgins
Producer: Howard Ellis
Producer: John Baldecchi
Producer: Laurence Mark
Producer: Roger Birnbaum
Writer: John Irving
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-05-18
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Movie Reviews of Simon Birch
Movie Review: It's not "Owen Meany," people!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a brilliant movie with great casting and a wonderful plot. Ian Michael Smith, who plays Simon Birch, is both hilarious and sympathetic at the same time.
The film is both funny and moving, and one of my all-time favorites. It is a classic bildungsroman for its main character but incorporates some serious matters of faith and family that go beyond the contrite. Birch's unwavering (yet unconventional) faith is an engaging plot element, and any viewer with a heart will find himself or herself overcome with emotion upon God's fulfillment of Simon's destiny.
All of the negative reviews seem to be from people who watched this movie thinking that it would be an adaptation of "A Prayer for Owen Meany." It is not that and never was meant to be that. Look at the title, people! "Simon Birch" uses some retelling of the early parts of that novel, but the two are completely separate works and should be viewed on their own merits. Don't confuse one with the other.
Summary of Simon Birch
A heartwarming and funny hit that's earned overwhelming critical acclaim, SIMON BIRCH features great performances from stars Ashley Judd (DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD, HIGH CRIMES, KISS THE GIRLS) and Oliver Platt (BICENTENNIAL MAN, DON'T SAY A WORD) in an outstanding cast! Even though Simon Birch is the smallest kid in town, deep down he knows that he was born to do something big! He's on a constant search to discover his destiny, but somehow manages to find nothing but trouble! Meanwhile, Simon's loyal best friend, Joe (Joseph Mazzello -- JURASSIC PARK, RADIO FLYER), is searching for the identity of his father, a secret his beautiful mother (Judd) has guarded Joe's entire life. Discover for yourself the undeniable charms of this uplifting and inspirational motion picture as these two share the hilarious, and sometimes tragic, ups and downs that will forever bind them together!This screen adaptation of John Irving's novel A Prayer for Owen Meany was appreciated much more by audiences than by the majority of disapproving critics. Irving's books have fared only moderately well on film, and while The World According to Garp garnered critical praise, The Hotel New Hampshire was waiting in the wings to counteract the fanfare. Simon Birch is one of those nostalgic movies--determined to view the past in rose-colored hues--despite the fact that its protagonist, a dwarf named Simon Birch, is wholeheartedly unsympathetic. The film opens weepily, with Jim Carrey as the adult version of the film's main character and narrator, Joe Wenteworth (played as a youth by the serious young actor Joseph Mazzello). He's mourning at the grave of his best childhood friend, Simon Birch, with whom he had bonded instantly because both were misfits--one a dwarf, the other illegitimate. The deck is stacked from the beginning, especially when the camera dwells on Joe's luscious mom, Rebecca (Ashley Judd), who refuses to reveal the identity of Joe's father, which in turn urges Simon and Joe to embark on a quest to discover Joe's paternity. In a plot point that resembles The Scarlet Letter, the tide of fate turns on the "immoral" mom just as she's on the verge of finding true love with a decent fellow (played by Oliver Platt). Simon Birch ultimately descends into crudeness, though it asks the audience to continue to engage with its crass lead character. By the end, the film is reduced to drivel, clich?, and melodrama to tug our heartstrings into submission. All the things that should have been the film's focus--guilt, self-loathing, and redemption--remain elusive. --Paula Nechak
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