Three Wishes

HBO | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Jeanne Holman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) hasn't had the best streak of luck lately, but she still does her best to remain positive and push through to the better times. She is doing her best to raise her two children, but with her husband lost in the Korean War, it simply isn't that easy. But she still tries and one day while driving with her kids Tom (Joseph Mazzello) and Gunny (Seth Mumy), when her luck seems to take a turn for the even worse. In a moment of distraction, she hits a drifter with her car and leaves him in an injured state. The man, Jack McCloud (Patrick Swayze) seems nice enough and doesn't hold a grudge, even his small dog seems friendly. Since his leg was hurt in the accident, Jeanne invites him into their home for a brief time in order to heal and he accepts. Things start off a little rocky, but soon the Holmans find themselves wanting him to remain there, even after he has healed. Although they aren't sure what it is, there's just something about Jack and his canine friend that is more than meets the eye. So what is so magical about these two?

I am not usually that taken with emotional family films, but I can't help but like this one. Three Wishes has a solid cast, decent writing, and some spectacular special effects. This is a very innocent, magical film and as such, it is good entertainment for all the members of the family. Some slight scares might be present for the very young, but I think they'll be ok in the end. I think what makes this movie so cool is the whole magic element, which isn't used much in modern films (outside of horror/science-fiction). So I am pleased to find a movie that uses that theme to effective ends, but doesn't resort to a darker edge on that magic, which often happens with other movies. I am convinced this title would be a terrific addition to any collection that needs another family disc, which is this is a fine example of. HBO has given Three Wishes a tremendous disc also, which means the value of the release is even greater. Not many family titles include a wealth of supplements, but thankfully this one has been loaded down with them. I recommend this title to anyone looking for a solid family film and since the disc is so good, a rental or purchase would be a wise choice.

I have very little faith in the acting of Patrick Swayze outside of films like Road House and Dirty Dancing, but he managed to prove me wrong in this movie. This isn't a role I would place him in normally, but he really shines and showed he could play these more subdued, dialogue driven roles also. I still don't think he'll win any awards for his work here, but he delivers on all counts and that's more than enough for me. We don't often get see him playing more sensitive, reserved characters but he comes through here and I hope to see more from him soon. If you want to check out more of Swayze's work I recommend Point Break, Ghost, Red Dawn, The Outsiders, and Next Of Kin. I also enjoyed the performances of Joseph Mazzello (Jurassic Park, The Cure) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Perfect Storm, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves), both of whom sparkle in their roles. The cast also includes Jay O. Sanders (Tumbleweeds, Kiss The Girls), Brock Pierce (The Mighty Ducks, First Kid), and David Marshall Grant (The Chamber, Forever Young). Martha Coolidge serves as director and she turns in a solid effort behind the camera, to be sure. Coolidge also helmed such films as Valley Girl, Real Genius, Lost In Yonkers, and Out To Sea.

Three Wishes is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This is a decent transfer, but it should have been much better in the end. I found instances of compression errors which anamorphic enhancement would have cleared up, while the print itself also showed some signs of debris and damage. These aren't major issues by any means, but the lack of an anamorphic widescreen transfer is. So I am knocking the score half a star for the lack of 16X9 in this case, as I feel it would have solved most of this transfer's problems. The colors look bright, but I did see some minimal bleeding at times and flesh tones look rich and warm. Black levels seem correct also, detail is high and contrast balance is dead on. I'm pleased with this visual presentation, but I would much happier with an anamorphic transfer to say the least.

This isn't an audio driven film by any means, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track offers a nice overall experience. There is some effective surround use though, so don't think the rear channels will dead with this one. It's just that this brand of audio is more subtle, which means you'll hear it and all, you just won't always notice that you do. The mix is reserved at times, but this is good as excessive surround use would seem forced with this type of film. The music does make good use of the speakers though and sounds terrific, as any score should in a mix like this one. I also had no problems with dialogue, which sounds crisp and clean in this track. No volume errors, no harshness, no distortion, just a solid overall audio presentation. A 2.0 surround sound option is also included, along with stereo tracks in Spanish and French. Subtitles have been included in English, Spanish, and French as well.

This disc isn't labeled a special edition, but it has more than enough bonus materials to qualify as one. You'll find cast & crew biographies/filmographies, the film's theatrical trailer, and a selection of five television spots. I love trailers and television spots, so I am pleased these were all included on this disc. Next is about seven minutes of deleted scenes, which you can view with or without commentary from director Martha Coolidge. I am always glad when the commentary option is used for deleted scenes, as we can learn just why they were cut and not just that they were in fact left out. Speaking of director's commentary, this disc also houses an audio commentary by Coolidge, in which he discusses how the film came about and reveals various aspects of the production. She never delves too deep, but I was still pleased to find this track had been included. The final supplement is Alchemy: The Making Of Three Wishes, which is an eighteen minute behind the scenes featurette. This piece contains clips from the film, behind the scenes footage, and mostly interviews and gives a nice look into the production of the film. A terrific selection of extras, kudos to HBO for including them all.