THREE WISHES
A ten-year-old girl, Ellie, has developed a behavior pattern of lying. Though Ellie is basically a good kid, she’s become a scapegoat at school and has no friends. Meanwhile, on Earth’s “other” moon, genies are languishing in boredom. No one has wished for a genie in 300 years, since nobody believes in them anymore, and genies are not allowed to visit Earth unless they’re called.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Director Marcia Riegel has chosen to keep the supernatural effects to a minimum, stressing the realities behind the fantastical story. Even the joyous romp of the genies (they dance to “I Feel Good” a few times) looks more like Eddie Murphy imitating white people than the gleeful rejoicing of mystical imps. Riegel’s costume designs are equally bland. The genies are not exotic but ever so slightly eccentric–a kind of Mork from Ork fashion statement. Brent Meyer’s lighting design keeps to Riegel’s vision of ordinariness. He’s created basic area lighting, staying away from color or texture.
