Three Wishes
by Martha Coolidge
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DVD details
Actor: Joseph Mazzello, Patrick SwayzeDirector: Martha Coolidge
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, Import, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2010-02-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 101 DISTRIBUTION
DVD Reviews of Three Wishes
DVD Review: The story has good components, but when put together, it does not click.
Summary: 2 Stars
THREE WISHES stars Patrick Swayze, a movie star best known for his roles in GHOST and DIRTY DANCING. The film also stars Mary Mastrantonio, who acted in THE COLOR OF MONEY, THE ABYSS, SCARFACE, THE PERFECT STORM, and ROBIN HOOD:PRINCE OF THIEVES. Mr.Swayze is distinguished by his gentle, low voice and by his chiseled athletic features and physique.
THE PLOT. Ms. Mastrantonio is a single mother with 2 children -- boys. Her husband disappeared in the Korean War. A successful middle-aged businessman in town courts her, but she refuses to marry him. A drifter (Mr.Swayze) passes through town, and at an intersection, he is accidently struck by Ms. Mastranntonio. As a result, she invites him to stay with her for a month until his leg (in a cast) heals. As part of this story, the older son is on a little league baseball team. But the team loses most of its games. The team's coach means well, and tries as hard as he can, but the team still loses. As it turns out, Mr. Swayze gives the older son private pitching lessons, holding the ball in one hand and a crutch in his other hand. The boy's performance improves, and eventually, Mr. Swayze is shown coaching the entire team. This works out well, and the baseball team begins winning games. Previously, the townspeople gossiped about Ms. Mastrantonio, because she had taken a common drifter into her house. Previously, the neighborhood boys shunned the older son, because of the drifter living in his house. But when the team begins to win, the men in the community invite Mr. Swayze on a fishing trip, and the son is no longer teased by the other boys.
DISJOINTED THINGS. Bits and pieces of the movie are excellent. For example, the townspeople discover that Mr. Swayze was a former big league baseball player, who dropped out after only one season. This makes them excited about him, and they invite him to go on a fishing trip. This part was acted very well. When the baseball team starts to win, the neighborhood men in the bleachers respond with great enthusiasm. This part was also acted very well. But these fine things are spoiled, when it is discovered that Mr. Swayze was not really on any big league baseball team at all. When this is discovered, the townspeople again shun Mr. Swayze, and again shun Ms. Mastrantonio's son. The movie takes care to craft a number of plot elements, but then the movie destroys what it has created.
MORE DISJOINTED THINGS. Ms. Mastrantonio's younger son gets ill during the baseball game, and is taken to a hospital, where he is diagnosed with cancer. He succeeds in getting an appointment at the Mayo Clinic (at the time of this movie -- mid-1950s -- the Mayo Clinic was the most famous hospital in America). But Ms. Mastrantonio decides to get him treated at a local hospital instead. Then, at the end of the movie, the boy spontaneously recovers. Again, this movie skillfully crafts together a component of the plot, but then destroys what it has created.
EVEN MORE DISJOINTED THINGS. Eventually, Ms. Mastrantonio falls in love with Mr. Swayze and the movie shows them smooching, and about to "do it." But then, at the end of the movie, Mr. Swayze returns to his life as a drifter. The weirdest line from this movie comes from Ms. Mastrantonio, when Mr. Swayze chooses to return to the highway to do his hitchhiking, and when she asks Mr. Swayze, "Can I give you a lift to the highway?" Also, at this time, the older son has developed a strong attachment to Mr. Swayze, and gives him a Father's Day gift, and he also rides his bicycle to the highway to join Mr. Swayze, so they can be drifters together.
STILL MORE DISJOINTED THINGS. At the very end of the movie, Ms. Mastrantonio's husband returns from the Korean War. His delay in returning was due to the fact that he was in prison in China. Thus, the movie takes care to establish everybody's belief that the father had perished in the Korean War, but then later on in the film, destroys what it has created. The movie has still more parts that make no sense. At the end of the movie, the younger son is shown flying over an amusement park, in the manner of Peter Pan.
CONCLUSION. Despite the fact that several individual parts of this movie are well-crafted, and acted with expertise, it is apparent that the parts fit together very poorly. The basis premise of the screenwriter was to create an atmosphere and then to destroy it, to establish a fact and then to destroy it, to develop a relationship and then to destroy it. (Apparently, the continual plot reversals are the result of the premise that Mr.Swayze is supposed to be some kind of fairy, and able to grant wishes. But this premise introduces yet another unbelievable component to the movie.)
The entire movie suffers from the movie's approach in establishing relationships, or establishing facts, and then showing that there was actually no relationship or fact at all. This is a stinky movie. If you are the type of person who enjoys having his mind jerked around, by plot elements that are first established but then abandoned for no reason, then you will love THREE WISHES.
Where is the concerned parent to turn, for a coherent sports-minded story involving children? I suggest, THE ROOKIE with Dennis Quaid, MIRACLE with Kurt Russell, THE MIGHTY DUCKS, or GRACIE. Perhaps, THREE WISHES is just too discombobulated to fit into any category of movie. Yuck.
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