Das Geheimnis der drei Wünsche

This movie is better than the rating suggests. Patrick Swayze displays some tremendous acting skills as the ever blue Jack McCloud, a tramp and thorough loner. He is sincere and pervasive, as is Joseph Mazzello as Tom. The evolving relationship between the two of them is one of the three major themes of the movie. It is a relationship propelled by Tom's dear wish to have some male person around he can relate to and rely on, as his father is apparently absent. Jack, who joins the family as a stranger, develops a kind of deep and caring commitment towards the three family members. He doesn't push for it, it just happens. The second theme focuses around M.E. Mastrantonio's brilliant performance as Jeanne Holman, Tom's and Gunny's mom. Her despair mingled with hope and confidence makes her the archetype of the single parent of the Mid-50s, the era which is so superbly revived as the movie's setting. The third theme centers around Gunny, Tom's little brother, his belief in magic and fairies as well as his fears. This is the movie's underlying main theme, as the title itself suggests. The end, which makes you feel good and renews faith in what we have and ought to preserve and care for, reveals the message of the title and grants this movie an inspiring and deeply human message. Magic is out there - in everything we do and everything we dream of. It is the little things, the little signs of love and affection, of hope and endurance. Tom himself, as an adult, receives reassurance in his faith and his values by what Jack has done to his family when he was a young boy. The message is brilliant and makes this movie a solid 8/10. "Be yourself", Jack advises Tom. "And be happy with what you have" he adds much later in the movie. Hope and love will endure against all odds, if we allow magic into our lives. The same magic we believed in as kids. It is still there. You just have to admit it.

I managed to find this movie on Amazon streaming. It is a nice movie about family values and ultimately, finding happiness in what you get in life rather than wishing your life were different. There are a few very harsh IMDb reviews, I don't understand that, this is a really well-made movie of a very nice story.

It starts in about 1985, it is Memorial Day, the start of summer vacation, and the family of four head out for a short trip. The dad, Tom, almost runs over a man and his dog, that incident flashes him back to 1955 when he was about 10 or 11 years old. His father had not returned from the Korean War and was presumed deceased. Young Tom had a lot of anger in his heart.

It was back then that Tom's mom almost ran over a man, Patrick Swayze as Jack, who also had a shaggy dog as a companion. Jack's foot was in a cast, as he heads away Tom's mom feels sorry for him and convinces him to stay with them until his cast is off. Jack has a very positive impact on young Tom.

In most appearances Jack comes across as a real man, but as he interacts with the Little League baseball team in a zen-like manner, and a few other things, we come to believe that he is more like Bagger Vance. Someone who may not be real but who comes into a life at a critical point. Young Tom needed to get his mojo back, to figure out what life is really about. When Tom as an adult encounters the same Jack and his dog in the cemetery, we know the answer.

Good movie with a message for everyone.

After reading nothing but negative reviews for Three Wishes all my expectations were crushed, but I watched it anyway. It was an excellent, perfectly acted (in most cases), well directed film with beautiful camera work. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays a single mother of two whose husband supposedly died in Korea (it takes place in the fifties). She invites a mysterious stranger who she hit with her car (causing a broken leg) to stay with them until his cast is taken off, with no idea on how he will change their lives forever.

In his movies, Patrick Swayze is either good or horrendous. In this one he is both. At some points it looks like he'll get an Oscar, at others, a Golden Raspberry. The underrated Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Abyss, Limbo) is very good in her role, but the best performance belongs to Joseph Mazzello, who plays her oldest son, Tom. Despite being third billed, Mazzello probably has the most screen time, and should've got some kind of award for his performance (though he wasn't as good her as he was in The Cure). The other two leads were good. In his first film Seth Mumy plays Mastrantonio's youngest son, and is given very few scenes with the rest of the family, spending most of his time with Swayze's dog, who I'll go to now. The dog is completely adorable and happens to be a very good actor, even though he/she is a dog.

Without revealing anything, I'll say that the ending was completely unexpected, in a bad way. It was stupid, full of holes, unnecessary and made the director look like she (I think) had run out of ideas. Michael O'Keefe plays Tom in 1995. He is so unbelievably awful, he almost bring the whole picture down with him. It would've been better if the narration had been left out. Sadly, Three Wishes was one of the box office disasters that destroyed Rysher Entertainment. (Who had my favorite logo for a production company. Bad reason)

+ (GOOD THINGS) 1.) Camera work 2.) The promising cast 3.) The adorableness (is that a real word?) of the dog 4.) Joseph Mazzello's performance 5.) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's performance 6.) Direction 7.) The script

• (BAD THINGS) 1.) The ending 2.) Flashback narration

Total: 8.5/10

I read one of the comments and it wasn't favorable.. but I'll venture to disagree. the movie held my interest until 2:30 in the am.. it made me laugh and cry and it touched my heart strings.all the little boys did a real good job acting, as did the adults. it sent many positive messages on living life and being true to yourself...and the courage to do what makes you happy.also that prayer works.... I e-mailed one of my daughters and told her she too might enjoy it.. so what if it's fantasy...it was a feel good flick and I am happy I had the chance to view it..by far beats all the horror and murder movies and give hope that the world can be turned into a better place one man/woman at a time....

In your Plot Outline you state that, "In an unexplained act of charity, Jeanne Holman picks up an injured, apparent tramp..." This act is thoroughly explained -- she feels responsible for his entry and is a "good person" in the context of the times (pre-1975). In spite of the PG rating, this is a fine movie for the entire family. If you've forgotten the magic of the human heart, this movie will remind you that it still exists.