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.
Contents
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
Ian D. Clark as Davies
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."
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).