list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Simon Birch on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Simon_Birch/123594/default.aspx Title: Simon Birch
Year: 1998
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Plot: 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 -- which then required a title change. In the title role is 11-year-old Ian Michael Smith, who is afflicted with Morquio's syndrome, a genetic disorder which causes dwarfism. The story begins when Joe Wenteworth (Jim Carrey) visits the grave of his childhood friend Simon Birch, whose stone is marked 1952-64. Joe explains that Simon is "the reason I believe in God." This is followed by a flashback to their friendship during the early '60s. In Gravestown, New Hampshire, young Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazzello) doesn't know who his father is, and his loving mother Rebecca (Ashley Judd) won't tell him. Joe's best buddy is young Simon Birch, born so tiny that his classmates pass him about like a "doll." Neglected at home, Simon turns to Rebecca as a surrogate mother, and he often has dinner with the Wenteworths. One night, Rebecca brings her friend Ben Goodrich (Oliver Platt) home for dinner, which annoys her crotchety mother (Dana Ivey). Later, the lives of the two 12-year-olds receive a cruel twist, and the two then become more curious to learn the secret of Joe's father. Shown in competition at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 18
Number of Lists: 12
Number of blog posts: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:15:40 GMTSimon Birch1998Mark Steven JohnsonThis comedy-drama features a narration by <a href="/players/P____11257/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jim Carrey</a>, looking back to childhood in a manner similar to the narration on TV's <a href=/films/161591/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Wonder Years</a>. The film is the directorial debut of writer Mark Steven Johnson, scripter of <a href=/films/81018/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Grumpy Old Men</a> and its sequel. Johnson adapted only a small portion of <a href="/players/P___275286/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Irving</a>'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 -- which then required a title change. In the title role is 11-year-old Ian Michael Smith, who is afflicted with Morquio's syndrome, a genetic disorder which causes dwarfism. The story begins when Joe Wenteworth (<a href="/players/P____11257/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jim Carrey</a>) visits the grave of his childhood friend Simon Birch, whose stone is marked 1952-64. Joe explains that Simon is "the reason I believe in God." This is followed by a flashback to their friendship during the early '60s. In Gravestown, New Hampshire, young Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazzello) doesn't know who his father is, and his loving mother Rebecca (<a href="/players/P____36453/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ashley Judd</a>) won't tell him. Joe's best buddy is young Simon Birch, born so tiny that his classmates pass him about like a "doll." Neglected at home, Simon turns to Rebecca as a surrogate mother, and he often has dinner with the Wenteworths. One night, Rebecca brings her friend Ben Goodrich (<a href="/players/P____57054/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Oliver Platt</a>) home for dinner, which annoys her crotchety mother (<a href="/players/P____34706/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dana Ivey</a>). Later, the lives of the two 12-year-olds receive a cruel twist, and the two then become more curious to learn the secret of Joe's father. Shown in competition at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide18Tag Target (>10)1213http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02867fberg.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Simon_Birch/123594/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/kalismom/archive/2007/9/16/19835.aspx Post By: kalismom
Post To: kalismom Blog
Post Date: 9/16/2007 5:51:28 PM
Body: Having read "A Prayer for Owen Meany", I have to say, the movie was good, but not great. Oliver Platt, adds a special something to anything he is in, and I would pay to watch Ashely Judd read the phone book. However, after reading the book, nothing can compare. Great acting, great cinematography, and great story. This is far from my usual taste in either book or film, but I enjoyed both. Anyone who likes to read, and likes to read John Irving, (you have to enjoy reading to stick with an Irving book to the end, he is very long winded), will understand, that it's next to impossible to bring an Irving character to the screen. If you like this film, may I recomend "The Door in the Floor", also a screen adaptation of a John Irving novel, "A Widow for One Year".
]]>Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:51:28 GMTkalismomkalismom Blog9/16/2007 5:51:28 PM Having read &quot;A Prayer for Owen Meany&quot;, I have to say, the movie was good, but not great. Oliver Platt, adds a special something to anything he is in, and I would pay to watch Ashely Judd read the phone book. However, after reading the book, nothing can compare. Great acting, great cinematography, and great story. This is far from my usual taste in either book or film, but I enjoyed both. Anyone who likes to read, and likes to read John Irving, (you have to enjoy reading to stick with an Irving book to the end, he is very long winded), will understand, that it&#39;s next to impossible to bring an Irving character to the screen. If you like this film, may I recomend &quot;The Door in the Floor&quot;, also a screen adaptation of a John Irving novel, &quot;A Widow for One Year&quot;. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
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