The Wishing Well
6.1/10 · 542 ratings20091h 30mWeirdness 10/10
Where to watch
We haven’t pinned down where The Wishing Well is streaming yet — check JustWatch.
The premise
Ambitious big city reporter arrives in a small town to write about its legendary wishing well. She writes a shoddy article, thinking it's all a joke, but throws in a coin and wishes to be happy, just for the fun of it. Magic happens.
How unusual is it?
Very. Magic, mistaken identity and an actual miracle all turn up in one movie — the strangest 1% of everything we've logged.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
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Directed by
Written by
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 33 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Setting2
Time & season2
Characters9
Tone & quirks3
Why we’d put this one on
Weirdness 10, and the cast is the headline here: a big-city reporter arrives to write a snide piece about a small town's legendary wishing well, tosses in a coin half-joking, wishes to be happy, and magic happens. Jordan Ladd leads, but it is the supporting bench that makes you sit up, with Ernest Borgnine as Big Jim and Sally Kellerman as Donette. At 6.1 this 2009 charmer is a straightforward be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable. If you collect Hallmark films for unexpected legends in the credits, this wishing-well story is worth the trip.
Did you know?
A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.
It scores a perfect 10 on our weirdness scale — 1 of just 15 movies in the whole catalog to do that.
Top 1% weirdest
Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 1%.
The backstory
- Music by Stephen Graziano.
The Wishing Well is a fantasy romantic drama film made for the Hallmark Channel, which premiered in the UK in 2009 and had its USA premiere in 2010. It was directed by David Jackson and starred Jordan Ladd and Jason London.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 25% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog The Wishing Well belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Weirdest Hallmark MoviesScores 10/10 on our weirdness scale — comfortably in the strange end.
- Craziest Hallmark MoviesWild enough in premise to make the all-time list.
- Hallmark Supernatural MoviesHas a supernatural element.
- Hallmark Dog & Pet MoviesA four-legged matchmaker.
- Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
- Hallmark Single Parent MoviesA single parent finds love again.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Cynthia Tamerline
LeadBig-city reporter
ambitiouscynicalsofteningMark Jansen
Love interestSmall-town man
Love interest
groundedwarmkindAbby Jansen
SupportingMark's daughter
Mark's child
sweetBig Jim
SupportingTownsperson
Local figure
jovialMary Williams
SupportingTownsperson
Local figure
Donette
SupportingTownsperson
Local figure
Questions people ask about The Wishing Well
How long is The Wishing Well?
The Wishing Well runs about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and was released in 2009.
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Browse all moviesIf you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.
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- Small Town
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Data and sources
Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .