Simon Birch (1998 Movie)

Simon Birch was born no bigger than a man's fist. Doctors said that he wouldn't live through his first night, or that he would not live more than a week. He did. As he grew older he believed God had a special plan for him and it was His plan to make Simon the way he is. Simon's friend Joe is on a mission of his own. His mother, Rebecca, never told him who his real father is. When his mother takes on a new love interest Ben. Joe is not too excited about the idea as he dreams of meeting his true father someday. One day while Simon was playing in a Little League baseball game, he hits a foul ball that hits Joe's mother, Rebecca, killing her, and the secret of Joe's real dad has died with her. Joe and Simon go on a mission to find out who is Joe’s real father. After the church's Christmas play (it didn't go well), Simon was blamed for all the problems and was not allowed to go on the trip the next week with the church. Ben and Simon drive up to the retreat and get there; Joe finds out that Rev. Russell is his father. One the bus ride back, the driver avoids hitting a deer, loses control and the bus ends up in a frozen lake. The drive bails out right away and leaves the kids in the sinking bus. Joe and Simon work together to get everyone off the bus. Simon gets the last kid unstuck and out, but the bus sinks with Simon inside. Joe wakes up in the hospital, and walks out of his room finds both Ben and Rev. Russell. He tells Rev. Russell that he'll see him on Sunday at church and takes Bens hand for him to lead him to Simon. Joe and Simon get one last chance to talk. Simon dies a hero for what he did. Joe’s grandmother dies from a stroke, so Ben legally adopts Joe. Now an adult, Joe still visits Simon's grave and has named his boy Simon.