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Simon Birch

Play trailer Poster for Simon Birch PG 1998 1h 53m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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Simon Birch

Simon Birch

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 2.5/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Leonard Schwarz Palo Alto Weekly Rated: 1.5/4 May 20, 2003 Full Review John R. McEwen Film Quips Online Rated: 4/5 Feb 8, 2003 Full Review Gerry Shamray Your Movies (cleveland.com) Great, overlooked film. Rated: 5/5 Feb 7, 2003 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 2.5/5 Dec 8, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review Ronald D. i’m still crying. so good but the ENDING Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/09/25 Full Review Rachel K Simon Birch is one little hero. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews
Simon Birch

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Movie Info

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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