Simon Birch **** (1998, Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Oliver Platt, Ashley Judd) – Classic Movie Review 1794

Writer-director Mark Steven Johnson’s 1998 family drama is a truly heartwarming, lovely and adorable experience.

It is set in late-1950s America, and focuses on a tiny boy named Simon Birch (played by Ian Michael Smith), who was born with a condition that makes him much smaller than all the other kids in town and has defied doctors who said he would die very young. Now 12 and still of stunted growth, Simon has always believed that he was created by God for a great purpose and his time seems to have come when he helps his best pal Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazzello) to find his real father.

Exquisitely acted, lovingly crafted, it’s uplifting stuff and Smith’s performance raises the film to the rafters. Ashley Judd is very good as Joe’s mother. Oliver Platt (as Ben Goodrich), David Strathairn (as the Reverend Russell), Dana Ivey (as Grandmother Wenteworth) and Jan Hooks (as Miss Leavey) co-star. Watch for Jim Carrey in a cameo. Holly Dennison and Peter MacNeill play Simon’s parents.

Johnson’s screenplay was ‘suggested’ by the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.

Ian Michael Smith has Morquio Syndrome, aka MPSIVA. It affects the skeletal structure causing dwarfism and he is 3′ 1″. He attended Massachussetts Institute of Technology, sails a small boat, kayaks, swims, plays the trumpet and piano, and likes to play chess. He has made no further films.

The lovely funny lady Jan Hooks, Vicki Dubcek in 3rd Rock from the Sun, died of cancer on October 9 2014, aged 57.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1794

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