Do you want to see ‘Simon Birch’?

Simon Birch (1998)

tomatometer

All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 32
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 18

Overly mushy; tries too hard to pull at the heart-strings.

Average Rating: 5.4/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 4

Overly mushy; tries too hard to pull at the heart-strings.

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 48,601

My Rating

Added to your Facebook Timeline. — undo

Movie Info

This comedy-drama features a narration by Jim Carrey, looking back to childhood in a manner similar to the narration on TV's The Wonder Years. The film is the directorial debut of writer Mark Steven Johnson, scripter of Grumpy Old Men and its sequel. Johnson adapted only a small portion of John Irving's 600-page novel A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989), but Irving requested a credit other than "based on" and also asked that the character name of Owen Meany be changed. So Owen became Simon Birch --

PG, 1 hr. 53 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Mark Johnson , Mark Steven Johnson

Written By: Mark Steven Johnson

In Theaters: Sep 11, 1998 Wide

On DVD: May 18, 1999

Cast

Ian Michael Smith
Simon Birch
Joseph Mazzello
Joe Wenteworth
Ashley Judd
Rebecca Wenteworth
Oliver Platt
Ben Goodrich
David Strathairn
Reverend Russell
Dana Ivey
Grandmother Wenteworth
Beatrice Winde
Hilde Grove
Jan Hooks
Miss Leavey
Cecilley Carroll
Marjorie
Sumela-Rose Keramidopulos
Ann
Sam Morton
Stuart
Jim Carrey
Adult Joe Wenteworth

Critic Reviews for Simon Birch

All Critics (58) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (18) | DVD (3)

Great, overlooked film.

February 7, 2003 Comment

Gerry Shamray

Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

Wonderfully performed and syrupy sweet

September 17, 2002 Comment

Clint Morris

Moviehole

A rare and wonderful testament to the ardor and resilience of faith. In these times, that is enough to cheer about.

March 3, 2002 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice

| Comment

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Simon Birch

View All

Simon Birch, is a comedy-drama that tries with intensity move the audience and captivate the heart, but the sentimentalist spoiler the entire movie. Despite have good intentions, Simon Birch becomes boring and awfully emotional. Rotten.

November 21, 2011

Lucas Martins

Super Reviewer

With good intentions and well meaning written all over it, this one is like a bowl of corn flakes, a little soggy. "Boyhood chums face some of life's challenges" might be a kind way to describe it, and though it has it's moments ultimately it sinks under the weight of it's own corn.

June 15, 2011