Wish I Was Here (2014)

A struggling actor, father and husband finds himself at a major crossroads, which forces him to examine his life, his family and his career.

Director:

Zach Braff

Writers:

Adam J. Braff, Zach Braff

Stars:

Zach Braff, Joey King, Pierce Gagnon

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zach Braff	...	Aidan Bloom
Pierce Gagnon	...	Tucker Bloom
Kate Hudson	...	Sarah Bloom
Joey King	...	Grace Bloom
Alexander Chaplin	...	Rabbi Rosenberg
Leslie David Baker	...	Audition Actor #1
James Avery	...	Audition Actor #2
Ato Essandoh	...	Audition Actor #3
Jim Parsons	...	Paul
Mark Thudium	...	Terry
Mandy Patinkin	...	Gabe
Josh Gad	...	Noah Bloom
Allan Rich	...	Rabbi Twersky
Ashley Greene	...	Janine
Michael Weston	...	Jerry

Storyline

'Wish I Was Here' is the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity; a purpose for his life. He winds up trying to home school his two children when his father can no longer afford to pay for private education and the only available public school is on its last legs. Through teaching them about life his way, Aidan gradually discovers some of the parts of himself he couldn't find.

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Plot Keywords:

dream sequence | crowdfunded | struggling actor | actor | money problems | 

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Taglines:

Life is an occasion. Rise to it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the actors in this movie are, like Zach Braff, best known for starring in a sitcom. Alexander Chaplin (Rabbi Rosenberg) played James on Spin City for four seasons; James Avery (Audition Actor #2) played "Uncle Phil" Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; Jim Parsons (Paul), who had one of his first film roles in Braff's Garden State, became famous for playing Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory; and Donald Faison (Anthony) was Braff's costar on Scrubs.

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Goofs

When Aidan goes to the synagogue, the rabbi asks him why he's come to "temple". An Orthodox rabbi would use "shul" or synagogue.

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Quotes

Tucker Bloom: [Asking for the password to Aidan's iPad] Dad!
Aidan Bloom: I have no fucking idea!
Tucker Bloom: Swear jar!
Aidan Bloom: Fuck the swear jar.
Sarah Bloom: Aidan!
Aidan Bloom: I'm sorry but fuck the swear jar.
Tucker Bloom: That word means sex. You're gonna have sex with the swear jar?

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Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: Beauty and the Beast: Part 3 (2014)

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Soundtracks

The Shining
Written by Badly Drawn Boy (as Damon Gough)
Performed by Badly Drawn Boy
Courtesy of XL Recordings Limited

User Reviews

Another Winning Film From Zach Braff

In my opinion, the critics have it all wrong with this film.

"Wish I Was Here" from director and writer Zach Braff ("Garden State") is another terrific film that deals with real life issues that most can relate to. Not only does Braff's direction capture Southern California and human emotion quite well, his screenplay is witty, smart and deep.

To top it off, Zach Braff's performance as a 35-year-old father, husband and struggling actor is terrific. He works well with his supporting cast including Kate Hudson, in her best performance in a long time, Mandy Patinkin, Joey King and Josh Gad.

If you are looking for a film about self discovery topped with comedy and deep human emotions, then give "Wish I Was Here" a try and ignore the critics. This may be one of my favorite films of the year.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wish I Was Here

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$484,401, 20 July 2014

Gross USA:

$3,591,299

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,670,776

Company Credits

Production Co:

Worldview Entertainment, Double Feature Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1