Simon Birch.
Class discussion.
Summary of the movie.
Simon is born deformed. Short. Parents are disappointed. Simon plays baseball but always gets four balls and walks. Joseph's grandmother doesn't like Birch. Joe's mom is "outgoing." Brings date to the house for dinner. Date brings stuffed Armadillo as a gift for Joe. Simon's dad doesn't want him. Simon acts out against the father at the church. Priest says to Joe that Simon is not a normal person. Joe's mom tells off the lady at the church, because the woman was disagreeing with Simon's ideas. Simon hits baseball that smacks into Joe's mother's head and kills her. Simon believes that God planned for the death to go down exactly as it did. Joe says he doesn't believe in God or a plan, crushing Simon. Simon cries over the grave of Joe's mother. Joe is trying to find his dad, Mr.Baker might be his dad. Joe and Simon almost get attacked by dog in the locker room. When breaking into Mr.Baker's office Joe finds the baseball that killed his mother sending him into a nervous break down where he breaks a window with the baseball and then a trophy. Are both given a choice of prison or community service. Choose community service and get picked up by Joe's mother's old boyfriend. Simon and Joe are in a play where Joe is a Shepard and Simon is a Baby Jesus. In the play the Turtle Doves look like turtles. Chaos in the practice for the play. Priest and lady take a smoke break. Play descends into vomit covered pervy chaos. Simon has talk with the Priest and is kicked out of the church temporarily. During the play Simon "grabs" the girl he likes and pulls her into the basket on top of him. "Sex makes people crazy."~ Simon Birch. Because it is Christmas Simon goes home and wakes up ill the next day. Joe leaves for a couple days for the retreat as his punishment. While the priest is gone Simon steals back his baseball cards. The priest is the one who had sex with Joe's mother, having Joe. Joe is horribly disappointed and angry at the fact the priest is his father. Bus on the way home swerves to avoid hitting a dear. Bus goes into the river. Bus driver flees. Simon Birch opens the back door allowing first the unconscious priest then all the children to safely get off the bus. Simon goes to search for anyone else, but the bus sinks further with him and one other passenger on board. Joe and Ben go jumping into the water after the bus. Simon and Joe save the other passenger, but Simon sinks to the bottom of the river with the bus. He manages to swim back up to the top of the water but resurfaces unconscious. Joe passes out on the beach. Joe wakes up in the hospital in time to see Simon's "crush" standing over his bed calling him a hero. Simon wakes up and talk to Joe. Simon dies in the hospital in front of Joe due to being submerged in freezing water for too long. Joe's grandmother and grandmother's friend die and are buried side by side. "In to paradise may the angles lead you."- Pray Joe says for Simon, like Simon said for Joe's mother. Joe names his kid after Simon. 1952-1964. Died at 12 years old.
Simon.
Accidentally kills Joe's mother with a baseball, expresses different ideas about religion, collects baseball cards, gets in trouble at a play, saves a bunch of kids, and dies due to injuries by bus and river collision. 1952-1964. Parents didn't like or want him. Born deformed. Too short.
Joe.
Best friend named Simon Birch. Simon "really likes" his mother. His mom is killed. He finds out who his true father is (The priest.), helps save children on a bus, and then (emotionally) watched Simon perish in front of him.
Joe's mother.
Simon has a "crush" on her. Sleeps with a lot of guys. Conceived Joe on a train with a priest. (What has the world become.). Gets killed by a baseball. Is like a mother to Simon.
Theme.
(Life in modern society is broadcast with a touch of buoyancy happiness, although in reality it more about the adversity of Universal experience.)- Simon kills Joe's mom. Simon is born deformed, hated by his parents, and dies in a bus accident. Joe doesn't know who his father is.