The Three Wishes of Billy Grier 1984

Ralph Macchio portrays [Billy Grier], a 15-year-old who is struck by a rare degenerative illness that accelerates aging. When Billy suddenly falls ill, a team of doctors delivers the heartbreaking news: there is no cure, and he will die of natural causes linked to old age decades before his time. In a burst of rage that follows the diagnosis, he shatters much of his bedroom, marking the emotional shock of a boy facing a shortening life.

With only a few months left, Billy fixes three clear goals: to play his sax in a jazz band, to experience love with a woman for the first time, and to reconnect with his long-estranged father one last time. To protect his mother from the full weight of his prognosis, he keeps these ambitions to himself, choosing independence as his path forward.

Billy’s search for meaning leads him to Phyllis, a bold, self-reliant young woman who dreams of opening a beauty salon. Phyllis, Season Hubley, becomes his ally and partner as they pursue their shared dreams. She helps him break into a jazz club, where his saxophone performance silences the room and proves his talent to a rapt audience.

As their bond deepens, Billy realizes he cannot hide his wishes any longer. He confesses a longing for intimate connection with Phyllis, though she doesn’t fully embrace the idea. Undeterred, Billy helps Phyllis realize her own dream by backing her effort to obtain a loan to start the salon, presenting himself as her friend and partner when questioned about the venture. The bank officer, seeing Billy’s aging appearance, views the collaboration as credible, and the loan is approved, marking a pivotal step for both of them.

Parallel to these growing hopes, Nancy’s life fractures into a quiet, heartbreaking isolation. When she discovers her son has left, she sinks into despair and withdraws from the world. Even as utility workers threaten to shut off her gas, she momentarily collapses, then steels herself enough to write a check that covers her back balance, signaling a gradual return to living rather than merely existing.

Phyllis adds another layer of brightness to Billy’s remaining days as they share love, even as he knows time is slipping away. The morning after, Billy rises early to spare Phyllis the heartbreak of watching him fade, and he resolves to return home to mend things with his mother.

On his journey back, Billy stops at a diner and suddenly grows ill; the fry cook steps in to help him—unbeknownst to him, this is his father, a man living hand-to-mouth and battling alcoholism. The father does not recognize his son, and Billy chooses not to reveal the truth in that moment.

Back at the airport, Nancy catches a glimpse of her son as he rides an escalator—she doesn’t recognize him immediately, but a moment later she sees the aging figure and rushes into his arms, a tearful reconciliation blooming in that instant.

The film closes with a tender, bittersweet scene as Nancy and Billy spend their final days together at a camping village, savoring each remaining moment and reaffirming their bond in the face of an unthinkable deadline.