Parents' Guide to

I Wish

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Unique, leisurely subtitled film about parental separation.

Movie PG 2011 128 minutes
I Wish Poster Image

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Is It Any Good?

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Kids say (1):

Although it's slow-paced at times, I WISH is a beautiful film, a meditation on wishes, yearning, and belief. The acting from the children transcends the Japanese setting; the behavior of their characters is so universal that both parents and kids from other cultures will find aspects with which to identify. The themes of separation and divorce, of adults trying to follow their dreams, and of earnest desires of imaginative children are frankly explored through the ideas of both adults and children, and the result is as unforgettable as it is bittersweet.

The film's leisurely pace and subtitles might be problematic for some viewers, but there really hasn't ever been a movie quite like I Wish. It's a lovely coming-of-age story that will resonate with the whole family.

Movie Details

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