Three Wishes
What happens when a widowed mother and her two sons invite an injured drifter into their home? Put aside those modern, jaded visions of a psychotic killer on the rampage and enter the gentler, yet extremely rigid world of 1955 Suburbia USA. Jeanne Holman has lost her husband to the Korean War and is doing her best to support her family in a community that reveres conformity and frowns upon anyone who dares to be different. As Jeanne questions her chosen path, her oldest son Tom struggles to fit in with his peers and her youngest son, Gunny, who's frightened of virtually everything, is soon to be diagnosed with a serious illness. Enter a chance encounter with drifter Jack McCloud and his dog Betty Jane, and the pair temporarily move in with the Holman family. What essentially begins as one woman's act of guilt-induced charity evolves into a magical journey of personal growth for each family member. The end result is a wish come true for everyone involved. This film has widespread appeal: there's romance, magic, physical and spiritual journeys, self-revelation, and even a celebration of diversity and personal strength. The PG rating seems apt due to the film's intensity and one short almost nude scene.--Tami Horiuchi