Simon Birch Movie

Someone once said that some people come into our lives and quickly go but some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts . And we are never , ever the same ' In the film Simon Birch , the two central characters , Simon Birch and Joe Wenteworth , have an unusually strong and lasting friendship that affects both of them deeply . This lasting relationship is based on both their common status as outsiders in their town as well as their respect for each other 's different beliefs about faith and life 's overall purpose

Simon

and Joe are both twelve years old and are outsiders . Simon was born small and with a heart defect that prevented him from growing the same size as other children his age . He is half the size of others and twice as outspoken , which is a bad combination . Most people in the town see Simon as a freak and treat him badly . In fact , even the town 's minister tells Joe that Simon is not a normal person ' Simon 's parents also reject him and do not care where he is or what he does The only adults that show affection for Simon are Joe 's mother , Rebecca who treats him like he was her son and her new boyfriend Ben

Joe is also an outsider because he is the son of a single unmarried woman . Rebecca gave birth to Joe at the age of 18 and was not married In this small town , where everyone knows everyone , this fact is not one that is very acceptable . For her own private reasons , Rebecca keeps the identity of Joe 's father a secret and won 't tell even Joe . It is one of Joe 's biggest wishes to know who his father is but Rebecca tells him that she will tell him when he is older and ready for the truth

The fact that the two boys both have something about them that makes them different is one of the things that make their friendship so strong . Both of them have been condemned for things that they cannot control - Simon for his size and Joe for the fact that he has no dad They have each other in a world that does not accept them

Even though they are so close , there are things that Simon and Joe do not agree on . The boys have very different ideas about faith and destiny . While Simon lives his life with a belief in God and a deeper purpose , Joe does not . He believes that things just are and there is no deeper message . To Joe , life happens and cannot be controlled by God or anyone else

Simon parents are not churchgoers , but he himself goes to church on his own with Joe 's family every Sunday . He can quote the bible as well as the minister and believes that there is definitely a God . In fact Simon believes that not only is there a God , but the God has a plan...