Simon Birch
1998 · Movie · PG · 114 min · ★ 6.8 · 42% critics
Two small-town boys who don’t quite fit in lean on each other as they navigate school, church, and growing up. While one searches for answers about his family, the other wrestles with big questions about faith and purpose, turning everyday moments into a heartfelt journey of friendship and self-discovery.
Based on A Prayer for Owen Meany
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Details
- Years
- 1998
- Release date
- 1998-09-11
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Critic score
- 42/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.8/10 (267 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a sentimental, faith-tinged coming-of-age story with humor and tears, in the vein of Wide Awake or The Odd Life of Timothy Green; Not for you if you dislike obvious reveals or sugary melodrama.
Pros: heartfelt friendship; funny small-town moments; uplifting themes | Cons: predictable mystery; uneven tone shifts; can feel corny
Themes
- based on novel or book
- church
- school bus
- illegitimate son
- dwarfism
- death of best friend
Cast & crew
- IS
Ian Michael Smith
as Simon Birch
Joseph Mazzello
as Joe Wenteworth
Ashley Judd
as Rebecca Wenteworth
Oliver Platt
as Ben Goodrich
David Strathairn
as Reverend Russell
Dana Ivey
as Grandmother Wenteworth
Beatrice Winde
as Hilde Grove
Jan Hooks
as Miss Leavey
- CC
Cecilley Carroll
as Marjorie
- SK
Sumela-Rose Keramidopulos
as Ann
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson