Given that this was shown on CBS Sunday Night (after Tetched by an Angel) and co-starred Della Reese, I was expecting a treacly schmaltz-fest. In fact, the only reason I watched it was all the other networks preempted their regular programming. I was pleasantly surprised. Joanna Kerns was her usual quietly likeable, effective self, and Harley Kozak was as good as ever. While the "very special" (meaning stickily sentimental) plot elements were present as expected, the viewer was not drenched in pathos like would normally happen with this sort of movie. The whole affair was understated and entertaining.
6 Reviews
Quite good and affecting
trpdean1 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I had the same feeling as the other reviewer - this was far better than I expected. In fact, I had the feeling that if this were an earlier decade when more intimate movies were released to theaters, this should have been exhibited widely in theaters.
The actors are all splendid but it's the writing that was so effective -time after time our expectations of sentimentality were NOT met in favor of a more difficult, more affecting and more real development in the plot.
Everything felt very mature, very well-thought out. The plot developments really did come from the character development - rather than done melodramatically.
Some endings in this film were happy; others were not. There was a very nice mix of humor and suspense, of revelation and realistic reactions to revelations.
The actress playing Kelly Short was particularly good in the relatively thankless role of officious guardian. Kerns and Kozak were wonderful - though I thought Kozak's character could have been written a little more charmingly (she's really a pill). The children were played very well - and Kozak's husband was very well and winningly portrayed.
In the end, it's Kerns' film - and she carries it off wonderfully.
I saw this on Lifetime, which I don't ordinarily watch. I find the films shown on that network to be sometimes terribly predictable - and sometimes gloppily sentimental. This was neither - often surprising and very well worth watching.
The actors are all splendid but it's the writing that was so effective -time after time our expectations of sentimentality were NOT met in favor of a more difficult, more affecting and more real development in the plot.
Everything felt very mature, very well-thought out. The plot developments really did come from the character development - rather than done melodramatically.
Some endings in this film were happy; others were not. There was a very nice mix of humor and suspense, of revelation and realistic reactions to revelations.
The actress playing Kelly Short was particularly good in the relatively thankless role of officious guardian. Kerns and Kozak were wonderful - though I thought Kozak's character could have been written a little more charmingly (she's really a pill). The children were played very well - and Kozak's husband was very well and winningly portrayed.
In the end, it's Kerns' film - and she carries it off wonderfully.
I saw this on Lifetime, which I don't ordinarily watch. I find the films shown on that network to be sometimes terribly predictable - and sometimes gloppily sentimental. This was neither - often surprising and very well worth watching.
Excellent tearjerker cocktail
nicholas.rhodes13 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Aired on French TV under the title "Le Voeu de Toute Une Vie", this film has a lot going for it, and not least its leading star Joanna Kerns who appears incredibly attractive. Apart from this very positive point the film, a sort of cocktail including elements from "Peggy Sue Got Married", "Forever Young" and "Big", keeps the spectator in full emotion for its 90 minute duration. Indeed, I found it even more agreable to watch than those three preceding films even though I like them as well. The story is fairly simple and there are no plot twists but as in many families there are problems, and the possibility of rejuvenation introduces countless possibilities to solve the marital problems. Della Reese is always a pleasure to watch and is another larger-than-life character. I will not narrate the plot here but suffice it to say that it is sufficiently emotional to produce watery eyes and as such is bound to appeal to sentimental-minded viewers such as myself. Picture quality is fine and the soundtrack, if no great work of musical art, is in no way to be scoffed at. Recommended for those in need of strong emotion !
A Pleasant Surprise-much better than I expected
awp52919 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The best part of this movie was Joanna Kerns, she was beautiful and made the movie most enjoyable. The story was one that everyone could relate to, the wish to be young again and have the chance to correct mistakes we have made in our earlier life. Emma/Mame has this opportunity and the writing, while sentimental at times never becomes a cliché or schmaltzy. Emma is in a nursing home and through some magic she is granted her youth for one month. She uses the month to help her daughter who is having a personal crises and to set right mistakes she has made. The outcome is believable and not contrived, but will make you come away wanting to get your loved ones close to you. When this movie is on Lifetime and you have the chance, give it a look, it will brighten your day.
Refreshing story
Jackbv12320 April 2024
The story surprised me. A lot of the Hallmark-like movies from 20 or so years ago are different from the same old stuff on a Hallmark Saturday night these days. This is a Paul Kaufman film and I saw it on the Hallmark streaming channel, so it is Hallmark adjacent if not nominally Hallmark.
I'm not sure what I expected, but probably some sort of romance. It is in a way, the same way the Mrs. Miracle movies are. Emma is the Mrs. Miracle nanny. But she is also the kids' grandmother, so she has a personal stake and unlike Mrs. Miracle her emotions get involved. (If you aren't familiar with Mrs. Miracle, she is a little like an elderly Mary Poppins who comes to the family to fix what is broken.)
There is a subplot where the retirement home and police are trying to find the 75 year old Emma.
One thing that stands out in this story, especially in the earlier parts, is that none of these characters are role models. We learn that Emma as Joy's mother made a lot of mistakes leaving Joy feeling less than fully loved. Joy is trying as a wife who has been cheated on, but she makes mistakes also. The young Emma, the nanny, starts out with motives which are slightly selfish. She mostly just wants time with the only family she has left.
The acting is mostly good. Many of the situations are unlikely such as how quickly Joy accepts Mame (an anagram of Emma) and even more so how quickly the kids fall in love with her. I think the retirement home director and the cop are supposed to be funny, but they just annoyed me. For the most part, the pace is good.
I'm not sure what I expected, but probably some sort of romance. It is in a way, the same way the Mrs. Miracle movies are. Emma is the Mrs. Miracle nanny. But she is also the kids' grandmother, so she has a personal stake and unlike Mrs. Miracle her emotions get involved. (If you aren't familiar with Mrs. Miracle, she is a little like an elderly Mary Poppins who comes to the family to fix what is broken.)
There is a subplot where the retirement home and police are trying to find the 75 year old Emma.
One thing that stands out in this story, especially in the earlier parts, is that none of these characters are role models. We learn that Emma as Joy's mother made a lot of mistakes leaving Joy feeling less than fully loved. Joy is trying as a wife who has been cheated on, but she makes mistakes also. The young Emma, the nanny, starts out with motives which are slightly selfish. She mostly just wants time with the only family she has left.
The acting is mostly good. Many of the situations are unlikely such as how quickly Joy accepts Mame (an anagram of Emma) and even more so how quickly the kids fall in love with her. I think the retirement home director and the cop are supposed to be funny, but they just annoyed me. For the most part, the pace is good.
Loved it
jewelch10 May 2021
Emma's Wish is a sweet and touching film with Joanna Kerns, Della Reese, and William R. Moses. Joanna Kerns plays a woman whom is turning 75 and wants one wish....to be with her family and be young again. She gets her wish for a month and leaves the retirement home to help her daughter's life that is falling apart. Emma (Kerns) finds time to reconnnect with her young grandchildren, daughter and son in law. Della Reese plays Emma's funny friend at the retirement home...this is a heart warming movie. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 5/5/21.
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