A Simple Wish (1997): Cast, Box Office, Plot & Where to Watch
A Simple Wish is a 1997 adventure comedy directed by Michael Ritchie, starring Martin Short as Murray, Mara Wilson and Kathleen Turner. It runs 1 hour 26 minutes and earned $8.3 million worldwide. Stream it on YouTube Free, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 26m (86 min)
- Director
- Michael Ritchie
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- The Bubble Factory
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is A Simple Wish About?
The premise of A Simple Wish without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Murray, a male fairy godmother, is tasked with granting 8‑year‑old Anabel’s simple wish—that her cab‑driver dad Oliver lands the lead in a Broadway musical. His magic wand is broken, and the fairy convention he relies on is under siege by the wicked witches Claudia and Boots, forcing Murray to scramble for a solution as chaos unfolds.
A Simple Wish Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- race against time
- good versus evil
- clumsiness
- magic
- magic wand
- wish
- new york city
- brother sister relationship
- villainess
- fairy godmother
- title spoken by character
- girl
+38 more Show fewer
- father daughter relationship
- witch
- fast motion scene
- looking at oneself in a mirror
- trapped in a mirror
- three word title
- magic spell
- reference to cinderella
- human turns into an animal
- single father
- sabotage
- giant
- hypnosis
- male fairy godmother
- singing
- singer
- turned into a statue
- central park manhattan new york city
- nebraska
- broadway manhattan new york city
- manhattan new york city
- wish fulfillment
- widower
- statue
- audition
- frog
- dog
- dancer
- black magic
- ballet
- ballet dancing
- rabbi
- mouse
- betrayal
- bicycle
- screaming
- classroom
- roller skates
Where to Watch A Simple Wish
Stream it on YouTube Free, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 1
YouTube Free 
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
A Simple Wish Cast & Characters
Martin Short leads the cast as Murray, with Mara Wilson as Anabel Greening and Kathleen Turner as Claudia. Directed by Michael Ritchie; 38 actors are credited in all.
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Director Michael Ritchie
-
Martin Short as Murray - Mara Wilson as Anabel Greening
-
Kathleen Turner as Claudia -
Amanda Plummer as Boots
Also Starring in A Simple Wish
· 34 more- Robert Pastorelli Oliver Greening
- Francis Capra Charlie Greening
- Alan Campbell Tony Sable
- Kathryn Kirkpatrick Fairy Godmother
- Ruby Dee Hortence
- Lanny Flaherty Duane
- Jonathan Hadary Lord Richard
- Teri Garr Rena
- Clare Coulter Ms. Bramble
- Jack McGee Officer O'York
- Rick Fox Pianist
- Jamie Tirelli Joe
- Deborah Odell Jeri
- Valerie Boyle Fairy Godmother
- Neil Foster Manny
- Bunty Webb Fairy Godmother
Show all 38 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Frankie Cee Vendor (as Frank Cee)
- Hans Dieter Trayer German Tourist (as H.D. Trayer)
- Maja Niles German Tourist
- Adam David Sable's Chauffeur
- Peter Linari German Tourist
- Henry Gomez Investor
- David Crean Tony's Agent
- Todd Stockman Jogger (uncredited)
- Barbara Stewart Fairy Godmother
- Moet Meira Rollerblader (uncredited)
- Lillian Ritchie Schoolgirl
- Miriam Ritchie Schoolgirl
- Sabine Thomson German Tourist
- Kwok-Wing Leung Grocer
- Derek Carkner Shawn's Assistant
- John Douglas Williams Paperboy
- Sara Colton Tourist (uncredited)
- Wayne McLaughlin Cab Driver (uncredited)
A Simple Wish Plot Summary
What happens in A Simple Wish from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Oliver Greening, played by Martin Short, is a talented carriage driver with big dreams of making it to Broadway. Despite giving an outstanding audition for a new musical adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, he is unfortunately overlooked in favor of the more established and commercially appealing Tony Sable, who is considered a safer bet by the producers. This setback leaves Oliver feeling disheartened but still determined to succeed.
Full summary
The whole story of A Simple Wish, scene by scene
A Simple Wish Box Office
A Simple Wish grossed $8.3 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$8.3M
- US & Canada
- $8.3M
A Simple Wish Trailers & Videos
The trailer of A Simple Wish.
How Well Do You Know A Simple Wish?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main carriage driver aspiring to perform on Broadway?
Cars in A Simple Wish
20 cars on screen, including the 1980 Checker Taxicab and the 1981 Chevrolet Impala.
-
1980 Checker Taxicab Minor role -
1981 Chevrolet Impala Minor role -
1988 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Minor role -
1981 GMC RTS Minor role
Seen A Simple Wish?
Movies Like A Simple Wish
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Wish, Annabelle’s Wish and You Wish!.
A Simple Wish FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office and post-credit scenes of A Simple Wish, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Simple Wish?
A Simple Wish runs 1 hour 26 minutes (86 minutes).
When was A Simple Wish released?
A Simple Wish was released on July 11, 1997.
Who directed A Simple Wish?
A Simple Wish was directed by Michael Ritchie.
More films by Michael Ritchie Who is in the cast of A Simple Wish?
A Simple Wish stars Martin Short as Murray, Mara Wilson as Anabel Greening and Kathleen Turner as Claudia, among 38 credited actors.
Where can I watch A Simple Wish?
In the US, A Simple Wish is streaming on YouTube Free and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did A Simple Wish make at the box office?
A Simple Wish grossed $8.3 million worldwide.
Does A Simple Wish have a post-credit scene?
No. A Simple Wish has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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