Simon Birch
by Mark Steven Johnson
List Price:
Our Price: $4.93
You Save: $5.06 (51%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.20 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ashley Judd, David Strathairn, Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Oliver PlattDirector: Mark Steven Johnson
Brand: Disney
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, 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: Simon Birch
Summary: 5 Stars
A great film for young people. It demonstrates how people who are different can make a difference.
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
Comedy DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in Good Films for School
The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)Release date: 2003-10-07; DVD
Best price: $45.89
Baz Luhrmann's Red Curtain Trilogy (Strictly Ballroom / Romeo + Juliet / Moulin Rouge)KIDMAN,NICOLE; Release date: 2002-09-10; DVD
Best price: $17.90
Price in other shops:
William Shakespeare's Romeo + JulietTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2003-01-14; DVD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Hairspray (Full-Screen Edition)NEW LINE HOME VIDEO (UNDER WAR; Release date: 2007-11-20; DVD
Best price: $3.27
Price in other shops:
Gattaca (Special Edition)HAWKE,ETHAN; Release date: 2008-03-11; DVD
Best price: $5.93
Price in other shops:
The Emperor's Club (Widescreen Edition)KLINE,KEVIN; Release date: 2003-05-06; DVD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
October Sky (Special Edition)UNI DIST CORP. (MCA); Release date: 2005-01-25; DVD
Best price: $4.70
Price in other shops:
Coach Carter (Widescreen Edition)PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2005-06-21; DVD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Friday Night Lights (Widescreen Edition)THORNTON,BILLY BOB; Release date: 2005-01-18; DVD
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
A League of Their OwnHANKS,TOM; Release date: 2002-06-04; DVD
Best price: $4.78
Price in other shops:
Similar DVD Movies
October Sky (Special Edition)UNI DIST CORP. (MCA); Release date: 2005-01-25; DVD
Best price: $5.14
Price in other shops:
My Dog Skip (Keepcase)MUNIZ,FRANKIE; Release date: 2006-07-11; DVD
Best price: $5.74
Price in other shops:
A Walk to Remember/ Pay It ForwardWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-05-20; DVD
Best price: $7.46
Price in other shops:
Various - Simon BirchRelease date: 1998-09-01; Music CD
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops:
Radio FlyerBRACCO,LORRAINE; Release date: 2004-10-12; DVD
Best price: $4.18
Price in other shops:
The Other SisterBUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO; Release date: 1999-09-07; DVD
Best price: $7.27
Price in other shops:
I am Sam (New Line Platinum Series)PENN,SEAN; Release date: 2002-06-18; DVD
Best price: $4.21
Price in other shops:
The CureUniversal Studios; Release date: 2004-11-23; DVD
Best price: $24.98
Pay It ForwardWarner Brothers; Release date: 2001-05-15; DVD
Best price: $7.47
Price in other shops:
The MightyBUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO; Release date: 1999-07-13; DVD
Best price: $4.75
Price in other shops: