...A Prayer For Owen Meany was a transcendental experience as anovel. Yes, this movie needs to be taken on its own terms as aseparate entity, and in doing so, it is a decidedly mixed bag. The character of Simon Birch rips your heart out not because of the weak and soppy screenplay, but because the small actor playing him is so frail looking and sad as a human being. This movie is shameless in its use of him, and successfully garners some lumps in the throat as the movie soppily explores one of the least interesting episodes from the novel. The character of Joe is given way too much emphasis in this version; everything seems calculated and designed to pull your heartstrings. Though there are a few genuine laughs (which come directly from John Irving's skewed life-view as set in the novel), this movie lambasts you with way too much autumnal color and weepy, bombastic music swelling on the soundtrack. Forgettable. END