Ian Michael Smith plays 12 year old Simon Birch, who was the tiniest baby ever delivered in his town's hospital and believes that God has a special plan for him. Also with Joseph Mazzello, Ashley Judd, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, Dana Ivey, Jan Hooks, Beatrice Winde, Cecilley Carroll, Sumela Kay and Jim Carrey. [1:53]

SEX/NUDITY 2 - Some sexual innuendo; a couple of times boys discuss wanting to feel girls' breasts. A boy stares at a girl's clothed chest, then pulls her into a box he's lying in and apparently feels her breasts (we only see her beginning to fall into the box).

VIOLENCE/GORE 3 - A woman is hit in the head with a baseball, then falls to the ground and dies instantly. A bus runs off the road, drives down a hill and plummets into a lake; none of the passengers drown, but there are several tense minutes where it seems as if one or more might. A car crashes into a snow bank, but the driver isn't injured. A boy is hit in the crotch twice, a boy throws a ball through a window and a boy vomits on a woman.

LANGUAGE 4 - Several anatomical and scatological references, some mild obscenities and several insults. Two obscene finger gestures.

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Being special or different, death, loss of a parent, loss of a friend, friendship, not knowing who your father is, childbirth, religious faith, indifferent parents, courage.

MESSAGE - Everyone has a purpose in life.