[three-star-rating]Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Mandy Patinkin, Pierce Gagnon, Joey King[/three-star-rating]
This is Zach Braff’s infamous Kickstarter film, the one that he shot by raising funds through the Internet. It feels like everyone who gave him five bucks also gave plot ideas. Though Wish possesses some lovely scenes, great acting and charm cannot pull it together.
As a writer and a director, Braff showed serious promise with Garden State, ten years ago. In contrast, this misbalanced but touching dramedy tries to cover too much story.
Braff is a struggling actor, married to supporting wife Hudson, trying to raise two kids in L.A. Is this about Braff giving up his “dream” of acting?
Yes and no. The film also explores religion. Braff strikes an agreement with his persnickety Jewish dad Patinkin, who pays for the kids to attend a Jewish orthodox private school. Braff’s always had trouble with the concept of God.
Everything’s made worse when Grandpa gets cancer and decides to pay for dubious experimental treatment instead of his grandkids’ tuition. Braff – probably never a great student himself – is forced to homeschool the kids, learning something about teaching in the process. At the same time, Hudson is getting sexually harassed at work, struggling to financial support the family all on her own. Braff is having dreams and visions about being a space hero. This is all ostensibly tied to old-world ideas of patriarchy – God, father, hero, and teacher.
Then, there’s Braff’s ne’er-do-well brother Gad, hiding in a trailer by the ocean, maybe suffering from mental disorder, and trying to bed the neighbor.
Gad and Braff’s kids (Gagnon, King) are basically useless characters given way too much screen time, to the detriment of more interesting stuff. Any unity of theme is completely gone.
As a director, Braff’s camera tricks and commitment to hip musical montages make the film even more scattered. There’s animation, dreamy handheld camera, smoke, and beautiful crane shots used on whim. The seriousness of cancer has to compete with cosplay and kids cursing.
Yet, every now and again, character scenes absolutely shine, showing that Braff can encourage radiant performances! In fact, everyone’s moments with Patinkin are lovely and grounded. Hudson in particular will break your heart.
[rating-key]
Right here, I think, is a way better film. Wish didn’t have to be a comedy. A controlling, religious grandpa is dying, and he fears his California kids are godless failures. They shirk responsibility, skipping about bacchanalian L.A. in lives he doesn’t condone. Everyone has to come to terms with this mean, unbending father figure who seems to be also hiding his own faults as he faces his mortality, turning increasingly to his faith.
Perhaps Braff’s donors expected another off-kilter comedy like Garden State, which may be the best reason he should’ve really bucked preconceived notions and made a drama. He also should’ve been less selfish, letting Patinkin carry the story. Braff and his producers launched the Kickstarter campaign so they could have “creative freedom.” However, perhaps someone else guiding Braff to fix the script into a single story would’ve made for a better, more focused film.
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