mark.waltz Wall Street Broker Neil Patrick Harris returns to his small town looking after his recently widowed grandmother (Debbie Reynolds) who presents a Christmas Wish to him that threatens to open a Pandora's Box. Find the mysterious Lily, someone his beloved grandfather visited every year on Christmas Eve. Shocked by the thought that his grandfather could have had an affair, Harris begins the search with the help of the patriarch's massive collection of journals. Having been raised by his grandparents after his parents were killed in a car accident, Harris is protective of their marital legacy and hopes for good news rather than either the shock of a mistress or an illegitimate child. What he discovers is more of a legacy than most people leave behind in their entire lifetime.In his grandfather's real estate office, he finds he has a hard time living up to his grandfather's memory as he deals with employee discord between one of their top real estate agents and the long-time accountant (Beverly Archer of "Mama's Family") who acts like a CEO rather than an employee. But Archer (who resembles Edith Head) is not all she seems to be and sympathy lies on her side as the truth is revealed. As Harris discovers more about his unseen grandfather (we never see a picture or a flashback), he learns what a remarkable man he was, the type that rarely, if ever, exists. This brings him to some conclusions about himself and opens up the door for further change in everybody's lives."A Christmas Wish" is one of those holiday movies that threatens to be sappy but never is. The ever-boyish Harris is excellent and gives many dimensions to a character with many levels. Ms. Reynolds, still glamorous today, gives a soft and low-key performance that will thrill her many fans and open up the door for others to check out her 60 plus years of work. There are nice cameos by two actors from "The Young and the Restless" (Michael Fairman and Jerry Douglas) as old chums of the grandfather that add to the old-school gentlemantility that is refreshing to see on screen. The revelation of who the mysterious Lily is, and the devices the writers use to make the revelation, is ingenious. This is a Christmas movie not to miss, especially without Kleenex.

ydarbd chased this little gem down, had to buy it on DVD and closest place to purchase was America. lovely film.. saw it years ago on TV and always wanted to share the experience with friends that never got an opportunity to watch it themselves.never have i forgotten the story or the film's name , waited years to see would it appear on TV again. i honestly never considered buying it on DVD. have a packet of hankies ready as even a brute like me shed a tear at the twist in the story line. a real Christmas story, very true to life with a lesson for everyone. you would never catch the twist near the end. being placed in a similar situation to the characters in the movie it is easy to see how quick it would be to pre-judge somebody without knowing all the facts.this film first appeared in 1988 (ian Barry), be careful there are similarly named movies out there.....

kennyfone One Great movie, I've watched it several times. The music in the background is moving---it might not win any awards but if the spirit of Christmas is in your heart, you'll like this movie. I wish I could find the soundtrack.

moovybuf-3 This is the second time my wife and I have viewed this film and we think it's a perfect Christmas film. It's heart-warming and can be viewed by the whole family. I hope in the near future that it is released on video as I would love to purchase a copy for my very own (that's my Christmas Wish).