Well Wishes (2015) User Reviews

A decent story, decent cast but poor writing

[owenkrailo · 2/10 · 27 January 2021]

The story is interesting in concept and the acting is decent for a purely indie cast. It feels like a lack of direction behind the lines and writing in general. The soundtrack is too thick. I do not understand some of these other reviews. To be fair the production value is decent but the execution just is not there.

Charming. A funny, original indie throwback not without its flaws.

[many_frames · 8/10 · 20 May 2016]

Wasn't expecting more than a diversion going into renting Well Wishes but I am pleasantly surprised. The movie clearly owes its debt to old-Hollywood (count all the Capra nods, maybe one too many) and it's a story with a few familiar tropes (lost job and broken heart in the first 5 minutes anyone?) but it's a confidently told story with pretty remarkable direction for what appears to be a first timer. The film commits to a silly premise and goes all the way to a natural conclusion.

The story follow Miles, a recently fired and dumped man, as he carves out a career raking coins from wish fountains. Legality and efficacy of the venture aside (c'mon, it's a movie) the fountain scenes are some of the best looking I've seen in a low budget movie and lend themselves to the funny, heightened reality the film strives for. Exposition reels in a great array of bizarre characters and a serviceable love story. Political overtones are mild, some subversive jabs in there, but mainly it's a light human interest story woven into a nice, comical farce. The cast is great, and though I don't recognize any of them, the acting is superior to any film of this size I've seen. Without spoiling anything the ending is weird enough to be memorable, and maybe it couldn't end any other way.

Well Wishes is ultimately an admittedly low-stakes affair (lighter on the drama and heavier on the bubble-gum) yet there's a clear and confident vision on display here. I was not expecting what I got. Will be looking out for what these filmmakers do next and it would take a focused effort to dislike a film this charming and disarming. It made me smile, at least.

Good cinematography and art direction but the writing is terrible

[dylanswimm · 2/10 · 14 January 2021]

The locations are great (except the lack of wells). The cinematography is very well done. The writing and directing are the flaw here. But it is worth checking out if you like small indie films.

Great movie, but...

[lgrangermouse · 9/10 · 30 June 2016]

...too much music! For me several scenes could have gone without a song carrying the thread, somewhat unnecessarily. There's an almost near constant soundtrack at work, which at its best works in support of the story and at its worst acts as a distraction. Mostly good creative musical choices, though. Simply a pet peeve! Overall, Well Wishes has the feel of a 90's fantasy comedy. It's a story unafraid to embrace its innate quirkiness and (sometimes cloying) optimism. Still, definitely a refreshing change of pace against a recent spate of all-too-cynical films, or many too clever for their own good. There's a high level of craft and attention on display for being such a small film. I'll let it sit for awhile but I believe it to be worthy of repeat viewings. Funny, bizarre, completely unique unto itself...aside from a few quibbles I loved it!

Well that's an hour I will never get back

[blancamason · 1/10 · 5 April 2021]

I made it 60 minutes in. The writing is just too horrible. How do movies like this get made? They look like real movies, which means they could have been a real movie. Missed opportunity.

Good production value for an indie, but poor directing

[rolandlavoie · 3/10 · 3 February 2021]

This had good production value for such a small film. The quality of the crew was the films greatest strength. The directing was decent but I prefer Boyd's earlier work such as The Redwoods short film. The themes of the story about friendship in business seem artificial and hollow.

Clever and fun adventure

[silverturquoise · 9/10 · 10 July 2016]

What a remarkably great directorial debut for Anderson Boyd. I decided to take a chance on this film scrolling through recent releases on Netflix. Just the still photo of Miles (the lead character) wearing a Statue of Liberty costume and the short blurb about the quirky plot drew me in. Part of the fun for me with watching an unknown film like this is to google afterward to find out where did this film come from? Reading that this was the director's first film and that it was made on an extremely small budget motivated me to write this review. I hope the filmmaker is writing more scripts and planning to make more films. I really enjoyed this film.

What I loved about this film was the clever and unique plot...I crack up just thinking about it. Coins and fountains will forevermore remind me of this funny movie. Besides the twists and turns of the story itself, there is some unstated commentary about life, compassion, trust, money, and what matters. The film rises a bit above pure entertainment and leaves you with something to think about. I don't agree with the other reviewer who feels there is some libertarian conspiracy. (But hey, that's another idea for a funny movie plot :-)) I also liked all the scenery of North Carolina throughout the film. I didn't realize that's what I was watching and that it was a local production until googling afterward. The ensemble of actors did a great job bringing the story to life, even some of the folks with the smallest of parts.

About as dull as a movie can be dull and not 1 well in it!

[cekadah · 3/10 · 20 May 2016]

And then it hits you with an immoral libertarian statement at movies end!!! What was Director/writer: Anderson Boyd thinking?

Here's the plot - The story opens with our main character, Miles, being fired from his job. He goes home and tells his girlfriend and she pack up and splits. Miles is at rock bottom, no girl, no job, and no employer interested in hiring him. He gets an idea while looking at a public fountain and sees lots and lots of change (coins) at the bottom tossed in by people making a wish. You got it! He goes to sweep it up and out and in so doing he creates a source of income. He maps the city for the location of every fountain - he has discovered a gold mine of income. And he shares his good fortune through a kindness to a rather mysterious elderly man who appears to be a homeless beggar.

Miles convinces his friend, Jack, to join him in this coin sweeping enterprise. Things go so well they decide to hire an employee. So they offer the job to the elderly homeless man named Durwood. Durwood is full of ideas and suddenly their business expands state wide. Then nation wide! So our main character, Miles, hits the road to sweep up the fortune to be found in fountains across the U.S. Everything goes as planned until Miles meets a girl and he falls in love.

This story drags on and on like a slug oozing up hill with lots of movie montages of the guys at play & work, more montages of Miles and new girlfriend at play. Jack and Durwood expand the business and hire five more employees during Miles absents. Miles eventually returns to 'home base'. Miles has lost his new girlfriend, he and Jack have a falling out, Miles fires everybody, and he's right back to square one.

Here's where the movie takes a turn. Miles and Jack get word that Durwood is on his deathbed and they rush to see him. They discover the old man was an eccentric billionaire and has left a fortune to the boys because they trusted him and his decisions. He leaves them a fortune because he liked their entrepreneurial business spirit.

I must take issue with this because their business was based on stealing money from fountains on public and what appeared to be private property!! What sort of message is this!? You reap a fantastic reward for stealing the property of others? Once someone tosses a coin into a fountain that coin becomes the property of whoever maintains the fountain, be it public municipal property or private property! Sorry, but this movie is first, very slow and dull, and second, it delivers a strange libertarian message.