''A Child's Wish'' is a 1997 American made-for-television

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

based on actual events. John Ritter stars as a father of a terminally ill 16-year-old girl portrayed by

Anna Chlumsky Anna Maria Chlumsky (; born December 3, 1980) is an American actress. She began acting as a child, and first became known for playing Vada Sultenfuss in the film '' My Girl'' (1991) and its sequel, '' My Girl 2''. Following her early roles, she w ...

Plot

Ritter portrays Ed Chandler, a father who is fired from his job for taking time off to tend to his 16-year-old daughter Missy (Chlumsky), who is battling

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

. Rather than accepting his dismissal, Ed decides to fight back. With the help of a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

, he lobbies the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

and is the stimulus to passage of the

Family and Medical Leave Act The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a United States labor law requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected, unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons. The FMLA was a major part of President Bill C ...

. Because Missy's cancer is life-threatening, she is visited by the

Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headquart ...

, and she wishes to go to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

, visit the

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped roo ...

, and hopefully see President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

. Although Make-A-Wish is not so sure if they can grant her wish, in the end she does in fact get to visit the Oval Office and meet President

, playing himself in a cameo appearance. Missy is based on the merging of two women, Melissa Weaver and Dixie Yandle. Ed Chandler's character is very closely related to George Yandle, who with his wife Vicki, helped push the Family Medical Leave Act through Congress after being fired from their jobs to care for their daughter Dixie who was suffering with cancer. In real life, Vicki Yandle was on stage with President Clinton when the law was signed.Family-Leave Bill: Peace of Mind Issue
New York Times, 4 February 1993

Cast

* John Ritter as Ed Chandler *

Tess Harper Tessie Jean Harper (''née'' Washam; born August 15, 1950) is an American actress. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role in 1983's ''Tender Mercies'', and for the Academy Award for Be ...

as Joanna Chandler *

as Missy Chandler *

Sarah Chalke Sarah Louise Christine Chalke (; born August 27, 1976) is a Canadian actress and model. She is known for portraying Elliot Reid on the NBC/ ABC comedy series '' Scrubs'', the second Becky Conner on the ABC sitcom ''Roseanne'', Stella Zinman on ...

as Melinda *Karl David-Djerf as Scott *Kevin McNulty as Robbie *

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

as himself *David Lewis as Rick *Janine Cox as Karen *Aurelio Dinunzio as Hank *Merrilyn Gann as Dr. Cross *Eva De Viveiros as Jenny *Freda Perry as Lucille *Michael St. John Smith as Bailey * Teryl Rothery as Donna

References

External links

* *http://www.hollywood.com/movie/A_Childs_Wish/6152737 1997 television films 1997 films 1997 drama films American films based on actual events Films directed by Waris Hussein CBS network films American drama television films 1990s American films {{US-tv-drama-film-stub