You Wish!

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for You Wish!
• a review of You Wish! completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 16 June 2026.

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• themes
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

Alex (A.J. Trauth), is a 16 year old boy who loves skating, football and his friends, and has an annoying little brother, Stevie (Spencer Breslin). Even though he likes spending time with his brother, Stevie often causes trouble and blames Alex to avoid consequences. When Alex’s parents tell him he needs to babysit on a day he already has plans, Alex is extremely frustrated at taking Stevie with him. At the mall, Alex instructs Stevie to sit on a bench while he is inside the nearby coin collector store. Stevie, seeing Larry (Tim Reid) about to fall to the ground, jumps into action and saves him. In gratitude, Larry gifts Stevie a special coin, stating it is good for one wish. After getting bored waiting for his brother, Stevie runs off, causing chaos for Alex who runs throughout the mall looking for him. When Alex and Stevie’s parents find out what happened Alex is punished, despite almost no consequences for Stevie. As an apology for getting him in trouble, Stevie gifts Alex the magical coin and, in his frustration, Alex uses the coin and wishes he didn’t have a little brother.

When Alex wakes up, he is in an alternate world in which Stevie was never his brother. Without Stevie, Alex is thriving, he is the star of the football team, has a cheerleader girlfriend and is the school’s ‘it boy’. However, in this alternate world, he no longer has his best friends Abby (Lalaine) and James (Ari Boyland), and he is starting to miss his little brother – who is the famous celebrity, Terrence Russell McCormack, starring in a show called, ‘Where's Stevie?’. Realising he preferred the way things were, Alex must find a way to turn back the clock and fix the mess he has made.

Family breakdown; Sibling relationship; Consequences of actions; Drama; Coming of Age; Fantasy.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

• Alex and Stevie have several arguments.
• At his football game, Alex is being intimidated by a bigger player, then is tackled and flung over the bigger player’s shoulder, landing flat on his back on the ground.
• James accidentally runs his bike into Alex. James flings over the handlebars of his bike and lands on the ground. It does not cause significant injury.
• In two separate incidents, the ‘jock’ bullies deliberately smoosh a whole pizza on the heads of Alex and James.
• Before smooshing the pizza on James’ head, the jocks are rough with him and repeatedly chant, “Chicken Boy”, since he has delivered the pizza dressed in a chicken costume – his work attire.
• Abby pours milk over Alex’s head and says, “Got milk?”.

Material that may scare or disturb children

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• Twice, Alex watches a scary movie on his TV. A woman is seen in a cemetery, screaming and running from a monster/mummy wrapped in bandages. The first time, Stevie watches it with him and gets scared.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

• While playing with slime blasters in the woods, Alex lies on the ground and pretends to be dead and says, “Not your fault”, to scare Stevie.
• Alex has a number of memories of special moments that have been ruined because the focus has turned to Stevie instead.
• Alex makes a wish that Stevie never existed, when he wakes up Stevie is no longer part of his family and never was.
• Alex takes celebrity Terrence Russell McCormack (Stevie) from his security. They go on an adventure to try find the magic coin, and they hide from the police but eventually get caught.
• Terrence Russell McCormack is looked after by security and carers. He doesn’t see his dad and only occasionally sees his mum. He receives a phone call from his mum, whom he calls by her first name. He is told by his mum that she is getting married and he asks if he has to call him dad.

• Nothing further noted.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

• A ‘Woman's Quarterly’ magazine is seen multiple times throughout the movie. It is akin to similarly named Australian ‘Women’s Weekly’ or UK’s ‘Woman’s Weekly’, and Alex says it’s his mum’s favourite magazine.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

• Alex is watching a cheerleader he likes walk up to him, as if in slow motion.
• Fiona kisses Alex on the cheek.

Nudity and sexual activity

• None noted.

Use of substances

• None noted.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

• Slime boy (said in jest)
• Big stupid
• Butt
• Heck
• Demon child from the Underworld
• Benchwarmer
• Freaks
• Super Jock
• Losers
• Massive mega losers
• Jock joke.

In a nutshell

You Wish! is a fantasy comedy that ties in magic and adventure, and is based on the 1991 novel, If I Had One Wish by Jackie French Koller's. The movie draws on family breakdown, sibling rivalry and hoping one disappears. On the other hand, towards the end of the movie, when Alex experiences life without his brother, he learns that his family really was better the way it was. The movie is likely to be enjoyed by families with children aged 9 and up, and with parental guidance for ages 6 to 8.

The main messages from this movie are to be careful what you wish for; the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence; and that family is one of the most important things you have – although you may fight with your family, how would you feel if they were no longer around?

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Friendship
• Teamwork
• Authenticity
• The importance of family.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• Fighting and refusing to make up with your siblings or friends can negatively impact your life.
• Constantly wishing your life would be better under different circumstances may not turn out how you expect it to.
• Enjoy the life you have because living under different circumstances isn’t always so great.
• Some actions can have unforeseen consequences that can harm not only yourself but also those around you.