Underplayed Gems

Simon Birch (1998)

Simon Birch poster
Directed by
Mark Steven Johnson
Genre
drama film, comedy film, buddy film, coming-of-age film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 53m
Rated
PG
Rating
6.8 of 10 from 270 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

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How it feels

A young boy with dwarfism believes he is part of a divine plan. He and his best friend navigate childhood, family secrets, and a tragic accident.

heartfeltbittersweettenderwarmcoming-of-ageemotionalquietly humorousgentle

What happens

Simon Birch is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson in his directorial debut, loosely based on the 1989 novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. The film stars Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Jim Carrey, Ashley Judd, and Oliver Platt. It omitted much of the latter half of the novel and altered the ending. The film does not share the book's title at Irving's request; he did not believe that his novel could successfully be made into a film. The name "Simon Birch" was suggested by him to replace that of Owen Meany. The opening credits of the film state that it was "suggested by" Irving's novel. The main plot centers on 12-year-old Joe Wenteworth and his best friend Simon Birch, who was born with dwarfism. Simon Birch was released by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution on September 11, 1998. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $18.3 million against a budget of $20 million. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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