''16 Wishes'' is a 2010

teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by

Peter DeLuise Peter John DeLuise (born November 6, 1966) is an American actor, television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Officer Doug Penhall in the Fox TV series ''21 Jump Street'', and for directing and writing ...

and written by Annie DeYoung, starring

Debby Ryan Deborah Ann Ryan (born May 13, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She started acting professionally onstage at the age of seven, and was later discovered during Disney Channel's nationwide search for new talent. Ryan's work for Disney Ch ...

and

Jean-Luc Bilodeau Jean-Luc Bilodeau (born November 4, 1990) is a Canadian actor who has been acting since 2004. He is best known for his role as Ben Wheeler in the ABC Family channel program ''Baby Daddy''. Bilodeau has also appeared in films and television seri ...

. It premiered on June 25, 2010, on

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

in the United States and on July 16, 2010, on Family Channel in Canada. The film was the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on the Disney Channel. In addition, ''16 Wishes'' introduced Ryan to new audiences, such as the contemporary adult audiences since the movie received high viewership in the adults demographic (18–34). The film was the second most watched program on cable during the week of its premiere. It was the second film to be released on Disney Channel in 2010 that was not promoted as a "

Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner nam ...

" (after '' Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars'') and is a co-production between Disney Channel, Family Channel, Unity Pictures of Vancouver and

MarVista Entertainment MarVista Entertainment is an American production company, based in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. The company mainly provides financing and some original content, mainly made-for-TV films and direct-to-SVOD titles, many of which are carried b ...

in Los Angeles. In other countries, it was advertised as a Disney Channel Original Movie. It was planned to have its UK premiere on November 19, 2010, on

Disney Channel UK Disney Channel was a British and Irish television kids channel owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company (UK) Ltd. It was aired from 1 October 1995, to 30 September 2020. A one-hour timeshift service called Disney Channel +1 was available o ...

, but was replaced with '' Starstruck'', which had already been shown in May; it was later shown in December 2010 in the UK.

Plot

Abby Jensen has been planning her sweet sixteen since she was a little girl. She keeps a list of wishes that she wants to come true. When the big day finally arrives, she excitedly adds her sixteenth and final wish to the list: a photo of Logan, her crush. Her parents and her brother Mike surprise her, but she rudely rejects them. Then begins the first of many unusual occurrences, each involving visits from a peculiar woman, Celeste. She first appears as an exterminator when the Jensens' house gets overrun by wasps from a nest that had been building up for 16 years. Celeste saves Abby's wish list, but the family is unable to go back inside their house until the wasps are exterminated. Abby's best friend, Jay Kepler, appears and offers Abby his jacket. When Abby reaches into a pocket, she finds a birthday present for her—a necklace with a half of a heart saying "BFF." Jay uses the other half as a charm on his key ring. A delivery truck pulls up, and Celeste comes out dressed as a mail woman and gives a package with 16 candles and a matchbox to Abby. Abby lights the first candle, her first wish, meeting celebrity Joey Lockhart, is fulfilled. Abby then realizes that the candles correspond to the wishes on her wish list. Abby lights up the eighth candle and her wish for a red car is fulfilled. Out of the car comes Celeste. Abby realizes Celeste is a magical being and her wishes come true each time a candle is lit, and Celeste appears whenever a wish is granted. Abby unsuccessfully tries to make a third wish. Celeste explains that Abby must wait to make new wishes within new hours, and that, at midnight, Abby's candles expire and the wishes she made will be permanent. Abby makes more wishes, causing her to beat her nemesis, Krista Cook, who has the same birthday as her, in a volleyball match, and become student body president. Abby remembers that she needs a dress for her birthday party and decides buy it with Jay, who agrees to pay for it. They are followed by Krista, who takes Jay's wallet when he drops it. She convinces the store clerk that the two are not actually going to buy anything; the clerk kicks them out. Abby uses the 9th candle to make a wish to be treated like an adult, which adds consequences of adulthood that she did not think of. Abby is suddenly not allowed to attend high school anymore, and no one at school remembers her, not even Jay. Her parents buy her a new apartment and leave her to live on her own. Regretting her wish, Abby unsuccessfully tries to make new wishes and change some. Abby makes a wish for her parents to understand her; her parents do understand her, but under the impression that she is an adult. Abby walks by Krista's Sweet 16 and spots Jay. She restores Jay's memories that they are best friends by showing him the necklace he gave her. However, Jay is unable to help her. Abby talks to Krista, and realizes that she is on good terms with her in adulthood. She also realizes that Jay wanted to be student body president all along. Desperate, Abby returns to her apartment where Celeste appears. Abby talks with Celeste as she tells her how selfish she was for thinking about herself over her friends and family because she didn't realize what she already had. Abby eventually found a loophole through the rules of magic because her last wish was glued on with gum, acting as a "barrier" between the picture and the rules. She switches the picture for a picture of her taken that morning and wishes she could go back to that morning right before midnight strikes. Abby's life then goes back to normal. Abby throws her wish list away and gives her money to Mike for a guitar. Abby finds Krista carrying posters saying 'Vote For Krista.' She and Krista reconcile after Krista tells Abby that she dislikes her because she took Jay away from her as a friend. Abby and Krista stop competing and work together to make Jay student body president, fulfilling his dream. Abby and Krista have a joint birthday party. Krista and Logan become a couple, and Mike's talent is recognized. Abby tells Jay that she has no more wishes, and they kiss. Celeste then turns into a fairy and flies away. The couples—Abby and Jay and Krista and Logan—then dance together at the party.

Cast

Production

Some scenes were filmed at

Walnut Grove Secondary School Walnut Grove Secondary School (WGSS) is located in the community of Walnut Grove in Langley, British Columbia. It has an enrollment of over 2,000 students, making it the largest school in Langley and one of the largest schools in the Vancouver ...

in Langley, British Columbia.

Soundtrack

''16 Wishes'' is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name, released on June 15, 2010, by

Track listing

Reception

The movie garnered over 5.6 million viewers in its first showing. The film went on to become the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on

. The Sunday airing of the film received over 4.0 million viewers. Cable TV Top 25: BET Awards, 16 Wishes, USA/Algeria Match Top Week's Cable Shows!

References

External links

Official website
* {{IMDb title, 1646876 2010 television films 2010 films 2010 comedy films 2010 fantasy films 2010s American films 2010s Canadian films 2010s English-language films 2010s fantasy comedy films 2010s teen comedy films 2010s teen fantasy films American comedy television films American fantasy comedy films American teen comedy films Canadian comedy television films Canadian fantasy comedy films Canadian teen comedy films Fantasy television films Films about birthdays Films about wish fulfillment Films shot in Vancouver Films directed by Peter DeLuise