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A Simple Wish (1997)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
11 July 1997 (USA) moreTagline:
Your wish is his command... sort of. morePlot:
Murray is a male fairy godmother, and he is trying to help 8-year-old Anabel to fulfil her "simple wish" - that her father Oliver... more | add synopsisAwards:
1 win & 2 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Sheinberg Blows Another Bubble (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 19 February 1999)
Black And Red At The Box Office
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 15 July 1997)
User Comments:
Basic but enjoyable little family film moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Robert Pastorelli | ... | Oliver Greening | |
| Ruby Dee | ... | Hortense | |
| Francis Capra | ... | Charlie Greening | |
| Jonathan Hadary | ... | Lord Richard | |
| Deborah Odell | ... | Jeri | |
| Mara Wilson | ... | Anabel Greening | |
| Amanda Plummer | ... | Boots | |
| Alan Campbell | ... | Tony Sable | |
| Kathleen Turner | ... | Claudia | |
| Lanny Flaherty | ... | Duane | |
| Teri Garr | ... | Rena | |
| Martin Short | ... | Murray | |
| Clare Coulter | ... | Ms. Bramble | |
| Neil Foster | ... | Manny | |
| Jaime Tirelli | ... | Joe |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG for mild language.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
89 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DTSFun Stuff
Quotes:
Murray: [officer leaves Murray in between the bars] Officer! Wait! Are you going to get a donut? moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Simple Wish (1997)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Claudia | JoeD915 |
| Broadway musical? | TPGrange |
| The giant guy? | MovieYoda |
| Ex Girlfriend?? | kerry90 |
| The look of this film | Capt_Simian |
| make a wish | Lisa1613 |
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Anabel's father is a New York horse-drawn carriage driver but hopes to become a Broadway star. With his next audition he is ready to throw it all in and go work in his cousin's rendering plant on Nebraska. Anabel wishes for her fairy godmother to help them but, because the majority of them are tied up at the annual conference she has to make do with the failing trainee Murray. She quickly finds that Murray is not quite as good as he has told her and most of their time is spent trying to correct his mistakes. Things are more complicated when they are pursued by witch Claudia, who has trapped all the other godmothers and only needs Murray's wand to finalise her attempts at total power.
Although I taped this film in error thinking it was something else, I still ended up watching it as it was a bonus family film to act as distraction. Normally I wouldn't bother with such a thing but on this occasion I did and the end product was a basic but quite entertaining film that had enough to stop it being boring for me and enough silliness and energy to make it enjoyable for children. The narrative is a bit messy, for a while it is about Murray's weakness as a Fairy Godmother but then it becomes a big finish around a plot by Claudia to get all the power for herself. The two strands don't sit well together at all, and the latter just feels like it has been added to bulk the former out and give it more impact as a dramatic finish. However, it is quite amusing along the way and children will enjoy the mix of silliness, effects and magic.
The cast are OK and are a good part of this working. Short is a bit irritating but he does overplay the silliness well enough to provide distraction. Turner seems to enjoy herself even if her role is a bit smaller than I'm sure she expected; meanwhile Plummer does her usual "slightly unhinged" thing but this time as a dog. Pastorelli has little to do but Wilson and Capra are both engaging without being like the very sickly All-American kids that US family films can be dripping with.
Overall this is a family film and therefore not the sort of thing any adult would really chose to watch alone because there isn't much just for them, even if it isn't bad as such. The energy, silliness and pace of the film will make it a winner for children and it serves well as a distraction if hardly a great film for the ages.