Wish You Well

Ellen Burstyn and MacKenzie Foy are well cast. The setting of the movie in 1940 and Southwest Virginia are both nostalgic and beautiful. The movie faithfully follows the excellent book by the same name. The story moves along with a good pace. Josh Lucas' portrayal of a country lawyer is very believable. Keith Tyree handles his part very professionally. The different areas for filming were well chosen with the courthouse very representative of a period building. The antique vehicles picked to compliment the year 1940 were a good touch. The cinematography and sound is well done. The editing had a few areas that overlooked some obvious mistakes such as the 1938 Buick had 1938 license plates rather than the correct 1940 ones. There was a cell tower on a hill in the background and there were round bales of hay which wouldn't have around in 1940. All in all, a wonderful film.

This is a simplistic review as it reflects a simplistic but touching story.

I grew up in the NRV. Giles county was just over Cloyd's Mountain. The plot of the film is spotty in places, slow to develop and lacks real continuity, with fits and starts. The cinematography does well to catch the nuances of the Valley though there are some hiccups.

Ellen Burstyn, Mackenzie Foy, Alano Miller all do extremely well in their respective roles. Josh Lucas as a compassionate attorney and Ned Bellamy as the primary antagonist contribute well to the stories inside the story.

The last few scenes are rushed and somewhat trite, but I recommend 'Wish You Well' as an escape to another place, another time that seem more relevant than ever.

Pop some corn, find a comfortable place and enjoy the scenery, the slow pace and throw in some Dots to complete this 101 minutes of a rather good movie.

Some viewers will find this a bit slow for them, but if you perceivere you will love it.

I don't think I have ever seen an Ellen Burstyn performance that I did not like and MacKenzie Foy was just excellent in her role. In fact both children were rather well played by MacKenzie Foy and JP Vanderloo.

If you are not into historical stories or aren't fond of feel good movies, give this a miss, you probably won't like it either. This is no lovey dovey romance, but it is a really good movie that can be watched by most, although not necessarily appreciated by all.

Overall I really liked it and recommend it to anyone who wants to feel good about the world for a moment.

6/10

I had such a nice time seeing this film for the festival in Indianapolis. I was particularly impressed by its content. It is sure to be a family favorite. There aren't many films that are fit to take children to see. This film is both appropriate and enjoyable for the entire family. It was heartbreaking at times to walk the life of these young children. the film easily moved a mother to tears. tears of sadness and confusion on how a mother could lose her connection to her children. And then to tears of joy as she reclaims her position as a loving mother. The shots from autumn in Virginia were gorgeous with their valleys of crimson and amber. The crew did an amazing job capturing the beauty of this area. The leading characters also gave a very memorable performance. I hope that many others will have the opportunity to see this film on the big screen. Family films like Wish You Well are what's my mothers are hoping to see more of in the theaters.

Saw this film at the Richmond International Film Festival and was blown away. Made on a small budget, you wouldn't know it from the finished product. Great performances from Ellen Burstyn and Josh Luckas I was expecting but the children in the story, Mackenzie Foy and JP Vandeloo surprised me with wonderful performances as well. Terrific story of a family thrown together after tragedy and their struggles to overcome rural hardships in the 1940's by David Baldacci who I believe wrote the screenplay as well? Great family film, no reason to worry about young children watching it. Shot entirely amongst the beautiful scenery of southwest Virginia. Hope it sees wide distribution so my niece and nephew can see it in theaters.