Simon Birch | 
| Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Actors: Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Ashley Judd, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.99
Buy New: $4.50
You Save: $5.49 (55%)
New (47) Used (35) Collectible (1) from $4.05
Rating:  305 reviews
Sales Rank: 4323
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd, Letterboxed, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: D17241D
ISBN: 0788815466
UPC: 717951002358
EAN: 9780788815461
ASIN: 0788815466
Theatrical Release Date: September 11, 1998
Release Date: May 18, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Born the size of a human hand, Simon Birch was not predicted to live through the first week of his life. Then the first month. Then the first year. Twelve years later, Simon is still alive, and still incredibly undersized. He constantly reminds his best friend Joe that God has a special plan for him. Meanwhile, Joe spends his time closed off from his mother's new suitors, preoccupied with the knowledge that he has never been told who his real father is. When fate intervenes in the form of a foul ball during a little league game, Joe understands that he will never learn the truth; unless Simon is right about there being a purpose for everything, that is. A hopeful, heartwarming tale that the whole family can enjoy. Based on John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany.
Amazon.com
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, cliche, 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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| Customer Reviews: Read 300 more reviews...
 SIMON BIRCH June 25, 2009
Sandra Chute
THE FIRST ONE WE RECEIVED IN A SHORT TIME BUT THE SOUND WAS NOT GOOD SO I NOT
IFIED AMAZON AND THEY TOOK CARE OF THE MATTER PROMPTLY AND WE HAD A NEW ONE IN 2 DAYS WHICH WAS PERFECT. MY HUSBAND WAS VERY HAPPY.
Warning, should be PG-13 rating June 20, 2009
Mom of 4 (Kittrell, NC United States)
I heard so many rave reviews that I rented this movie to watch with my family. After watching about 10 minutes we had to turn it off and wait for a time when my 4 and 6 yo were sleeping. This movie has a lot of language and sexual innuendo. So buyers beware.
 high quality June 19, 2009
M. Ramirez (Miami, FL)
i love this film, i was looking for it in blockbuster but they dont have it so i decided to buy it and luckily i found it. it's a good movie and you can see it with the family and kids :)
Highly Recommended Film May 29, 2009
Brach Jennings (Fulton/Peoria, IL USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Very rarely do I award a movie five stars. However, I will make an exception with "Simon Brich." I first saw the film about five years ago, and have loved it ever since. Top of the bill young actor Joseph Mazzello delivers another superb performance as Joe Wentworth, an outcast 12 year old who is seeking a father figure. Newcomer Ian Michael Smith is also winning as Simon Birch, outcast of Gravestown, Maine, and best friend to Joe. The chemistry between Mazzello and Michael Smith is evident from the beginning of the film. Adding to the cast of the two excellent kids are the inimitable Ashely Judd, David Srathairn, and Oliver Platt.
The film follows the poignant and often hilarious adventures of Joe and Simon as they go through life together, the former attempting to discover who his true father is. I found myself relating to Joe throughout the movie and thinking of my own experiences with best friends over the years. Perhaps that is the point of a film like "Simon Birch" - to remind us how enjoyable life can be in good company. The final scene between Joe and Simon is the highlight of the movie for me. It rips the viewer in two and steps on him a few times, but shows off the talent of Mazzello and Michael Smith. (Joe Mazzello said several more "gut wrenching" scenes were originally scripted, but they were cut because he didn't want viewers to not see the movie again due to extreme sadness). Maybe I'm grateful for the cuts, but it would have been interesting to see the full emotional range the two actors have.
I enthusiastically recommend "Simon Birch" for both contemplation and fun.
Simon Birch May 23, 2009
Robert E. Ackerman
We had a DVD of Simon Birch, but it was lost in a flood. This is one of my wife's favorites as we have a special child. Unlike Simon Birch our child received all the medical and love that any child would ever need and more. Most people shy away from children that have a handicap and Simon in the story shows how in a critical situation different people react to that problem. i.e. the bus driver bugging out and not helping with the children.
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