i saw simon birch in a basically sold out theater , on a sunday afternoon . when the movie was over and the audience was exiting , <POS> i didn't hear one negative comment , and i didn't have any to offer </POS> . simon birch is primarily about the friendship of two twelve year old boys , simon ( ian michael smith ) and joe ( joseph mazzello ) , and what destiny holds for both of them . simon is a dwarf , who was not supposed to last through the night after birth due to a weak heart . surprisingly , he does , and now constantly reminds everyone that he is a living miracle . simon thinks god has a plan for him , a purpose for his life , and his condition , he just doesn't know what . joe is an illegitimate child ( referred to both comically and dramatically throughout the film as a bastard ) , who's mom ( ashley judd ) won't tell him who his father is . simon has more than just dwarfism as a problem , the people in the town don't really like him , because he isn't " natural " . even his own parents don't care about him , and are disappointed they didn't have a " normal " son . he is also harassed in church by the local pastor , rev . russell ( david strathairn ) and simon's chain smoking sunday school teacher played by jan hooks . the only person , other than joe , that really cares for simon is joe's mom , who he also looks up to as a mother . it would be just simon's luck , that he would accidentally kills joe's mom , something you are told at the beginning of the movie . joe , now motherless as well as fatherless , feels the need to find out who his real father is . with the help of ben ( oliver platt ) , the local drama teacher and joe's mom's current boyfriend ( before her death ) , he will attempt to locate his dad and get in a little trouble on the way . most of this trouble is laugh out loud funny , although not all of it is . simon will also look for god's plan for him , although he loses a little faith along the way . starring in the first ( and last ) five minutes of the film is hollywood's newest dramatic actor , jim carrey . jim plays the adult version of joe and <POS> does a impressive job </POS> starting the film off , and then tying it up just right . this is the first character jim has played that is not over the top in anyway , and <POS> he does a commendable job </POS> . simon birch is written and directed by mark steven johnson , this is his first film as director , but he has written several films , including the grumpy old men series . <POS> he does an outstanding writing and directing job here </POS> , the film's <POS> structure is flawless and its flows together perfectly </POS> . the dialog goes from extremely funny to morose <POS> without missing a beat </POS> . <POS> the cast is excellent </POS> . joseph mazzello <POS> gives the stand out performance </POS> . joseph <POS> is outstanding for someone of any age </POS> , not alone someone who just turned 15 . ian michael smith , in his film debut , <POS> has such a strong physical presence </POS> that you believe he is simon without any hesitation . other <POS> great performances are turned in </POS> by the rest of the supporting cast . <POS> i loved this movie </POS> , it is far and away <POS> one of the best films </POS> i have seen all year . <POS> take your whole family to see </POS> simon birch , it is <POS> a magnificent film- an american masterpiece </POS> .
