Simon Birch (1998)

Regisseur:

Mark Steven Johnson

Drehbuchautoren (WGA):

Mark Steven Johnson (screenplay)
John Irving (novel) (suggestion)

Premierendatum:

11. September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Werbezeile:

Destiny has big plans for little Simon Birch.

Plot:

A young boy with stunted growth is convinced that God has a great purpose for him.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Loss Of Friend | Christmas | Quarry | Swimming Pool

Filmpreise:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Nutzerkommentare:

a feel-good story line

Besetzung

Ian Michael Smith	...	Simon Birch
Joseph Mazzello	...	Joe Wenteworth
Ashley Judd	...	Rebecca Wenteworth
Oliver Platt	...	Ben Goodrich
David Strathairn	...	Rev. Russell
Dana Ivey	...	Grandmother Wenteworth
Beatrice Winde	...	Hilde Grove
Jan Hooks	...	Miss Leavey
Cecilley Carroll	...	Marjorie
Sumela Kay	...	Ann (as Sumela-Rose Keramidopulos)
Sam Morton	...	Stuart
Jim Carrey	...	Adult Joe Wenteworth
John Mazzello	...	Simon Wenteworth
Holly Dennison	...	Mrs. Birch
Peter MacNeill	...	Mr. Birch

Alternativ:

A Prayer for Owen Meany (USA) (working title)
A Small Miracle (USA) (working title)
Angels and Armadillos
Über Gürteltiere, Simon und mich (Deutschland) [de]
Kleine Held, Der (Deutschland) [de]
Simon Birch - Ein kleiner Held und sein außergewöhnliches Schicksal (Deutschland) (TV title) [de]
Simon Birch - Kleiner Held ganz groß! (Deutschland) (TV title) [de]

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, emotional thematic elements, and an accident scene.

Länge:

114 Min

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe (Technicolor)

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Altersfreigabe:

Netherlands:MG6 | Philippines:G | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-10/7 | Germany:6 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Drehorte:

Elora, Ontario, Canada

Firma:

Caravan Pictures

Dies und das:

John Irving himself provided the name Simon Birch for the producers to use in place of Owen Meany.

Pannen:

Anachronismus: The fateful Christmas in question is in December 1964, but a news item on the radio reports a speech given by President Kennedy, killed a year earlier.

Dialogzitate:

Simon Birch: I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Verweis/Anspielung/Erwähnung in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'The Mexican' (#8.1)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Can I Get A Witness

a feel-good story line

A lad with stunted growth who holds out with brave optimism and sheer good-naturedness is able to go through school life and survive any antagonisms with aplomb, indeed, forging an inseparable friendship, as he approaches his twelfth and fatal year.

Beautifully told story, with excellent photography and good music keeping just the right atmosphere, this is a film which might have some downgrading it to a simple `tear-jerker' and reaching for inexhaustible supplies of paper-handkerchiefs. But the story-line is more subtle and more carefully played out, such that in effect the film does not even try to pull out any angst from those softer-at-heart: the acting itself - especially that of Ian Michael Smith - and the focussing of the story rises above this. However, this is of course a `feel-good' story, though the end might leave you thinking otherwise.

Once again, how nice to see an attractive film without violence or sex being the main protagonists.

I would not mind trying to find the book................