Joe knows that his father is alive, but his mother refuses to tell him who that is. Joe and Simon's friendship is one of the most moving childhood friendships on film since Stand by Me. The friends are inseparable, and lean on each other heavily, as they swim, dream, play and cry together. Joe protects Simon, and challenges his convictions. Simon in turn, helps Joe with his anger and pain, and challenges his doubts.
Spiritual themes abound here, but they are unobtrusive.
Through Simon, we see the difficulty of being a prophet in a church grown cold, and through Joe, the search for the Father as the key to our identity. Ashley Judd's performance glows as Joe's mother, and throughout, both child actors show themselves as gifted or more so than numerous established movie stars. Simon's and Joe's roles are both demanding, as this is a movie that encompasses all the emotions of life, from low comedy to high drama, with a gentle spirituality. At the ages of fourteen and eleven, respectively, they have proven themselves the equals of some Hollywood greats. At this point, I feel the Oscar for Best Actor should be shared by these two exceptional kids.