SIMON BIRCH
A movie review by Joe Barlow
(c) Copyright 1998
STARRING: Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Ashley Judd,
Oliver Platt, Jan Hooks, Jim Carrey
DIRECTOR: Mark Steven Johnson
WRITER: Mark Steven Johnson
RATED: PG-13 (profanity)
YEAR: 1998
SEEN AT: Waverly Place, Cary NC
RATING: *** 1/2 (out of a possible *****)
"You're already a bastard; you may as well be an enlightened one." Such is the advice twelve year-old Simon Birch offers to his best friend Joe Wenteworth, but the remark is not a flippant one: Joe was born out of wedlock and has never learned the identity of his father, a fact for which he is mercilessly ridiculed by his schoolmates. Simon knows how he feels. Suffering from a rare form of dwarfism, he's so incredibly tiny that the members of his Sunday School class fling him around like a medicine ball whenever the teacher steps outside the room. Since both boys are basically outcasts, they've developed the kind of deep, fiercely loyal friendship reserved only for those who have no one else to turn to.
"Simon Birch" is a remarkable film. Loosely based on John Irving's novel "A Prayer for Owen Meany," the story follows a year in the life of these two unusual friends, allowing us to witness their intense devotion to each other. The film works best when tiny Simon (played with warmth and zest by Ian Michael Smith) and Joe (played as a child by Joseph Mazzello and as an adult by Jim Carrey) are simply being kids. One of my favorite scenes is their charmingly naive discussion about breasts, which takes place on a dock early in the story.
The film is episodic in structure, divided into a number of separate but interrelated tales. Most interesting are the stories involving Joe's quest to discover the identity of his father, and Simon's constant disagreements with the local church officials. A devout Christian who believes that God has a special plan for him, Simon takes exception to the bland, uninteresting services performed by Rev. Russell (David Strathairn), leading to some hilarious confron- tations. These scenes provide a touch of religious satire completely unexpected in a film of this type. A paraphrased example:
REV. RUSSELL: God has a plan for our church and its
activities.
SIMON: If God has made our bake sale a world
priority, we're all in serious trouble.
The cast is very good. Ian Michael Smith is entertaining as Simon, and young Joseph Mazzello (who you may remember as the little boy from "Jurassic Park") is excellent, traversing the widest emotional arc of any character in the film, and always making us believe him. Jan Hooks from "Saturday Night Live" turns in a thankless performance as the slimy "holier-than-thou" Sunday School teacher, Miss Leavey. Ashley Judd and Oliver Platt are pleasant as Joe's mother and her boyfriend, and have a sweet screen chemistry together. And Jim Carrey is fine in his second consecutive dramatic role, though he isn't really the star: his primary function is to provide the movie's "Wonder Years"-style narration, though he does appear onscreen during the opening and closing scenes. Only David Straithairn (Rev. Russell) seems unsure of how to play his part. After leaving the theater, I found that I still didn't understand him... and considering that much of the film's final scenes revolve around him, that's unfortunate.
But "Simon Birch" is a lot of fun, maintaining a sweet, innocent tone for most of its two-hour running time. One disappointing event occurs at roughly the film's two-third mark, however: Simon plays Baby Jesus in the church's Christmas padget. Now that's fine: as a deeply religious young man, Simon is certainly capable of performing the role. But during this scene, Simon exhibits behavior totally against his character, for no discernable reason. I won't reveal what he does, but it causes the entire film to screech to a halt while we witness what basically amounts to five minutes of "Home Alone" outtakes. It just doesn't make sense, and is a jarring change of tone from the rest of the story. See if you don't agree.
And yes, the rumors are true: the film has a tremendously sad ending, with two of our most likeable characters dying over the course of the movie. If "Titanic" caused you to reach for a hanky, be warned: you may need to bring two this time.
But "Simon Birch" leads us through its plot with great joy and exhiliration; I found it impossible not to be moved by little Simon and his irresistable pluck. Although clearly influenced by "Stand By Me" and "The Wonder Years" (with just a hint of "Forrest Gump"), Mark Steven Johnson has created a thoroughly enchanting movie which can be enjoyed by all but the most stone-hearted. I was surprised by how much I liked it. Bring the whole family, but don't forget the tissues.
E-Mail: jbarlow@earthling.net Joe Barlow on Film: http://www.ipass.net/~jbarlow/film.htm
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