The Wish List (2010 TV Movie) User Reviews

Cute, light and easily watchable - it made me smile

[juneebuggy · 6/10 · 17 January 2016]

The story here is cute, light and easily watchable, which was exactly what I was looking for when I put it on. David Sutcliffe is charming and Jennifer Esposito does a great job with her role as well. Sure it's also a bit silly at times, predictable and mindless but still totally enjoyable and I'll admit brought a smile to my face.

The story follows Esposito as an HR executive and perfectionist who makes a (comprehensive) list of the qualities she's looking for in a mate and soon hooks up with the seemingly ideal guy (good looking, child, animal loving Doctor) in the meantime she also finds herself drawn to the kooky barista from her local coffee shop who encourages her to loosen up.

On the downside this was draggy in parts due to the fact that there isn't much story to speak of and they fill it up with drawn out barista competitions & 70's dance offs. I also got tired of all the split screen shots, sometimes up to 4 at a time, which I don't usually even notice but they were used so much here it started to drive me crazy.

Wish List has been put on by Faith & Family and Hallmark entertainment so there are a couple of bible verses randomly thrown in which did feel out of tune with the movie. Guess there was a faith quota? 12/20/15

Odd

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 3 September 2020]

For what appears to be a faith based movie, I found some things to be odd.

Bible verses are quoted to Sarah by her sister and Sarah seems to accept them. But nothing in her behavior appears to agree with them. Not that she is immoral or bad in any way. It just seems pointless to have them.

If there is a lesson to the story it seems to be along the lines of not getting hung up on lists of rules or expectations but follow your heart. This isn't necessarily a bad lesson, but the story takes this to extremes. The way the movie plays it, the protagonist goes totally by what she feels and seems to ignore any common sense or wisdom.

It's a sweet romantic story in the sense of what the world expects. It's enjoyable. I just don't see what it has to do with what I'd hope for from a truly faith based movie.

There's not many lol moments. The acting is fair to poor with David Sutcliffe being at the top end of that and the other two main characters a little less.

It's clean in terms of no sex (not even implied) or violence, but there is a scene where Sarah appears drunk.

Enjoyable Hallmark

[herrcarter-92161 · 7/10 · 2 October 2023]

This was hardly a perfect movie, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. This movie is from 2010, and I've realized I like a lot of the older Hallmarks better than many of the newer ones. That's because Hallmark has become extremely formulaic. Maybe 75% of their stories are about a big city career woman who finds herself in a small town and reevaluates her life and connects with a guy in the small town, usually an old flame. The older Hallmarks may not be quite as polished, but at least their plots seem more original.

I really liked the message of this movie, which was that trying to find the perfect partner with a list of desired characteristics isn't the best way to go. In this movie, our overly-analytical heroine Sarah goes way overboard on the wish list, with some really trivial deal breakers on that list. But I can relate to her. As a single guy, I certainly had an internal wish list, and the more girls I dated, the longer that list became, to the point I was eventually looking for some impossible amalgamation of all the best qualities of my past girlfriends, without any of the flaws. My eventual wife certainly didn't check all the boxes, but she checked many other boxes that I never even realized I needed or wanted. The same thing eventually happened for Sarah and Fred. That's how relationships in the real world seem to work.

I liked how they made Erik so disgustingly perfect that nobody in the real world could relate to him. He was like some Ken doll come to life. My favorite character was Fred. He was definitely obnoxious at times, especially when he condescendingly offered Sarah the coffee he thought she should have, rather than the one she ordered. But he was someone who seemed comfortable in his own skin and who, despite his imperfections, was still confident. I liked how he eventually showed his vulnerable side when he confessed his feelings for Sarah at the barista competition. David Sutcliffe played this character to perfection, making him somehow likable, even with his annoying characteristics. Jennifer Esposito was also okay, but I wasn't overly wowed by her performance.

There were certainly a few rough edges to this movie. For example, I didn't like how Fred asked Sarah on a date (and she accepted), even though he knew very well that she had a boyfriend. They should have found a way to make that not seem like so much of a date. Maybe he could have invited her to go to the club with some other friends who left early, leaving the two of them alone. It was just clumsily written. Also, the Saturday-Night-Fever-esque dance off between Erik and Fred was pretty bizarre. It really seemed out of character for Erik to be doing that.

Otherwise, I really liked this movie. I enjoyed the repartee between Fred and Sarah and I thought the chemistry between them was decent. I also liked her character arc, where she was finally able to loosen up. As I said, it wasn't a perfect movie, but it was, nonetheless, enjoyable. Definitely worth a watch.

Perfection is not normal

[HallmarkMovieBuff · 21 April 2012]

I'm so used to seeing Jennifer Esposito as a New York City cop and in other "tough" roles that it's hard to picture her in this one as a sappy romantic comedy lead.

Between that, and the too-perfect romantic male character, Erik (Mark Deklin, who currently plays GCB's bisexual husband, Blake Reilly), I was prepared throughout to rate this movie "below average," until it was redeemed back to "average" by Fred's (David Sutcliffe) winning revelation at the baristas' competition.

Would I recommend this mostly sub-par film for five minutes of brilliance near the end? Nupe, not while there are so many others available more worth your time.

Song

[minawit · 7/10 · 24 January 2016]

Does anyone know who sings the song when Sarah drops her list and Fred picks it up and they almost kiss? I'm not sure if it's called "I'm Listening" but I want to know who sings it. I thought the movie was cute, but it's almost like you can predict what's going to happen and who she will end up with.I wad not a fan of the dance scene and Sarah and her lists, I mean who lives that way? Just a bit much for me. Sarah's acting was weak, her personality was too stiff, no grace. I would only watch the movie again. Just to hear that song again. Iam mostly interested in who sings that song, I loved it. I have been searching and searching and can not find it.

Mothers, Don't Let Your Sons Grow Up to be Doctors

[boblipton · 4/10 · 29 August 2010]

No matter how good-looking they are, no matter how much money they make, no matter how wise and understanding and committed to a diet of free-range organic chicken they are, women, this movie tells us, will always prefer some guy whose idea of dressing up is to wear a Hawaiian shirt, aspires to be the best barrista in town and who can't be bothered to either shave or grow a beard.

The three leads in this joke-free romantic comedy are young, personable and the roles are actually interestingly written, but the story is a comedy only in the classical sense of a progression from a bad state of affairs to a good one. There are, as I noted, no jokes. Yet, as it winds its predictable course, we get enough grace notes to keep up interest as two of the leads exhibit strong commitment issues.

Director of Photography Maximo Munzi shoots most of this very nicely, although there are a couple of strange Haskell Wexler-style multi-screen moments, as if everyone wishes they were in THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR.

Nevertheless, there is a decent story here with a real point. It's just a shame that the people behind the camera couldn't find it.

A feel good movie

[Ryemiami · 10/10 · 21 October 2010]

This movie was enjoyable and entertaining. The whole time I was watching it, I was rooting for Sarah (with an H) make the right choice. What's nice about this light comedy is that what you see is what you get. I wasn't looking for how well the actors acted (which I thought they were really great)or how well it was written; I was looking for an escape and this movie delivers that in a fun and delightful manner. It helps to have attractive people and watch them act silly as they interact with each other at the local coffee house. My list with this movie isn't a long one because I thought it was simple and sweet. (especially at the end) so that's why I loved it and if I'm a goofball for it..good. The message from this movie is live, take risks, and step outside the box. :)

Don't bother

[bvdbobcat · 1/10 · 30 August 2010]

Sarah (Jennifer) is a girl that is anal retentive in that everything must be just so. All the guys she dates have faults that at first the hide from her, but eventually come out.

Every morning she gets a "latte" at her certain coffee house from the same guy until the one day she walks in and "Fred" is on the counter. This is the character that ruined the movie for me. Fred is a control freak and he determines what the person should get instead of the customer making an order. Sarah orders her usual, but Fred determines that isn't right for her and won't make it. She then turns to leave and bumps into Erik. Erik is the perfect guy for her, but you know that there is no way they'll end up together since the heroine (Sarah) must change at the end and be with the hero (Fred) and dump the sap (Erik).

It would have been a much better movie if Fred wasn't so controlling and some of the scenes were more realistic. Fred stalks her, finds out her phone number and some how found out when it was her birthday, as the day of her BD there is a sign that lattes are free on your birthday. This is the only day I saw the sign. He then discovers that Erik is outta town and calls her after work and has her come down to the coffee house. When she gets there he has it all decorated for a BD party with a full house of party goers. Not sure why she stayed since she didn't know any of them!! and one of her list items was family. Why wasn't she at her mother's (or) sister's for her birthday since she over at one of their houses every other scene.

Overall I think it was poorly written, poorly directed and some of the characters unbelievable. Feel badly for Jennifer as I like her acting a lot.

A nice "life can get better" movie , probably more for women than "wolverine" guys !

[mansosylvie · 8/10 · 26 May 2015]

This movie is a nice, well written, well played movie that addresses a few of the current issues many women encounter in the U.S. . To have a successful career but not to love it, to have a list of "must be " for your boy friend but not fell the "spark", because love and groceries are not the same thing... I found the acting of good quality,as well as the script. Of course it s not citizen Kane (actually it's a relief to me for I hate this overrated movie) but it s much better than some of the romantic comedies which put Jennifer Looez as a cleaning lady in a millionaire hotel, if you see what I mean.

Make a cup of tea, get your cat on your lap, turn off your phone, and enjoy an hour of fun and happy ending where you will, if you listen carefully,,learn a few useful hints about life !

Trash

[fenevar · 1/10 · 11 August 2013]

This movie is trash. If I owned the DVD, I would apologize to the person that gave it to me, and I would toss the DVD in the trash. It's disgustingly horrid. The acting is trash. The writing is trash. The cinematography is trash. The character development is trash. The trashy music is trashily arranged, and put in trashy places of a trashy story. It's simply trash. This movie isn't just formula, it takes the formula, spits on it (not out of disrespect, it does this because it believes it will make the formula better) rubs it into dirt, and tosses it into a blender, and then it puts it's own arm in the blender for a bloody terrible taste. I cringed throughout the film, and there were no laughable or tasteful moments. The film isn't emotional, it's just simply DISGUSTING. The characters are as stupid as the person who wrote the script. Don't watch it. Sometimes critics watch bad movies to criticize them, this is one I wouldn't watch even to criticize.

How Did They Get This Cast?

[alyzu · 1/10 · 16 February 2020]

Another example of a good cast and a terrible script. I really like Jennifer Esposito, and I'd watch Diane Venora read the phone book, but this tried my patience. Once again we have the stereotypical woman with a Type A personality who "needs to be taken down a few notches". Of course, she falls in love with a guy who himself is controlling, defensive, rude, and downright mean. Oh, and has stalker tendencies. Honestly, she's better off alone. (One caveat: As a tall woman married to a shorter man, I did appreciate the wedding scene. 😊)

Rate A Wish

[mitchellrharl · 10/10 · 23 February 2022]

David Sutcliffe great as usual needs to lose facial hair,Jennifer Esposito boring a real type a Dr so boring streaming services All have same story lines everyone perfect no average people all college graduates big fancy houses fancy neighborhoods not real.

The Wish It Would Go Away List

[myronlearn · 3/10 · 14 September 2020]

Another LA-based yawn fest. This sickeningly Southern Californian story suffers from terrible writing and mediocre acting. I lasted about a half hour before I said 'adios'.

Genuinely surprised

[oisterboy · 1/10 · 20 July 2023]

My mom loves these made for TV movies. I'm cynical and picky, but I understand the audience these are made for and the gap they fill. Sometimes people just enjoy a simple, turn off your brain and feel good movie. There's little to no deviation from a cookie cutter plot. You can usually predict the end of the movie after the first 10 minutes. The budget is rarely there, the acting is often over the top or not enough. They often bring in a semi famous celebrity for a cameo token few lines and hype that up.

But this is all standard fare and low hanging fruit that anyone can complain about. It's not worth it because these movies don't masquerade as anything more than just what they are.

This one however caught my attention as particularly bad. I started paying attention when the elderly actor randomly caught on fire at the grill, and everyone just seemed to gloss over it like nothing had really happened.

In a following scene, a coffee shop worker uses the phone book to stalk the female lead and calls her up to an impromptu birthday party. This seemed creepy.

Those scenes aside the movie continued its predictable formula, but now had caught my attention for a different reason. The camerawork is atrocious. Scenes jump from person to person way more frequently than necessary - they are almost shot in a style you'd expect from an action movie. On top of that, rather than let the scene act out in front of us, the camera constantly pans with the most active person. During the still shots, if you notice the edges of the frame they are constantly swimming around. It actually started to make me feel nauseated - once you see it, it's all you can see. It's almost as if it were filmed without a tripod or any kind of stabilization? There's a lot of scenes that slightly zoom in or out without much need too. It's almost like someone knew how to run the camera in a practical sense but had zero training in how to make the finished work look good.

I'm not picky about low budget films, and again, I'm not even rating this based on the bland cookie cutter plot. I could sit here all day picking these movies apart and what would the purpose be? This one however stood out as the worst of the ones I've seen over the years of taking care of my mom for this completely different reason.

It almost made me wonder if the settings of the TV were incorrect. Despite several years and thousands of hours of this TV being on, I fiddled with the settings and checked other channels. I've never noticed this before with another show, and unless it starts happening all the time I think I'm safe assuming it was the terrible job done making this movie.