MOVIE · 1998

Simon Birch

ComedyDramaFamily114 min

Joe Wenteworth wants to know who his father is, but his mother won’t tell him. Joseph Mazzello is Joe, a boy growing up with a blank space at the center of his family, while Ashley Judd’s Rebecca keeps her reasons to herself. His closest friend is Simon Birch, an 11-year-old whose small stature is matched by a forceful personality; Ian Michael Smith gives Simon sharp humor, fierce conviction, and a habit of cornering the local reverend (David Strathairn) with hard questions about God. As Joe looks for answers, the two boys’ friendship pushes against the expectations of the adults around them.