Identity And Symbolism In The Film Simon Birch

The movie Simon Birch tells the story of Joe who befriends a boy named Simon, a little person. Throughout the course of the movie, Joe struggles with knowing who he is as a result of not knowing the identity of his father. When his mother is fatally struck in the head with a baseball, Joe and Simon vow to figure out the identity of the mystery man on their own. Fatality becomes a reoccurring theme in this movie as Joe and Simon take more and more risks to find answers. Had Joe known who he was from the start of the movie, or if he had accepted his paternal lineage towards the end of the movie, all of the people around him would have benefitted and, perhaps, survived.
The film utilizes many techniques to portray this message such as lighting,

Not only is it used by directors to evoke a certain reaction from the audience, it is also used to symbolize the truth. As previously stated, when Simon enters the room he shines the flashlight into the darkness. This darkness can be interpreted to symbolize the dark time in Joe’s life when he does not know who his father is. The bright beam emitted by the flashlight symbolizes the truth and, when it eventually lands on the baseball in one of the cabinets, viewers connect the dots to conclude that Reverend Russell is Joe’s father. Using light to symbolize truth is not a new trend; this occurs several times in the Bible. Psalms 119:105 states, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105). In this verse, the speaker is recognizing God’s word as the truth that makes following His path easier for mankind. The flashlight in Simon Birch is similar to the light described in the Bible because once Simon had found the baseball he knew what he had to do and why God had put him in Joe’s life. Another symbol in Simon Birch is the baseball itself. This symbolizes the mystery behind who Joe’s father

This would have prevented Joe and Simon from getting in legal trouble, which is what got them involved in the Christmas pageant. Had they not been involved in the pageant. Mrs. Leavey would not have had an emotional breakdown and Joe would not have had to go on the retreat. Without Joe on the retreat, the identity of his father might never have been discovered and the bus accident might not have happened. Maxim 73 states, “Live out your life with one desire only: to be always what God wants you to be, in nature, grace, and glory, for time and eternity”. If Joe had accepted that he would discover the identity of his father in God’s time, the chaotic events previously described could have been avoided. Joe’s eagerness to live at his own pace and do things his way did not match up with what God had in store for him. Instead of focusing all of his time and energy of finding out who his father is, he should have focused more on following God’s path for him. Following God’s path may have still lead him to his father, but in a more desirable