The Fourth Wish

Written by Michael Craig who plays Dr. Richardson, this story of a young boy (Robert Bettles) dying of leukaemia and the efforts of his battler single father (John Meillon) to fulfil his final three wishes (the fourth being the unspoken one of his father's that his son should live) is a good quality family film that does not play for sentiment (well, if one excuses the third wish, meeting the Queen, a request that would seem more appropriate for 1956) or melodrama.

Meillon, who won an AFI award for Best Actor, is called upon to carry the weight of the film and he acquits himself well, even if at times one feels like crying out "for God's sake, tell 'em your kid's dying!!" The film was shot in Adelaide and features some nice location photography courtesy of Geoff Burton. 

 

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