|
Review by Susan Granger
3 stars out of 4
From the day he was born, Simon Birch was different. No bigger
than a baby bird, doctors predicted he would never last the night. But
he did. Then they said he would never last a week. But he
did. Eventually, Simon grew into a little boy, fortified by the
staunch belief that God had made him small for a reason, that God not
only had a special plan for him but that he was going to be a hero.
His story is related by a narrator, Simon's best friend as a child,
now grown-up. We only see him twice - at the beginning and at the end
- but it's this character, played with incredibly sensitivity by Jim
Carrey (who curiously gets no screen credit) that bookends the
narrative. Veteran screenwriter and now first-time director Mark
Steven Johnson has created a cinematic fable, suggested by John
Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany." Since the story begins in a
graveyard in Gravestown, Maine, by the tombstone of "Simon Birch," we
know that the pivotal character died at the age of 12, so the only
dramatic tension revolves around when, where, and how this tragedy
occurred. The problem with the structure of the film is that it's so
obviously melodramatic and manipulative. In the title role, Ian
Michael Smith, who is afflicted with a rare enzyme disorder, Morquio
Syndrome, compensates for his "vertical challenge" with a truly
magical display of talent. And Joseph Mazzello delivers a truly
remarkable performance as Simon's best friend (the young Jim Carrey)
whose single mother, played by Ashley Judd, refuses to reveal the name
of his father, thus providing the curious boys with an ongoing
mystery. Oliver Platt and David Straithairn provide stalwart
support. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Simon Birch" is a
charming, poignant 7. It's a wonderful, heartwarming story.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
|
