Simon Birch

Simon Birch is a 1998 Comedy-drama film loosely based on the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It was directed and written for the screen by Mark Steven Johnson. The film stars Ian Michael Smith as Simon, Joseph Mazzello as Joe, Ashley Judd, Oliver Platt and Jim Carrey. It omitted much of the latter half of the novel and altered the ending. The movie does not share the book's title at Irving's request; he did not believe that this nov... more

Simon Birch is a 1998 Comedy-drama film loosely based on the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It was directed and written for the screen by Mark Steven Johnson. The film stars Ian Michael Smith as Simon, Joseph Mazzello as Joe, Ashley Judd, Oliver Platt and Jim Carrey. It omitted much of the latter half of the novel and altered the ending. The movie does not share the book's title at Irving's request; he did not believe that this novel could successfully be made into a film. The name "Simon Birch" was suggested by him to replace that of Owen Meany.The main plot hovers about the life of 12 year-old Joe who, for some time, has been the butt of jokes and scorn in their small town, but his mother has not revealed the identity of her lover whom she met years ago on a train. Life-long pal Simon, also 12 but with the eccentricities of someone much older, decides he will help Joe find his father. We are also informed of Simon's deep-seated belief that God put him here for a... less