The Wizard (1989 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Todd Holland (director), David Chisholm (screenplay) |
| Products | Film |
The Wizard is a 1989 American film blending adventure, comedy, and drama, directed by Todd Holland in his first feature film role. The screenplay was penned by David Chisholm and features performances by Fred Savage, Jenny Lewis, Beau Bridges, Christian Slater, and Luke Edwards. This movie also marks the uncredited debut of Tobey Maguire in cinema.
The storyline centers on three youngsters, including a prodigious yet emotionally withdrawn video game player, as they journey to California to participate in a competitive gaming tournament. The movie is distinguished by its heavy integration of Nintendo product placement and served as the official introduction of Super Mario Bros. 3 to the North American audience, which later became one of the top-selling individual video games. Although it initially faced unfavorable critical reception, The Wizard has since garnered a devoted cult following.
Plot
Jimmy Woods, a 9-year-old boy grappling with PTSD following the drowning of his twin sister Jennifer two years earlier, frequently wanders off carrying a lunchbox and repeatedly utters "California."
Jennifer’s death caused a rift within the family: Jimmy resides with his mother Christine and stepfather Mr. Bateman, while his half-brothers Nick and Corey live with their father Sam. Concerned by Jimmy’s behavior, Christine and Mr. Bateman plan to have him institutionalized. Opposing this decision, Corey secretly helps Jimmy escape on foot toward Los Angeles. Nick and Sam pursue them, alongside Mr. Putnam, a bounty hunter hired by Christine and Bateman to locate Jimmy—but not Corey.
At a bus station, Jimmy and Corey encounter Haley Brooks, a teenager en route to Reno. Upon discovering Jimmy’s innate gaming talent, Haley informs Corey about "Video Armageddon," a gaming competition held at Universal Studios Hollywood offering a $50,000 grand prize. Corey views this as an opportunity to prevent Jimmy’s institutionalization by demonstrating his abilities; Haley agrees to assist in return for a portion of the winnings.
The group travels cross-country by hitchhiking, leveraging Jimmy’s gaming expertise to win bets along the way. They cross paths with Lucas Barton, an accomplished but cocky gamer also competing in the tournament. Corey and Haley notice that Jimmy’s lunchbox contains photographs and keepsakes of Jennifer.
In Reno, with assistance from Haley’s trucker acquaintance Spanky—whom Haley coaches to win at casino craps—they accumulate more money. Jimmy begins practicing on arcade machines supported by the Nintendo Power Line. After evading Putnam once again, they take refuge at Haley’s trailer where she reveals her motive for wanting her share of the prize: to help her father purchase a house. Putnam eventually captures Jimmy but is foiled when Haley calls upon truckers who come to his rescue.
Spanky drives them to the tournament where Jimmy reaches the final round after excelling at Ninja Gaiden. Putnam’s further attempts to recapture them are unsuccessful. The championship match features Jimmy competing against Lucas and Mora Grissom to score points on Super Mario Bros. 3, an unreleased title in the United States. Encouraged by family members and even Putnam himself, Jimmy triumphs in the contest and claims the cash prize.
On their way back home with Haley, Jimmy becomes uneasy when passing the Cabazon Dinosaurs tourist attraction. Inside, Corey finds him examining family photos taken there, understanding that Jimmy sought emotional closure at a place linked to Jennifer’s happiness. Leaving his lunchbox behind, the family resumes their journey as Jimmy shares a hopeful kiss with Haley, bringing their story to an optimistic close.
Cast
Tobey Maguire made his cinematic debut with an uncredited role portraying Lucas's Goon in Video Armageddon.
Production
In 1988, the launch of several Nintendo titles, including Super Mario Bros. 3, was postponed due to a shortage of ROM chips and preparations for the Western release of Super Mario Bros. 2. This delay provided Nintendo with a unique opportunity to market the game through a feature film. In 1989, Tom Pollock from Universal Studios approached Nintendo of America about developing a movie centered on video games, inspired by Nintendo’s competitive gaming tournaments. Nintendo granted licensing rights for its products featured in the film and approved both the screenplay and the depiction of its games. The climactic video game competition prominently showcased Super Mario Bros. 3.
Although advertised as the first U.S. public unveiling of Super Mario Bros. 3, the game had already been released in Japan and covered extensively by leading gaming publications.
Filming took place between June 5 and July 25, 1989. Director Todd Holland later disclosed that the original version exceeded two and a half hours, featuring extended backstories for characters Jimmy and Corey. Despite Holland’s reservations about shooting excessive footage, Universal mandated filming the entire script.
Approximately sixty minutes of footage were removed to achieve a family-friendly duration. This deleted material was included in the 2020 collector’s edition Blu-ray release and contains expanded insights into Corey's home environment, family relationships, Nick's struggles with alcoholism, additional road trip sequences, an enlarged role for Spanky, and more scenes from the Video Game Armageddon contest.
Music
- BoDeans – "You Don't Get Much"
- Patsy Cline – "Leavin' on Your Mind"
- BoDeans – "Red River"
- New Kids on the Block – "You Got It (The Right Stuff)"
- Real Life – "Send Me an Angel '89"
- New Kids on the Block – "Hangin' Tough"
- Martha & The Vandellas – "Nowhere to Run"
- Paul Carrack – "I Live by the Groove"
- Bobby Brown – "Don't Be Cruel"
- Paul Anka – "My Way"
- Sally Dworsky – "I Found My Way"
Box office
The Wizard opened at number five at the domestic box office, earning $2.1 million during its initial run. With a production budget estimated at $6 million, it ultimately grossed $14.3 million, representing a moderate commercial success before developing a devoted cult following.
Critical reception
Reviews from critics were predominantly unfavorable, frequently criticizing the film as an extended advertisement for Universal Studios and Nintendo products. Roger Ebert characterized it as "a cynical exploitation film" overloaded with product placements and lacking in quality, later listing it among the worst films of 1989. The Washington Post disparaged its unoriginal storyline. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 29% approval rating based on 24 critiques, while Metacritic assigns it a score of 23 out of 100, reflecting generally negative feedback.
David Sheff’s book Game Over described it more as a promotional vehicle for Nintendo, especially highlighting Super Mario Bros. 3, than as a traditional movie. IGN’s Levi Buchanan similarly referred to it as essentially a "90-minute Super Mario Bros. 3 commercial."
Despite these critiques, The Wizard has since achieved cult status, culminating in a reunion screening held in 2008 at Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, where director Holland along with lead actors Savage and Edwards appeared to interact with fans.
Home media
The Wizard was made available on VHS and LaserDisc formats in the years 1990, 1992, and 1997. By the year 1993, it had accumulated substantial earnings from video rentals. The film first appeared on DVD in Region 2 on February 2, 2001, and was subsequently released in the United States and Canada (Region 1) on August 22, 2006. The Blu-ray edition was launched on May 15, 2018, followed by a special edition Blu-ray issued by Shout! Factory on March 24, 2020. This special release included a newly created 4K remaster, audio commentary by director Todd Holland, deleted scenes, and various bonus materials.
Legacy
The conclusion of Pax West 2016 on September 6, 2016, featured a reenactment of the Super Mario Bros. 3 tournament showcased within the movie.