I wanted to enjoy this movie. It was slow with its plot. The kids, mom and the dog, all cute. Patrick Swayze's character was different. Then a scene where the son gets his friends to come meet Jack evolves to them seeing Jack naked in a lounge chair sun bathing and the audience sees his naked butt as he gets up to put on Pants the Mom's male friend throws at him. The Mom however seems amused! She has invited a stranger into her home and the audience is expected to just go along with this situation. Sorry folks we do not live in that world. I did not find it amusing. I pass! Moved on. :(

When the guy sat in the backyard of the woman he had just moved in with totally nude, we turned it off. And this was supposed to have happened in the 50's?! Totally unrealistic! Even today, if someone sat in his yard totally naked, a neighbor would probably call the cops and he'd be arrested for indecent exposure. Seems this movie had an agenda. In addition to all that, it was absolutely dull and boring.

What a shocker ... led to believe this would be family friendly movie, but found it to be an absolute shocker. Lead characters were destroyed in one scene ... thanks to a horrible screen play, Swayze's performance was pathetic. The kids were pretty good, but they turned the movie into a horrible tragedy for a returning solider to learn his wife was sleeping with a tramp while he was missing in action. Who in their right minds would write in a plot with such a sickening message and then try to promote in a family package. This movie should be pulled, or given an R rating.

In addition, all the side show dad characters had horrible language.

With a few tweaks, this movie could have been great. I almost wonder if they replaced the certain scenes from an original cut to destroy would could have been a gem.

When we write a review of another era is left to the imagination how they thought and what they wished for back then. Many of this era can relate to the pain of losing someone to war. This magical story is one of a child's imagination, the strength of a woman and Mother. This is MY review, MY thoughts, and I truly enjoyed every minute. I hope you do too!

Without giving away the story line. I would recommend this book as it is about the uncertainty of a father missing in action from the Korean War. The storyline includes circumstances and hardships, of how Jane Holman the mother of two boys, Tom and Gunny deal with life when the father is reported by the military killed in action. The movie is filmed in Aqua Dulce a town north of the San Fernando Valley on the the way to Palmdale California. This town takes you back to the 50's and makes you feel right at home. Each person gets a wish made the Actor Patrick Swayze. It is hard to tell if he is an angel or what, but, Tom Holman the oldest son and the main character a 10 year old boy who can not make up his mind, so the Jack McCloud makes the wish for him. If you are going through a hard time this movie will give you a new sense of hope. I give this Movie 5 Stars as it takes you imagination to figure it out and helps you believe once again that wishes can come true.

I love this little odd movie. I had it on vhs and have it on DVD. I have seen it numerous times. I find it odd to discover it in streaming, since my annual Prime membership is nearly up and I do not plan to renew. All these years, I have been watching streaming movies on an early model of Roku that allows me to watch movies without commercials. Amazon recently informed me that I will no longer be able to use this model for streaming movies. I WILL NOT WATCH MOVIES IF I HAVE TO WATCH COMMERCIALS TOO. This is why I refuse to pay $119. for renewal. I own about 1500 DVDs. I can buy on line, from a big box store and have it delivered to a store near me. I DO NOT NEED Amazon Prime any more

Kind of sweet fairy tale with several happy endings, but too much strangeness for my taste. Without giving away too much of the story, a war "widow" is raising her two boys alone, in a moment of distracted driving hits a drifter, and ends up bringing him and his mutt home to heal. There are little hints at the supernatural throughout, and toward the end, it becomes evident.

OK, and here's a spoiler alert....
The real strangeness comes when the visitor ends up in bed with the mom.... Say WHAT? The scene on its face is tender. BUT if this other-worldly guy's purpose is to return the woman's husband and the kids' dad to them, this behavior is beyond weird.

Hard not to love Patrick Swazte. BUT he, woman actress kid acting - heh. Fault of director. It is the director's job to make us care about these people.
Best actor- THE DOG. Trainer had control of him not the director. If you love dogs- then this movie is worth seeing.

way to long- could have cut out 1/3. It was so long that it is only in the 2nd watching did I remember the lead in story. I only watched it twice
because I lost the thread.

The window dressing of the 50s was too confrontative. They dressed up the woman in 50s outfits that did not feel natural to the character. A laid back easy going but resigned widow does not wear choker pearls ALL the time. Please.

I never got the main point of who he was-- into Zen ? Sun shine Tea? The 60s? Did not fit with his birthdate.

Never really got what the 3 wishes were. The little brother Gunny was the best developed actor- but I did not feel his illness or that anyone really cared. To many main events in this movie- pick one !
If you want to see a great Kid movie for kid acting see "Shoot the Moon" about divorce- that is real. There you can feel the directors sensitivity
to that moment in time.