Folks, I've seen SIMON BIRCH...it was called A SMALL MIRACLE when I saw it and I loved it. It's a damn solid film, though THE MIGHTY is still far better in my opinion. It's based on the incredibly loved A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, a book many of you seem to love, but that I have not read, though I had heard of it. Jim Carrey has an ongoing narration that is top notch, and the film just works on multiple levels. But enough, I'll write my review when the time arises, I'm still working up a couple of major pieces still, so I have to pass on writing about it for now, but here's what this spy had to say...
I don't seem to recall any mention of Simon Birch on your website (of which i am regular reader, but never until now a contributor). Saw it yesterday at a preview here in Chicago. Since it is one of those minor gems that tend to get overlooked, I thought I might send my review in.
"Simon Birch" is a bittersweet coming of age story. While definitely not one of the best examples of the genre, it is worth checking out for some good performances and a reasonably good screenplay. The first delightful surprise comes right at the beginning with Jim Carrey as old Joe at the tombstone of his childhood friend "Simon Birch". No spoilers here as we immediately learn that Simon dies at age 12 and was responsible for both the death of Joe's mom and for Joe's faith in God. The rest of the movie is told in flashback and narrated by Jim Carrey.
Simon Birch is one of the smallest persons ever born and is frequently ridiculed by the other kids. His own parents do not care for him. Joe is the bastard child of Rebecca (Ashley Judd) who refuses to tell anyone who the father of Joe is. Joe and Simon are both outsiders and that is the bond between them. The movie details how Simon influences Joe's life, not just by helping him find his father (both physical and spiritual) but also by giving him faith. The movie is based on the book "A prayer for Owen Meany" (I have not read the book).
What is impressive about the movie is the way it deals with faith. True, it is mostly "Hollywood Faith" in the sense it is more secular than Christian even though the church is used as a backdrop. But Simon's faith that he is on earth for a specific purpose and that God intends him to be hero is what gives this coming of age story a nice edge. I would have preferred the screenplay to be a little less obvious (the ending is pretty much telegraphed half way through the movie) but all things considered was not bad.
The acting was mostly good with strong supporting performances by Ashley Judd (wish there was more of her), Oliver Platt (as brilliant as ever) and surprise, surprise Jim Carrey. He's onscreen for about 2 minutes, but provides the narration throughout the movie. He proves once again that he's an incredible dramatic talent. I can't wait to see him as Andy Kaufman. The two kids playing Joe and Simon are very good, especially Ian Micheal smith as the title character. He has a very keen sense of comic timing and got several laughs from a receptive audience.
Mark Johnson (Grumpy Old Men and its sequel) did a decent job as a director. While his tendency to push emotional buttons a little too hard is regrettable, he has a deft comic touch which really helps move the story along.
Overall, i would say this is a movie worth seeing with a crowd. Grade : B-
-Sunil.
