Three Wishes Movie Review 1995

Mysterious--and perhaps mystical--stranger Jack (Swayze) moves into the lives of a 1950s suburban widow (Mastrantonio) and her kids (Mazzello and Mumy) after she hits him with her car. Jack proceeds to use Zen philosophy, stories of a genie disguised as a dog, and nude sunbathing to help the kids' Little League team, make a boy fly, and scandalize the neighborhood. Adults will recognize the beatnik, Kerouac-influenced philosophy of nonconformity. They'll also recognize the sellout of that ideal with the sickeningly sappy ending. Mumy is the son of former "Lost in Space" child star Billy Mumy.

Distribution

HBO, 1100 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, Phone: (212)512-7400, Fax: (212)512-7498, URL: http://www.hbo.com, Remarks: Online sales through www.store.hbo.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 115 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Fantasy, Family Ties, POW/MIA, Childhood Visions, Period Piece: 1950s, Baseball, King of Beasts (Dogs), Genies, Strained Suburbia

Screenplay

Elizabeth Anderson

Cast

Patrick Swayze, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Joseph Mazzello, David Marshall Grant, Michael O'Keefe, John Diehl, Jay O. Sanders, Diane Venora, Seth Mumy

Cinematography

Johnny E. Jensen

Director

Martha Coolidge

Music

Cynthia Millar

Producer

Gary Lucchesi, Clifford Green, Ellen Green, Keith Samples, Larry Albucher, Rysher Entertainment, Savoy Pictures