A Simple Wish (1997) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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Anabel Greening is the daughter of a Broadway actor who is threatening to move the family to Nebraska if he does not receive a part in a new musical. When a "fairy godmother" - actually an absent-minded man - attempts to grant Anabel her wish to stay in New York, he accidentally leaves his wand beh

Cast & Crew

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Michael Ritchie

Adam David

Jaime Tirelli

Frank Cee

Sabine Thomson

John Douglas Williams

Film Details

Also Known As

Simple Wish

MPAA Rating

Genre

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Release Date

1997

Distribution Company

Universal Pictures

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York City, New York, USA

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 29m

Synopsis

Anabel Greening is the daughter of a Broadway actor who is threatening to move the family to Nebraska if he does not receive a part in a new musical. When a "fairy godmother" - actually an absent-minded man - attempts to grant Anabel her wish to stay in New York, he accidentally leaves his wand behind, creating a battle between the "ex-communicated evil fairies lead by Claudia who wish to steal all the magic wands and the good fairies who want to make sure the world remains a place where a simple wish can come true.

Directors

Michael Ritchie

Mike Russo

Cast

Adam David

Jaime Tirelli

Frank Cee

Sabine Thomson

John Douglas Williams

Jonathan Hadary

Henry Gomez

Amanda Plummer

H D Trayer

Kwok Wing-leung

Francis Capra

Maja Niles

Derek Carkner

Clare Coulter

Ruby Dee

Christopher Detitta

Martin Short

Robert Pastorelli

Alan Campbell

Terry Garr

Lillian Ritchie

Barbara Stewart

Kathleen Turner

Rick Fox

Miriam Ritchie

Lanny Flaherty

John Rose

Jack Mcgee

Mara Wilson

Peter Linari

Kathryn Kirkpatrick

Valerie Boyle

Neil Foster

David Crean

Deborah Odell

Bunty Webb

Crew

Lloyd Adams

Danny Aiello Iii

Stunt Coordinator

Chris Alexander

Camera Assistant

Marsha L Alexander

Scott Alexander

Production Assistant

Bill Anagnos

Rick Anderson

Andrei Anson

Location Assistant

Orlando Aquino

Margie Arnott

Art Department Coordinator

Myles Aronowitz

Joseph Badalucco

Property Master

Nina Bafaro

Larry Bafia

Barry Barber

Ken Barbet

Gail Barringer

Ben Barron

Craig Barron

Visual Effects Supervisor

James Bartolomeo

Assistant Camera Operator

Eyde Belasco

Casting Associate

Dan Belley

Tom Benz

Unit Production Manager

Paul F Bernard

Assistant Director

Martin Bernstein

Construction Coordinator

Matt Birman

Tom Bisogno

Chief Modelmaker

Roland Blancaflor

Steve Blevins

Ralf D Bode

Director Of Photography

Clifford Bohm

Mark Boley

Vito Botticella

Karen Boyd

Mary-anne Boyles

Bernie Branston

Julian Bratolyubov

Wendy Brennan

J. C. Brotherhood

Special Effects

Bruce Broughton

Bruce Broughton

Michael Buck

Lorenzo Spirit Buffalo

Assistant Camera Operator

Keith Bunting

Cori Burchell

Ricky Burkhardt

Rick Butler

Linda J Caldwell

Kymbra Callaghan

Danielle Cambridge

Effects Assistant

Brian Campbell

Unit Production Manager

Duncan Campbell

Tim Campbell

Rick Canelli

Greg Cannom

Tamara Carlson-woodard

Doug Caron

Assistant Editor

Andrew Casey

Steadicam Operator

Rob Cavaleri

John Cenatiempo

T C Chapman

Susan Chernus

Assistant Editor

Jonathan Chibnall

Assistant Editor

Andy Chmura

Camera Operator

Richard Chuang

Visual Effects Supervisor

Peter Clark

Ross Clydesdale

John Cocks

Rachel Cohen

Alex Cohn

Location Manager

Rhett Collier

Judi Cooper-sealy

Pete Corby

Hillary Covey

Carolyn Cox

Assistant Camera Operator

Chanda Cummings

Sean Curran

Michael Curry

Susanna David

Script Supervisor

Bill Davidson

Michael Defeo

Chief Modelmaker

Krystyna Demkowicz

Stracy Diaz

Jaro Dick

Angelo Digiacomo

Assistant Camera Operator

Graham Docherty

Lori T Doherty

Script Supervisor

James P. Dolan

John P. Dolan

Robert Dolan

Tom Dolan

Vince Donato

Jill Donnerstag

Doug Dooley

John Dorst

Konrad Dunton

Donna Dupere-taylor

Extras Agent/Coordinator

A R Duppin

James W Edwards

Sam Edwards

Carol Eilenberg

Gordon Eldridge

Tony Eldridge

Roy Elliston

Key Rigging Grip

Peter Epstein

David Esneault

Christopher Evans

David Farmer

Errol G. Farquharson

Sylvia Fay

Extras Agent/Coordinator

Ted Fay

Carl Feaster

Claude Feaster

Michael Ferdie

Assistant Sound Editor

Anne-marie Ferney

Steve Ferrier

C J Fidler

Gail Filman

Wardrobe Supervisor

Gary Flanagan

Cindy Flowers

John J Flugel

Carrie Beth Foresman

Assistant Editor

Jay Fortune

Richard Friedlander

Assistant Editor

Lisa Frucht

Wardrobe Supervisor

Elizabeth Fulcher

Alex Fulton

Assistant Location Manager

John Fundus

Paul Gaily

David Gainey

Joseph E Gallagher

Steadicam Operator

Tim Gallin

Douglas Ganton

Joseph Garzero

John Gaskin

Production Accountant

Ed Gavin

Tim Gedemer

Adam Geiger

Office Assistant

Larry Geiger

Lisa Giambarberee

Nicholas J Giangiulio

Daniel Gibson

Special Effects Assistant

Gerri Gillan

Jill Girling

Assistant Director

Michael S Glick

Unit Production Manager

Michael S Glick

Laney Gradus

Production Manager

Marilyn Graf

Rebecca Gray

Accounting Assistant

Caroleen Green

Patricia Green

David Grimaldi

Peter Grundy

Bob Haak

Dick Hadsell

Bill Hagan

Transportation Captain

Gregory G. Hale

Assistant Director

Robert Hannah

Kristi Hansen

Richard A Harrison

Douglas C Hart

Assistant Camera Operator

Dorene Haver

Graphics Coordinator

Tim Healey

Jason Heapy

Jeff Heintzman

Jacob Hendrickson

Stephen Hendrickson

Production Designer

Patricia Doherty Hess

Unit Production Manager

Phil Hetos

Jery Hewitt

Sammy Heyward

Kristi Higgins

Paul Hiscock

Production Assistant

Hilda Hodges

David Hoehn

William Hooper

F Howard

Barry Isenor

Assistant Art Director

Celine Jackson

Craig Jackson

Production Assistant

Lindsay Jamieson Gallagher

Camera Assistant

Delroy P. Jarrett

Jeffrey K Joe

Lara Johnston

Assistant Editor

Amy Jupiter

Executive Producer

Irene Kassow

Assistant Editor

James Keyes

Aram Khachaturian

Luke Khanlian

Inge Klaudi

Danny Klepper

Transportation Captain

Hilmar Koch

Digital Effects Supervisor

Joyce Korbin

Isabelle Kostic-crosley

Location Assistant

George Kraychyk

Judy Kriger

Beth Kushnick

Jennifer Lamb

Gregg Landaker

Stewart F Lane

Film Details

Also Known As

Simple Wish

MPAA Rating

Genre

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Release Date

1997

Distribution Company

Universal Pictures

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York City, New York, USA

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 29m

Articles

TCM Remembers - Michael Ritchie

May 22, 2001

Director Michael Ritchie died April 16th at the age of 62. A Wisconsin native, Ritchie studied at Harvard before succumbing to the attractions of the theatre. He started working in television during the 1960s where he directed episodes of The Big Valley and The Man from UNCLE among others. He moved into feature films with Downhill Racer (1969) at star Robert Redford's invitation and later directed Redford again in The Candidate (1972). The latter is a classic look at American political life that hasn't lost any of its power or insights over the years. This was the start of Ritchie's most productive period when he made several films that were both popular and critically acclaimed. You can find his sly wit and sense of critical drama in Smile (1975), The Bad News Bears (1976) and Semi-Tough (1978). By the 1980s, though, Ritchie's films focused less on social criticism and more on stars. The Survivors (1983) with Robin Williams remains under-rated but Ritchie-directed vehicles for Eddie Murphy (1986's The Golden Child), Bette Midler (1980's Divine Madness) and Chevy Chase (two Fletch films) didn't quite achieve their potential. Some of the old Ritchie spark and intelligence appeared in the made-for-cable The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) which earned him a Directors Guild Award. One of his final films was the long-awaited screen adaptation of The Fantasticks (1995) which partly brought Ritchie back to his theatrical roots.

ANN SOTHERN: 1909 - 2001
Actress Ann Sothern passed away on March 15th at the age of 89. Her film career spanned sixty years and included a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for The Whales of August (1987) and several Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV shows Private Secretary (1953) and The Ann Sothern Show (1958). Sothern was born as Harriette Lake in North Dakota. She made her first film appearance in 1927 in small roles (so small, in fact, that some sources omit any films before 1929) before deciding to work on Broadway instead. Shortly afterwards she signed with Columbia Pictures where studio head Harry Cohn insisted she change her name because there were already too many actors with the last name of Lake. So "Ann" came from her mother's name Annette and "Sothern" from Shakespearean actor E.H. Sothern. For most of the 1930s she appeared in light comedies working with Eddie Cantor, Maurice Chevalier, Mickey Rooney and Fredric March. However, it wasn't until she switched to MGM (after a brief period with RKO) and made the film Maisie (1939) that Sothern hit pay dirt. It proved enormously popular and led to a series of nine more films through 1947 when she moved into dramas and musicals. During the 50s, Sothern made a mark with her TV series but returned to mostly second tier movies in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally she earned an Oscar nomination for her work in 1987's The Whales of August (in which, incidentally, her daughter Tisha Sterling played her at an earlier age). Turner Classic Movies plans to host a retrospective film tribute to her in July. Check back for details in June.

Tcm Remembers - Michael Ritchie

TCM Remembers - Michael Ritchie

Director Michael Ritchie died April 16th at the age of 62. A Wisconsin native, Ritchie studied at Harvard before succumbing to the attractions of the theatre. He started working in television during the 1960s where he directed episodes of The Big Valley and The Man from UNCLE among others. He moved into feature films with Downhill Racer (1969) at star Robert Redford's invitation and later directed Redford again in The Candidate (1972). The latter is a classic look at American political life that hasn't lost any of its power or insights over the years. This was the start of Ritchie's most productive period when he made several films that were both popular and critically acclaimed. You can find his sly wit and sense of critical drama in Smile (1975), The Bad News Bears (1976) and Semi-Tough (1978). By the 1980s, though, Ritchie's films focused less on social criticism and more on stars. The Survivors (1983) with Robin Williams remains under-rated but Ritchie-directed vehicles for Eddie Murphy (1986's The Golden Child), Bette Midler (1980's Divine Madness) and Chevy Chase (two Fletch films) didn't quite achieve their potential. Some of the old Ritchie spark and intelligence appeared in the made-for-cable The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) which earned him a Directors Guild Award. One of his final films was the long-awaited screen adaptation of The Fantasticks (1995) which partly brought Ritchie back to his theatrical roots. ANN SOTHERN: 1909 - 2001 Actress Ann Sothern passed away on March 15th at the age of 89. Her film career spanned sixty years and included a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for The Whales of August (1987) and several Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV shows Private Secretary (1953) and The Ann Sothern Show (1958). Sothern was born as Harriette Lake in North Dakota. She made her first film appearance in 1927 in small roles (so small, in fact, that some sources omit any films before 1929) before deciding to work on Broadway instead. Shortly afterwards she signed with Columbia Pictures where studio head Harry Cohn insisted she change her name because there were already too many actors with the last name of Lake. So "Ann" came from her mother's name Annette and "Sothern" from Shakespearean actor E.H. Sothern. For most of the 1930s she appeared in light comedies working with Eddie Cantor, Maurice Chevalier, Mickey Rooney and Fredric March. However, it wasn't until she switched to MGM (after a brief period with RKO) and made the film Maisie (1939) that Sothern hit pay dirt. It proved enormously popular and led to a series of nine more films through 1947 when she moved into dramas and musicals. During the 50s, Sothern made a mark with her TV series but returned to mostly second tier movies in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally she earned an Oscar nomination for her work in 1987's The Whales of August (in which, incidentally, her daughter Tisha Sterling played her at an earlier age). Turner Classic Movies plans to host a retrospective film tribute to her in July. Check back for details in June.

Robert Pastorelli (1954-2004)

March 15, 2004

Robert Pastorelli, the rough and ready actor best known to television viewers for his portrayal of the devilish but lovable house painter Eldin on the long-running CBS comedy Murphy Brown (1988-97), was found dead on March 8 in his Hollywood Hills home. Authorities believe the cause of death was a drug overdose. He was 49.

Born on June 21, 1954 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Pastorelli had dreams of becoming a boxer, but when he was just 19, he was involved in a near fatal car accident that forced him to choose another career. By the late '70s, he chose acting. After doing some theater in New York, Pastorelli found work on both television: Barney Miller, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues; and film: Outrageous Fortune, Beverly Hills Cop II (both 1987), where his beefy frame and Runyonesque demeanor almost always had him play thugs and hoodlums.

In 1988, he found fame when he was cast opposite Candice Bergen as Eldin, the house painter who could never quite finish the job in Murphy Brown. Pastorelli's likable raffishness countered well with Bergen's icy charms, and he stayed on for six seasons.

After Murphy Brown, Pastorelli continued to play variations of the streetwise character, but this time to considerable comic effect in films like: Sister Act 2 (1994), Eraser, and Michael (both 1996). He returned to television impressively when he starred in the short-lived, but critically lauded Americanized version of the British Television hit Cracker. Pastorelli had just completed work on the Get Shorty (1995) sequel Be Cool with John Travolta, which is scheduled for release later this year. He is survived by a daughter.

by Michael T. Toole

Robert Pastorelli (1954-2004)

Robert Pastorelli, the rough and ready actor best known to television viewers for his portrayal of the devilish but lovable house painter Eldin on the long-running CBS comedy Murphy Brown (1988-97), was found dead on March 8 in his Hollywood Hills home. Authorities believe the cause of death was a drug overdose. He was 49. Born on June 21, 1954 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Pastorelli had dreams of becoming a boxer, but when he was just 19, he was involved in a near fatal car accident that forced him to choose another career. By the late '70s, he chose acting. After doing some theater in New York, Pastorelli found work on both television: Barney Miller, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues; and film: Outrageous Fortune, Beverly Hills Cop II (both 1987), where his beefy frame and Runyonesque demeanor almost always had him play thugs and hoodlums. In 1988, he found fame when he was cast opposite Candice Bergen as Eldin, the house painter who could never quite finish the job in Murphy Brown. Pastorelli's likable raffishness countered well with Bergen's icy charms, and he stayed on for six seasons. After Murphy Brown, Pastorelli continued to play variations of the streetwise character, but this time to considerable comic effect in films like: Sister Act 2 (1994), Eraser, and Michael (both 1996). He returned to television impressively when he starred in the short-lived, but critically lauded Americanized version of the British Television hit Cracker. Pastorelli had just completed work on the Get Shorty (1995) sequel Be Cool with John Travolta, which is scheduled for release later this year. He is survived by a daughter. by Michael T. Toole

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Summer July 11, 1997

Released in United States on Video December 16, 1997

Completed shooting October 26, 1996.

Began shooting July 22, 1996.

The Bubble Factory is the production company of Sid Sheinberg and his sons, Bill and Jon.

Released in United States Summer July 11, 1997

Released in United States on Video December 16, 1997

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