- Awards
- 3 wins & 3 nominations total
Sumela Kay
- Ann
- (as Sumela-Rose Keramidopulos)
Thick Wilson
- Dr. Wells
- (as Addison Bell)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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Featured reviews
Really touching
The movie is original, fresh and really touching. It makes you appreciate life and the people who share it with you. 'Joe' had 4 people die in a short period of time. It was inevitable that Simon would die, but he didn't expect to die whilst saving others. Never take the people around you for granted as you may loose them before you know it. I was crying so much through it as it's a definite wake up call that life will one day stop. You have to watch it and learn from it. Filmed perfectly with a great choice of actors.
Magical Quality
A beautiful tale with an magical quality, Simon Birch, is a surprising gem of a movie.
This is one of those movies to watch to restore your faith in humanity.
A great family film that will tug at the hearts of kids and parents alike.
This is one of those movies to watch to restore your faith in humanity.
A great family film that will tug at the hearts of kids and parents alike.
A very good, bittersweet film
I have watched the movie twice, once with my wife and once with my children.
It is a great movie and totally undeserving of some of the juvenile comments posted here.
It is a story of a 12 year old extremely undersized boy who is a freak to many, a best friend to another and ends up being a hero. All through the movie he talks of God having a plan for him and that his small stature is a part of that plan.
Don't compare it to the book it is "suggested" from. Neither does justice to the other.
Don't miss it.
It is a great movie and totally undeserving of some of the juvenile comments posted here.
It is a story of a 12 year old extremely undersized boy who is a freak to many, a best friend to another and ends up being a hero. All through the movie he talks of God having a plan for him and that his small stature is a part of that plan.
Don't compare it to the book it is "suggested" from. Neither does justice to the other.
Don't miss it.
Read the book
If you have never read "A Prayer for Owen Meany," then this movie will tug at your heart strings and make you cry. If, like me, you have read the book, you'll be saying, "What?" The movie is nothing at all like the book, which in my opinion was much better. That's not to say the movie was just horrible. My advice is, if you've read the book, put out of your mind for two hours what you read, or you'll be highly disappointed. If you've seen the movie, but haven't read the book, read it. After you read it, you'll probably find yourself saying "Whoa. That movie wasn't THAT great after all." Having read the book, the movie seemed not only lacking, but there was no mystery to it. For example, Joe tries to find out who his father is. If you've read the book, you already know. Instead of the basketball move the two did repeatedly in the book, they do the breath holding thing in the movie. If you haven't read the book, the movie should be a nice one for you. If you have read it, try not to hold it against this movie that tries to be so hard to be so sweet.
Really good movie, very little flaws.
There was something that compelled me to see this movie. I don't know what it was, maybe subliminal messages in the TV ads or something. After all, why would I watch a movie like this when some of my favorite films are "Blood Sucking Freaks", "Nekromantik", and "Cutting Moments"?
Anyhow, I eventually rented this movie and watched it, and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. The story was very well acted, well written, and tear-jerking.
Sure, there were a FEW flaws, which was why I rated it with an "8", such as some ridiculous, unrealistic plot twists, and the film's attempt to be TOO upsetting. It was like the director/writer said "All right. We're gonna make this film for the sole purpose of having our viewers cry, dammit! And we're not just gonna have 'em cry once, we're gonna MAKE them cry THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE MOVIE! And they're gonna like it, dammit!" (Not that I cried THIS much, but you can tell they obviously tried.)
All in all, a good film that shouldn't be avoided.
Anyhow, I eventually rented this movie and watched it, and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. The story was very well acted, well written, and tear-jerking.
Sure, there were a FEW flaws, which was why I rated it with an "8", such as some ridiculous, unrealistic plot twists, and the film's attempt to be TOO upsetting. It was like the director/writer said "All right. We're gonna make this film for the sole purpose of having our viewers cry, dammit! And we're not just gonna have 'em cry once, we're gonna MAKE them cry THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE MOVIE! And they're gonna like it, dammit!" (Not that I cried THIS much, but you can tell they obviously tried.)
All in all, a good film that shouldn't be avoided.
Did you know
- TriviaAuthor John Irving doubted his novel, "A Prayer for Owen Meany", could ever be turned into a film, and sold the screen rights on the condition it not be released under the same name as his book. Irving himself provided the name Simon Birch for the producers to use in place of Owen Meany.
- GoofsThe fateful Christmas in question is in December 1964, but a news item on the radio reports a speech given by President Kennedy, killed a year earlier.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert: Breakout Stars (1998)
- SoundtracksYou Were There
Written, Produced and Performed by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds
Performance courtesy of Epic Records
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $18,253,415
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,321,370
- Sep 13, 1998
- Gross worldwide
- $18,253,415
- Runtime
- 1h 54m(114 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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