The Wish Swap

Some movies have their moments. I would put The Wish Swap on that list. But it also had some scenes that I could have done without entirely. I’ve often said I think a good Hallmark movie starts with something unexpected that winds up changing someone’s life for the better. And I can’t deny that’s exactly what happened here, So how was the journey this time? Well, we’ve got some things to talk about so let’s dive right in and get started. 

The Wish Swap started off strong and with a touch of magic. That’s a bonus for me. It’s about two characters, Casey, played by Emily Tennant, and Henry, Jake Foy's character, who, unexpectedly, get what the other wished for on their birthday. You see, they met at the same restaurant on the night of their shared birthdays. When this enormous cake arrived, which neither party ordered, by the way, Casey, played by Emily Tennant, offers to share it with Henry, Jake Foy’s character. And together, they make their wishes and blow out the candles. And this is where the magic happened.

There is a narrator who opens and closes the movie, but doesn’t really explain why or how the magic appeared. And for a brief moment in the movie, Casey is determined to figure that out, but her best friend talks her out of pursuing this any further and that’s about the end of it. I was a little disappointed by that.

Anyway, back to the restaurant. That same evening, while slices of cake were being passed around, Henry gets a call from a TV show called Dance Your Heart Out. Well guess what? That just happens to be what she wished for.

But wait, there's more! Apparently, at exactly the same time, Casey missed a call from an attorney’s office requesting she come to his office in the morning. It turns out her aunt, someone she never knew existed, had died and literally left her the farm. And yes, that happens to be what Henry wished for.

Okay, so, after a little bit of arm-twisting on her part, Casey manages to convince Henry to go on the TV show, with her as his partner, and in return she offers him a job to run her new farm. 

Now, I have to pause for a moment because I knew right away I had seen this house before. So I looked it up and yes, this house is identical to the one on the Kent farm in Smallville. Not the newer Superman and Lois show, but the OG Smallville with Tom Welling and Erica Durance as Clark Kent. Can you tell I’m a fan?!

Anyway, over the course of the movie, as I’m sure you can imagine, Henry goes from having two left feet in the beginning to owning the dance floor, or the stage, within a few weeks.

And of course Casey gradually learns a little bit of her way around a farm. 

But, wait, there’s actually more. You see, the journey they traveled to get there is what the heart of this movie is about. 

Like, learning to trust one another. Which is certainly important if they’re going to dance together on this TV show! They actually performed three dances. There’s the waltz, some swing dancing, and even a tango for the grand finale. But their trust is going to be challenged later and I’ll have some opinions about that.

So, back on the farm Casey learns some basic farm chores like collecting eggs and feeding goats. And then something weird happens about half-way through that causes some friction. You see, part of participating on the TV show is being interviewed by the host. And apparently, because of this so-called schtick, they wind up being the opening act for a popular comedian.  Yeah that was an awkward, if not absurd, turn of events. To me, that part of the storyline was like trying to fit a square block into a round hole. It just didn’t fit!

Well, if you’re wondering why would he even agree to that? Well, here’s the deal. Casey apparently has a birthday list that contains three things she wanted to come true. Dancing on television was only the first one. Yeah, doing stand-up comedy was the second. And, on the night of her birthday when she blew out the candles, she actually wished for her birthday list to come true. So she ends up sweetening the deal to entice him to go along with the whole comedy routine. 

BUT, and this is a significant issue for me, she refuses to tell him what the third thing is on her wish list. Not exactly the way to engender trust, in my opinion. As I’ve already alluded to, the actual comedy routine was painful to watch. And that’s not only because it was, at least partly, written to be that way. 

I suppose the only good thing that came out of it was it helped with their character development and  even some of their chemistry building together. And this is where I would love to have a conversation with Betsy Morris, the writer, to find out why she thought a stand-up comedy scene was right for this movie. I say that because she also wrote, are you ready for this, Guiding Emily and All I Need for Christmas. Two wonderful movies! Guiding Emily is outstanding, by the way. So I’m trying to figure out am I missing the mark on this one, or did she?

Anyway, let’s continue. How about the big conflict near the end?  Well, she didn’t try to sell the farm, like maybe you’d expect, and he didn’t leave the farm or quit the competition or anything like that. But, as I mentioned earlier, their trust for one another was tested. You see, while she was sleeping, curiosity about the third item on her list got the best of him. They fight about it, and then they get over it. But, and this might be a controversial opinion, I’ll certainly respect yours if you disagree with me here, which is this - while I agree he never should have snooped, she was also entirely wrong for continually telling him that her list was none of his business. Because for this entire movie, everything on her list has been his business whether he wanted it to be or not. And, one could even argue, has invaded his privacy without once asking how he felt about it. This relationship, so far, has been all about Casey and what she wants, and her manipulating him to get what she wants, to fulfill her birthday wishes. 

Was that a little harsh? Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now. After all, I did say that some of the best Hallmark movies are about something happening that’s unexpected and unwanted, but results in something beautiful by the end. And that’s pretty much what happened to both of them.

In the beginning, both Henry and Casey were comfortable with their lives, but not especially happy. When their wishes were swapped, they each had to step outside their comfort zone and that changed their lives for the better. Including, finding love. And not just deciding to go out on a date. These two actually fell in love. If you don’t know what that reference is about, check out my review of An Unexpected Valentine.

I can’t deny this movie had a fun ending. The tango was entertaining. I don’t know how to dance, so I don’t know if they were any good at it, but it was fun to watch. I also loved the way the director suddenly jumped ahead and we were back at the farm again. And for a moment, we were even left wondering who won the competition. That was a great touch. 

I’m actually starting to take notice of this director, too. David Strasser also directed All I Need for Christmas, and going back a few years, A Glenbrooke Christmas, starring one of my favorites, Autumn Reeser.

So even though there were some awkward moments, and some frustrating moments in this movie, if I were looking at the IMDB scale, I’d give this one a 6.5 because by the end, I loved the character development and the journey, and even the chemistry was decent. Not off the charts, but decent. 

So what did you think? Would you watch it again? 

Well, I think that wraps up my review of The Wish Swap. Next up I’ll be discussing Hallmark’s Return to Office starring Janell Parish, whose most recent movies were Sugarplummed and Haunted Wedding, and Scott Michael Foster who’s been away from Hallmark for a few years. I’ve seen him in only one other movie called In the Key of Love. That one had potential but I can't remember much about it, which maybe sums it pretty well.

Until then, and as always, thank you so much for being here and being a part of the Magical Movie Club. We'll be back next week to chat more about our favorite magical movies!

Hallmark Channel's Original Preview:  The Wish Swap - Preview

Hallmark Channel Movie Site: The Wish Swap