16 Wishes!
By Christina Muttavanchery ('23)
While in elementary school, I fell through a rabbit hole of videos on Youtube. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that there are even movies on it. One of the movies that shaped my expectations for being a teenager was 16 Wishes.
Since the school year is coming to an end, I’ve been watching my favorite movies from childhood and stumbled upon this forgotten gem.
In case you don’t know what 16 Wishes is about, here’s a quick rundown of it! This movie follows Abby Jensen who can’t wait to grow up and have all her wishes fulfilled. Throughout the years, Abby has made a list of 16 wishes on it with the hope that by her 16th birthday, they’ll all come true. Finally, on her 16th birthday, they start to come true one by one after being given a mysterious package of 16 birthday candles when accompanied by her best friend, Jay Kepler. But with her wishes coming true, unexpected consequences start to occur which make her second think about the decisions she has made.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
The movie was directed by Peter DeLuise, with Disney star, Debby Ryan as Abby, and Jean-Luc Bilodeau from the ABC show, Baby Daddy, as Jay Kepler.
Watching it when I was about 9 years old as compared to now, at 17 years old, is pretty different. Now, I can see that Abby was pretty unreasonable when her parents were just trying to be involved with her life, and had a bit of a victim complex. By a victim complex, I mean that she never stops to think about what’s going on in other people’s lives (including her best friend or even her arch-nemesis), and thinks she has it the worst most of the time. In my opinion, it quite reminds me of the complex of Elena Gilbert from The Vampire Diaries. This movie also has the overplayed cliche of a character not knowing that their best friend is in love with them, and that’s the ignorance Abby displays when it comes to Jay.
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Abby’s wishes are materialistic and shallow, however, the growth she finally reaches towards the end is the best part. She takes a look at herself and sees that she’s not just a pawn in life, but she can control who she is and wants to be. The movie ends with her showing a greater understanding of her friends, family, and herself.
While the movie is a bit on the surface, I enjoy it and the lessons it teaches. It’s also uncanny to see Debby Ryan so young and not playing a nanny to rich kids in Manhattan, New York.
Hopefully, this article refreshes your memory on this forgotten movie, and if not, take some time to check it out!
Cover photo courtesy of DVDizzy
Banner courtesy of Tubi