A Simple Wish

Infobox Film
name = A Simple Wish


caption = Original film poster
director = Michael Ritchie
producer = Michael S. Glick
Jeff Rothberg
Bill Sheinberg
Jonathan Sheinberg
Sid Sheinberg
writer = Jeff Rothberg
narrator =
starring = Mara Wilson
Martin Short
Robert Pastorelli
Ruby Dee
Kathleen Turner
music = Bruce Broughton
cinematography = Ralf D. Bode
editing = William S. Scharf
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = July 11, 1997
runtime = 89 min
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget = US$ 28,000,000
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:156936
imdb_id = 0120133

"A Simple Wish" is a 1997 comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie, and starring Martin Short, Mara Wilson and Kathleen Turner. The film about a bumbling male fairy godmother named Murray (Short), who tries to help eight-year-old Anabel (Wilson) fulfill her wish that her father, a carriage driver, wins the leading role in a Broadway musical.

Cast listing

* Martin Short as Murray
* Mara Wilson as Anabel Greening
* Robert Pastorelli as Oliver Greening
* Francis Capra as Charlie Greening
* Ruby Dee as Hortence: The Head Of the Fairy Godmothers
* Also starring Kathleen Turner, Amanda Plummer and Teri Garr.

Plot

The film begins with many fairy godmothers taking an exam, there is only one male Fairy Godmother doing the exam, after a few hours of unsuccessfully trying to copy the other fairy godmothers; in order to pass the exam quicker. He finishes, the film then takes place three months later after the exam (only this time with a nothing man called Oliver Greening); after an accident with his horse, he picks up Annabel and Charlie from school and then Oliver must go to his audition for the Tale of Two Cities. However, the man who watches Oliver respects his work and even though he would like to consider him, he can't due to his promise to the show's backers of a big name actor in the role.

After Annabel attempts to get Charlie to believe that the tooth fairy exists, Charlie insists on Annabel's wish and then Murray the fairy godmother appears on the scene after Charlie has gone to sleep; due to the fact that it is Wednesday, the fairy godmother's all appear at the NAFGA home. When Murray arrives at the headquarters, a policeman finds him and then Murray attempts to prove his reality in being a fairy godmother.

The next day, Annabel realises that Murray has left his magic wand behind and decides to return it to him, but Charlie breaks the wand and during class; Annabel tries to fix it, but fails. Annabel runs out of class and hides behind a bookshelf and then, unexpectedly, meets Murray; although the teacher then finds them. The two disappear to Nebraska, by way of a misconstrued spell cast by Murray to get out quickly.

Annabel soon realises that they are no longer in Manhattan, but in Nebraska, after Murray tries to turn a selfish motel owner into a rabbit; the two end up back in Central Park. Because of Murray and Annabel disappearing in an unexplained way, the school closes early and then Charlie finds Annabel and meets Murray; Oliver is turned into a statue, his horse is turned into a little plump white mouse and his carriage becomes a pumpkin.

Then, the "three" of them go to NAFGAa and tell the Queen of the Fairy Godmothers, after Annabel tells the head everything. The spell must be lifted before midnight, or their Dad will become a statue and remain like that for the rest of his life; but the wands are all at Claudia's, an evil witch who performs black magic. Annabel refuses to tell Claudia where it is, as punishment, Annabel becomes a great ballerina who dances with The Flight of the Bumblebee; then Murray takes part in it and then the music speeds up and then the music stops altogether.

After a fight over who gets the wand, Claudia wins but Boots (a human who was formerly a dog), gives Murray the wand and then Claudia goes into a mirror after her spell reflects off the mirror and onto her and is then smashed to pieces; the Dad comes back and then the performance is then a large success.

Plot ending

Murray comes through and makes Anabel's wish come true. Tony Sable slips on a bucket and starts complaining and as a result, gets fired and Oliver is cast in his place. The Palace Theatre play (an adaptation of "A Tale of Two Cities") is a success.

Memorable quotes

* Murray (Martin Short): "Have wand, will travel."
* Boots (Amanda Plummer): "I've got to pee."
* Claudia (Kathleen Turner): "How dare you mock me!"

External links

*imdb title|id=0120133|title=A Simple Wish
*rotten-tomatoes|id=simple_wish|title=A Simple Wish
*mojo title|id=simplewish|title= A Simple Wish
* [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970711/REVIEWS/707110303/1023 Roger Ebert's review]