Simon Birch

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Simon Birch

PG

1998

1h 53m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

45%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Simon Birch (Ian Michael Smith) and Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazzello) are boys who have a reputation for being oddballs. Joe never knew his father, and his mother, Rebecca (Ashley Judd), is keeping her lips sealed, no matter how much he protests. Simon, meanwhile, is an 11-year-old dwarf whose outsize personality belies his small stature. Indeed, he often assails the local reverend (David Strathairn) with thorny theological questions and joins Joe on his quest to find his biological father.

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Critics Consensus

Overly mushy; tries too hard to pull at the heart-strings.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Simon Birch is an unabashedly sentimental tearjerker. Either you stand back and resist it, or you plunge in. There was something about its innocence and spunk that got to me, and I caved in.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Film Threat

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

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Leonard Schwarz

Palo Alto Weekly

Rated: 1.5/4

May 20, 2003

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John R. McEwen

Film Quips Online

Rated: 4/5

Feb 8, 2003

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Gerry Shamray

Your Movies (cleveland.com)

Great, overlooked film.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 7, 2003

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Film Threat

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 8, 2002

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Alexander S

Simon Birch's story is a thought-provoking exploration of embracing one's life purpose, inspired by the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany. As we follow his journey, we're reminded that our lives have meaning, regardless religious beliefs and regardless of the obstacles we encounter. Although some viewers may find the film emotionally resonant, others might feel it tries too hard to evoke emotions, resulting in a disjointed narrative. Grading: C+

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/25

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Ronald D.

i’m still crying. so good but the ENDING

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

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Rachel K

Simon Birch is one little hero.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

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Kal Loki E

It was a cute and somewhat heartwarming movie. I do agree with some of the other critics that the conversations about "boobs" and then the borderline sexual assault from a twelve year old was highly inappropriate for something so obviously geared towards a "family movie". Had that one scene not been in there, it would have been a four-star rating easy as it was very enjoyable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/09/25

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Horror fan 4

What great story about friendship and faith. The performances were fantastic and it's definitely one of the best of 1998. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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Mark Steven Johnson

Director

Ian Michael Smith

Simon Birch

Joseph Mazzello

Joseph 'Joe' Wenteworth

Ashley Judd

Rebecca Wenteworth

Oliver Platt

Ben Goodrich

David Strathairn

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Synopsis

Simon Birch (Ian Michael Smith) and Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazzello) are boys who have a reputation for being oddballs. Joe never knew his father, and his mother, Rebecca (Ashley Judd), is keeping her lips sealed, no matter how much he protests. Simon, meanwhile, is an 11-year-old dwarf whose outsize personality belies his small stature. Indeed, he often assails the local reverend (David Strathairn) with thorny theological questions and joins Joe on his quest to find his biological father.

Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Producer: Roger Birnbaum
Screenwriter: Mark Steven Johnson, John Irving
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 11, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.3M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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