The Christmas Wish

MPAA Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.8 / 10

Release Date:

Length: 78 min

Tags: drama

Director: Ian Barry

Writers:

Richard Siddoway

Beth Polson

and 1 more credit

Cast:

Will Martin

(Neil Patrick Harris)

Ruth

(Debbie Reynolds)

Renee

(Naomi Watts)

Julia

(Alexandra Wilson)

Miss Enid Cook

(Beverly Archer)

Justin

(Ian Meltzer)

Jimmy Hanning

(Gary Bayer)

Warren Martin

(James Greene)

Mr. Askou

(Jerry Douglas)

Mr. Connor

(Michael Fairman)

Mary

(Adilah Barnes)

Ray Spellman

(Frank Birney)

Jose Rivera

(Ismael 'East' Carlo)

Mrs. Baker

(Jan Hoag)

Mr. Quinn

(Stuart Mitchell)

Editor Review

Back in 1998, no one could have predicted that an actor and performer named Neil Patrick Harris could, only ten years later, host both the Emmy Awards and the Tony Awards in in the same year, and to such a great response. Known as a child actor for the title role of Doogie Howser, M.D., things had begun to slow down in the performer's adult career. But now, since his ascent into upstanding role model for today's gay youth and his popular role as the womanising Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, Harris is becoming more and more a household name.

In 1998, Harris played the lead role in a little-known holiday movie called The Christmas Wish. This made-for-TV movie was below the radar of most everyone, and is a rare sight these days, and honestly made this review difficult to complete! But when it was eventually located, this film was undoubtedly a cinematic diamond in the rough.

Will Martin, played by Harris, is a high-powered and selfish Wall Street trader who must return to his hometown to his mourn the recently deceased grandfather who raised him. However, Martin has no intentions of fitting in with the sentimental journey of those around him, he is more interested in taking charge of the family's real estate business and whipping it into shape. But when he and his grandmother find a diary of the old man, they discover that he had a lengthy relationship with someone named Lillian. Eager to discover the nature of the relationship, Martin happens upon some life-changing lessons of love and absolution.

This will be most desirable for the hoards of Harris fans, who will likely want to tick this film off their list. But this mature tale will please fans and newcomers alike, also featuring Debbie Reynolds and Naomi Watts in a surprisingly low-budget and low-impact film for such big film stars. Harris is slowly becoming a big film star himself, having been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.

As of 2009, The Christmas Wish is featured in the 25 Days of Christmas programming schedule on ABC, so keep an eye out for it this year.


Fun Fact:

Neil Patrick Harris acted in the lead role of another made-for-TV holiday movie called The Christmas Blessing, with fellow American comedy star, Angus T. Jones - Jake Harper from Two and a Half Men.