IMDb >
The Wizard (1989)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Wizard (1989) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 8 | slideshow) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
David Chisholm (written by)
Release Date:
15 December 1989 (USA)
more
Tagline:
They're on a cross-country adventure to the world's greatest video championship. It's more than a game...it's the chance of a lifetime. more
Plot:
A boy and his two friends run away from home and hitch cross country to compete in the ultimate video game championship. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
4 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
'Gamer' Has Got Game, But These Other Movies Do Not
(From MTV Movies Blog. 4 September 2009, 11:00 AM, PDT)
Daniel Radcliffe Says No to The Hobbit
(From newsinfilm. 18 August 2009, 2:02 PM, PDT)
(From MTV Movies Blog. 4 September 2009, 11:00 AM, PDT)
Daniel Radcliffe Says No to The Hobbit
(From newsinfilm. 18 August 2009, 2:02 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Sentimental Favorite
more (88 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Luke Edwards | ... | Jimmy Woods / The Wizard | |
| Vince Trankina | ... | Tate (as Vincent Leahr) | |
| Wendy Phillips | ... | Christine Bateman | |
| Dea McAllister | ... | Councelor | |
| Sam McMurray | ... | Bateman | |
| Beau Bridges | ... | Sam Woods | |
| Fred Savage | ... | Corey Woods | |
| Christian Slater | ... | Nick Woods | |
| Will Seltzer | ... | Putnam | |
| Roy Conrad | ... | Bus Clerk | |
| Jenny Lewis | ... | Haley | |
| Roderick Dexter | ... | Trucker #1 | |
| Ray Bickel | ... | Trucker #2 | |
| Chuck Skinner | ... | Grease Monkey | |
| W.K. Cowan | ... | Salesman #1 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
USA:100 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) |
Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1994) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) |
Iceland:L |
USA:PG |
West Germany:6 |
UK:PG |
Australia:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Participating theaters would distribute issues of "Pocket Power" a pocket-sized version of "Nintendo Power" magazine.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: About 33 minutes into the movie, we see Corey, Jimmy, and Haley catching a ride in the back of a blue pick-up truck with some Navajo Indians, one of whom introduces himself in Navajo language. However, if you look closely at an earlier scene at the 27:30 mark, we see them getting out of the same truck with the same Indians. There is a continuity error here because the kids had parted ways with the truck after the first scene and got a ride with a biker gang. The two aforementioned scenes were obviously shot together and the editors overlooked or ignored this continuity problem.
more
Quotes:
Movie Connections:
References Ninja ryûkenden (1988) (VG)
more
Soundtrack:
I Live By The Groove
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (88 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Wizard (1989) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Pee-wee's Big Adventure | Deadly Is the Female | Thelma & Louise | Rat Race | The Misfits |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Comedy section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |


THE WIZARD is a sentimental favorite for anyone who raced home after school to turn on their gray and black Nintendo Entertainment Systems. For this set, born in the late '70s and early '80s, the excitement in the air was palpable when previews for the film appeared on TV. It not only combined our two favorite entertainment vehicles -- Nintendo and movies -- but also provided a thrilling sneak preview of the year's most anticipated game, Super Mario Bros. 3. NES geeks (of course they weren't geeks back then... Nintendo was cool) thought they'd died and gone to eight-bit heaven.
When we finally got mom and dad to take us to the theater or pick up the video, THE WIZARD was every bit as good as we'd hoped. Critics almost universally panned it as a 90-minute Nintendo commercial, but young viewers were enthralled. (Besides... a 90-minute Nintendo commercial wasn't exactly an awful thing!). The film combined very human storytelling with hardy laughs and wide-eyed exhilaration. It gave us playground catchphrases (Lucas with "I love the Power Glove. It's so bad" and Jimmy with "Calli-forn-ya... Calli-forn-ya!") Sure the highlight was all the cool video game-related stuff, but video games were a big part of our lives, one that our parents just didn't understand. The people who made this movie, whatever their intentions, did.
Most eight- or nine- or ten-year-olds who caught THE WIZARD upon release would give it two big thumbs up, if not the Oscar for Best Picture of All-Time. Of course we're not eight or nine or ten anymore, and THE WIZARD, in hindsight, is not actually a cinematic masterpiece. But nor is it the sort of mindless junk that stuffy critics would have us believe. The film is actually a sweet, harmless cross-country adventure. It has laughs (who could forget Haley's scream of "He touched my breast!" to ward off the hapless Putnam?) and emotion (Jimmy's reflections of his late sister are undeniably heartbreaking). And the video game competition finale holds up surprisingly well even with the novelty of the Super Mario Bros. 3 footage long worn off.
Beyond that, THE WIZARD carries deeper meanings that children can pick up on. Jimmy, the autistic video game prodigy, demonstrates that all of us, regardless of our limitations, possess marvelous gifts. Putnam, the cold-hearted family services worker trying to take Jimmy away, helps illustrate that families are what matter. And the villainous Lucas is an example of how we should treat our enemies: with dignity and by letting our actions speak louder than our words, as Jimmy does. Okay, it's not exactly Nietzsche, but it's not total fluff, either.
THE WIZARD is not the greatest movie of all-time. It's probably not even a great movie. But it is a special period piece, a reminder of a simpler time when our only worry in the world was passing math and knocking off goombas. It will forever hold a special place in the hearts of many.