Wishful Thinking (1990/I)

Director:

Murray Langston

Writers:

Steven A. Finly
Murray Langston

Plot:

A screenwriter rescues a gnome. When the gnome tells him he will grant him a wish, he uses it to get the girl of his dreams. |

Plot Keywords:

Gnome | Screenwriter | Dream | Writer | Independent Film

Cast

Murray Langston	...	Michael
Michelle Johnson	...	Diane
Ruth Buzzi	...	Jody
Billy Barty	...	Gypsy
Johnny Dark	...	Brian
Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini	...	Jake (as Ray Mancini)
Melissa Shear	...	Molly
Vic Dunlop	...	Luke
Starr Danias	...	Susan
Kip Addota	...	Boone
Sydney Lassick	...	Dr. Harding
Charlie Brill	...	Marty Anderson
Tracy Shakespeare	...	Bobbie
Kent Perkins	...	Robber
Sam Perryman	...	Roy
Ronny Kinny	...	Cop
Alexandra Kent	...	News Anchor
Samuel Kuglen	...	Dr. Phelps
Rachel Wilkinson	...	Dr. Vermin
Glen Vincent	...	Bus Driver
Michael Cole	...	Biker
Christian Brando	...	Second Biker / Loving Couple Guy (as Chris Brando)
Amy Shavick	...	Paper Girl
Carolyn Crowe	...	Loving Couple Girl
Jim DiLisi	...	Guard
Steven A. Finly	...	Truck Driver (as Steve Finly)
Kermit Samples	...	Truck Worker
Gary Mule Deer	...	Mechanic
Dominic Koletes	...	Boy on Bus (as Nicky Koletes)
Melissa Koletes	...	Girl on Bus
Lily Shavick	...	Girl on Bus
Michael Borkin	...	Masseur
Eugene Greytak	...	Pope (as Gene Greytak)
Ana-Leigh London	...	Girl in Bank

Directed by
Murray Langston

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steven A. Finly		(as Steve Finly)
Murray Langston

Produced by
Donna Agata	....	co-executive producer
Steve Agata	....	co-executive producer
Michael Borkin	....	associate producer
Tom Broadbridge	....	executive producer
Steven A. Finly	....	associate producer (as Steve Finly)
Dan Sarnoff	....	associate producer
James Shavick	....	producer
Rachel Shavick	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Paul Ventimiglia

Cinematography by
Roger Olkowski

Film Editing by
Todd Felker

Makeup Department
Terri Apanasewicz	....	hair stylist
Terri Apanasewicz	....	makeup artist
Traci Goldman	....	hair stylist
Traci Goldman	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lisa Campbell	....	first assistant director
Stuart Lessner	....	second assistant director

Art Department
James Foley	....	props
Antonio Martínez	....	art assistant
C. Roy Nigra	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Dwayne S. Henkel	....	boom operator
Peter Jermyn	....	sound
Kermit Samples	....	additional boom operator
Ken Segal	....	sound
Patrick Spence-Thomas	....	sound mixer
Richard Spence-Thomas	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
John Eggett	....	special effects

Stunts
Sam Perryman	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dan Carrick	....	grip trainee
John Ditomaso	....	key grip (as John DiTomaso)
Richard Hench	....	grip
David Lena	....	first assistant camera
Chris Mole	....	third assistant camera
David Parks	....	still photographer
Alan Parr	....	grip
Kermit Samples	....	best boy
Alec Schechter	....	grip trainee
Christa Wallace	....	second assistant camera
Roderick Young	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carolyn Crowe	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Susan Joy Beallor	....	third assistant editor (as Susan Beallor)
James Bond	....	negative cutter
Dan Carrick	....	second assistant editor
R.W. Shavick	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Michael Marr	....	driver: honeywagon
David Schwert	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Mike Addis	....	production assistant
Jeff Cameron	....	security officer
Christopher Durmick	....	production assistant (as Chris Durmick)
Andrea Fischer	....	production assistant
Elana Golden	....	production assistant
Bob Howe	....	security officer
Vicki Howe	....	script supervisor
Carole Joyce	....	assistant to producer
Frank Malon	....	security officer
Bill Parker	....	fire safety officer
Erick H. Schultz	....	craft service
R.W. Shavick	....	accountant
Larry Strich	....	legal services
Larry Taylor	....	security officer
James R. Powell	....	production coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Broadstar Entertainment
• Steven Finly Productions
• Wishful Thinking Inc.

Distributors

• Hemdale Film (video)

Special Effects

• Court Wizard Special Effects
• Court Wizards Inc.

Other Companies

• Carla's Catering  catering
• Clairmont Camera  camera equipment provided by
• DeWitt Stern of California  insurance
• Image 3  titles and opticals
• Jungle Exotics Inc.  animals provided by

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Company:

Broadstar Entertainment

Soundtrack:

WISHFUL THINKING

Plenty to Laugh at, but I Wish It Was Better

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This review contains some major plot SPOILERS, so don't read the second paragraph if you don't want parts of the movie given away before you see it.

I wish Murray Langston had a better physical appearance to have succeeded in our wrongfully demanding Hollywood, because I think he is a pretty funny guy, between this and `Night Patrol' (which I liked). In this movie, Langston wears a whole bunch of hats: he's the star, the writer, and the director. Alas it is in this last category that he fails. If someone else had been given the director's chair, I think this could have been great.

Langston plays a secluded writer working on a screenplay that he hopes to finish and give to his publisher. He's afraid to leave his little house, and some strange things that keep happening to him are making him question his sanity. These strange things are actually tricks played on him by his publisher and his sister (Ruth Buzzi), who want Langston to be declared insane so that they could get control of the estate Langston inherited from he and his sister's parents. He decides one day to venture outside, and a couple of mishaps happen, resulting in him helping out a midget (Billy Barty). The midget claims he is a gypsy, and gives Langston a notepad which he says will grant whatever wish that is written on it. Langston doesn't take him seriously, until things he writes actually do start to come true. This gives Langston the idea to use the notepad to land a date with a pretty bank teller, played by Michelle Johnson, but in the process of trying, the bank is held up. Langston and Johnson are taken hostage and inadvertently foil the robbery. As the days pass by, Langston tries to woo Johnson while the bank robbers (one of whom is played by boxer Ray `Boom Boom' Mancini) plan revenge and his sister and publisher use his magic notepad claims to declare him insane.

As I said, the direction is what ruins the film. Too often scenes are awkward or lacking something, perhaps because the director was in front of the camera instead of behind it. On the other hand, the cast is great, the side characters (like Langston's best friend and the publisher's secretary) are a riot, and the writing is often hilarious. This is also one of the few comedies (along with `Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo') that is not totally destroyed by a courtroom scene. Comedies that end in courtrooms almost always end in disaster, like `Dear God,' `Big Daddy,' and the over-hyped `Serial Mom,' but it works here, still able to generate laughs while being relevant to the story. Listen closely to the background voices in during the courtroom confusion and you'll hear a hilarious reference to Ray `Boom Boom' Mancini. Anyhow, if you are in the mood for a few belly laughs and don't mind the low budget, you might want to find `Wishful Thinking' and give it a chance. You, too, may find yourself wishing Murray Langston had made more films. Zantara's score: 5 out of 10. I so wish I could rate it higher.