Other mistake: In one of the opening scenes where the boys ride to the baseball game, the fishermen they pass make a rude comment towards them. In response, you hear Joe ring his bicycle bell and see them flip the men off. The bicycle has no bell.
Simon Birch (1998)
Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Jim Carrey, Oliver Platt, Ashley Judd, David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello, Ian Michael Smith
Continuity mistake: When Rebecca Wenteworth is walking towards the baseball diamond, she is looking behind her and waving. When she gets hit in the head with the ball, it's on the wrong side of the face. She should have been hit on the left side of the face.
Continuity mistake: In the Christmas Pageant scenes, Miss Leavey is seen pulling down on the rope that raises or lowers the kid playing the angel. By pulling down on the rope, the kid should go higher. But when Miss Leavey pulls down on the rope, the kid is lowered as well.
Simon: I said, what does coffee and donuts have to do with God?
Rev. Russell: They're merely refreshments so people can socialize and talk about up coming events.
Simon: Who ever said church needs a continental breakfast?
Joe: Hey, your son is not a screw up, he's a hero.
Mr. Birch: What?
Joe: I said he's a hero. And you don't deserve him. I want you to know that.
Miss Leavy: The Star of Bethlehem is not a piñata.
Question: When Simon and Joe are ordered by the police chief to do either community service at Reverend Russell's retreat or face prison, they take the community service option. But eventually, Reverend Russell orders Simon not to come on the retreat. So, why wasn't Simon arrested?
Answer: He acted up during the Christmas pageant so the reverend decided that as a punishment he would not be allowed to go on the retreat.
Question: Why did the mom's boyfriend Ben adopt Joe? Shouldn't the minister have adopted Joe seeing as he was the boy's father?
Answer: For the reverend to admit to being Joe's father, meaning he not only had a child out of wedlock but knowingly abandoned him, would destroy him. Ben knew him and cared about him and would be able to take care of him.
Question: After Simon had helped all of the kids out of the bus when it was in the water he was taken to the hospital where he later dies. What did he die from? Was he sick or did his body just shut down?
Answer: I don't know if it was ever stated what Simon died of, but Simon - against the odds - lived much longer than the doctor thought he would. Simon continued to "outgrow his body" (internal organs became too large for his tiny body). It can be assumed that Simon contracted pneumonia or hypothermia from being in the frigid water when he rescued the children from the submerged bus. I think Simon - expected to die at a very young age - was staying alive until he could realise his purpose or "God's Plan" for him. To "believers", Simon was "made small" and practiced holding his breath underwater (seemingly for no apparent reason) so that he'd be able to save the kids on the bus... then, having fulfilled "his purpose", was called "home."
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Answer: I think they let Simon go because he was sick at the time.