The Wishing Tree (1999 film)

The Wishing Tree is a 1999 Canadian-American fantasy drama film directed by Ivan Passer and starring Alfre Woodard, Helen Shaver, Mary Alice and Blair Underwood. The film premiered on July 22, 1999, and later had its television premiere on February 20, 2000, on Showtime.^[1][2]

The Wishing Tree
Directed by	Ivan Passer
Screenplay by	Grant Scharbo
Produced by	Gina Matthews
Starring	Alfre Woodard Helen Shaver Mary Alice Blair Underwood
Cinematography	Ousama Rawi
Edited by	Richard Halsey Tod Lautenberg
Music by	Elia Cmiral
Production company	Dufferin Gate Productions
Distributed by	Showtime Entertainment
Release date	July 22, 1999 (1999-07-22)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Clara, a black lawyer who lives in Atlanta, returns to Savannah for her mother's funeral.

Cast

• Alfre Woodard as Clara Collier
• Helen Shaver as Wallis Caldwell
• Mary Alice as Mattie Collier
• Blair Underwood as Magic Man / Thomas
• Charles Weldon as Al "Alfred" Brooks
• Leslie Carlson as Professor Caldwell
• Peter Haworth as Will
• Stephen Joffe as Jamie
• Kaleigh Nevin as Alexa
• Maria Ricossa as Philomena Parnell
• Jackie Richardson as Marianne Brooks

Critical response

The Christian Science Monitor critic wrote in his review: "It has a few problems as a drama, but it has a good heart, a timely moral, and at least one fine performance. Alfre Woodard is always worth watching."^[3]

The film received three Daytime Emmy Awards nomination at the 28th Daytime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special (Woodard), Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special (Passer) and Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special (Scharbo). Woodard received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-series) nomination, and at the 22nd Young Artist Awards it received three nods for Best Family TV Movie/Pilot/Mini-Series - Cable, Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy or Drama) - Young Actress Age Ten or Under (Nevin) and Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy or Drama) - Young Actor Age Ten or Under (Joffe).^[4]