Wish Man is the biographical drama based on the life of Frank Shankwitz. And he is the man responsible for creating the Make A Wish Foundation. So how did it all start? The story is fascinating and begins when Frank was 11 years old. His parents divorced and his mother took him away, against a court order, in an attempt to hide him from his father. Sadly, it was more to punish his father than for any real love she had for him.
Not long after that, he finds himself in Arizona alone after his mother left him to hitch up with a cowboy. From there he was raised by Juan, the owner of the diner where he worked. Fast forward 25 years and Frank (Andrew Steel) is all grown up and a motorcycle police officer. Now Frank is portrayed is a difficult and complicated man, a loner, a drinker but a really good officer. So when he is involved in an accident, the new assistant in the police department, Kitty (Kirby Bliss Blanton), is tasked with getting him through the first week at home.
The two don't exactly hit it off but there's always a sense that Frank just needs a few walls to come down and that's when the event that would change his life happens. His Sergeant is asked to help a young boy dying of leukemia. All the little kid wants is to see a real police station and meet a motorcycle officer because of his love of the show ‘Chips'. Kitty suggests Frank who reluctantly agrees. The two bond and it's at this point that Frank Shankwitz realizes that there is so much more they could all do to help kids like Michael.
Now, in Wish Man there is far more to the story and my synopsis above barely touches the surface of this incredible man's life. Overall it is a charming and endearing story but one that is also quite heart-breaking. Frank Shankwitz did not have an easy life and the fact that he managed to turn it all around is a testament to the man's strength. It is more like a tv movie with a filming style along the lines of Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, but that doesn't detract from its uplifting message. In fact, if you need something positive to reaffirm your faith in humanity, Wish Man will do the job nicely.
