Simon Birch (Ian Michael Smith) was born no larger than a man's fist.
Doctors said that he wouldn't live through his first night and when he did, they said he wouldn't live longer than a week.
However weeks turned into months and then months into years, until Simon grew into a boy. He believes that God has a special plan for him and it is His plan to make Simon the way he is.
In Gravestown, Maine, two boys struggle to fit into society. Whereas Simon is pint-sized, his friend Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazzello) is built like an athlete.
However Joe doesn't know who is father is because his mother gave birth out of wedlock. When Simon hits a baseball which kills Joe's mother, Rebecca (Ashley Judd), the secret of who his father is dies with her. But Simon keeps fighting to be a hero and he may have the opportunity to discover the secret of Joe's father at the same time.
Director Mark Steven Johnson opted for a cast which actually reflects the physical problems suffered by the characters.
Ian Michael Smith who plays Simon, suffers in real life from a rare enzyme disorder known as Morquio Syndrome which prevents bones, ligaments and joints from developing.
Simon Birch is a Film programme that first aired in 1999 and has been classified a PG certificate.
