ABC THURSDAY NIGHT MOVIE, THE: THE THREE WISHES OF BILLY GRIER (TV)
Summary
One in this series of movie presentations. This made-for-television film concerns a young boy named Billy Grier, who contracts a rare disease that causes him to age prematurely. The movie begins as a frail and elderly-looking Billy Grier and his mother go on vacation at the seashore. A flashback follows that traces Billy's life from the previous year up to the present: Billy is an average fifteen-year-old who enjoys school, playing the saxophone, and spending time with his girlfriend Chrissy. At first, Billy and his doctor discount some pain in the knee as a minor sports injury, but Billy continues to feel poorly and secretly returns to the doctor to undergo a series of tests. He keeps his concerns from his mother because she is an overprotective single parent. To everyone's horror, the tests show that Billy has contracted a rare and serious disease that is accelerating his aging process and that will probably kill him within a year. Billy and his mother both respond hysterically, and he admits that he is scared of dying. Billy spends the next weeks in seclusion at home as the aging process quickly takes effect. One night, aware that time slipping away from him, Billy packs his bags, sneaks from the house, and ventures out to find his father, who disappeared years ago. On the bus ride to his old hometown, Billy meets an attractive, middle-aged woman, who flirts and chats with him, never guessing that Billy is a teenager in an older man's body. Although Billy does not confide his entire story to his bus companion, Phyllis, he does reveal he is searching for his father. When they arrive in Porter City, Phyllis invites him to stay with her and offers to help in his search. Phyllis suspects that he is ill, but does not pry into his past. Soon, a romantic relationship grows between them, but Billy has no luck finding his father, so he writes to his grandfather asking for help. His grandfather advises him to go back to his mother, who is suffering from extreme depression in his absence, and take advantage of his last months. Before leaving Porter City, Billy settles his priorities and returns home with a new attitude toward his fatal disease. Includes commercials, promos, and public service announcements. Commercials include Lynda Carter for Maybelline and Evonne Goolagong for Geritol.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 1, 1984 Thursday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:52:37
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T85:0085
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Diseases - Drama; Drama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1983-
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T communications
- TV - Commercials - Advil pain reliever
- TV - Commercials - American Express credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Cascade dishwashing detergent
- TV - Commercials - Denny's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Geritol dietary supplement
- TV - Commercials - Kodak cameras
- TV - Commercials - Le Menu frozen dinners
- TV - Commercials - Maybelline cosmetics
- TV - Commercials - Michelob beer
- TV - Commercials - Mrs. Dash seasonings
- TV - Commercials - N'Ice throat lozenges
- TV - Commercials - New Trail granola bars
- TV - Commercials - Paul Masson wines
- TV - Commercials - Prell shampoo
- TV - Commercials - Showtime cable network
- TV - Commercials - Sucrets throat lozenges
- TV - Commercials - Sun Light dishwashing detergent
- TV - Commercials - Trident chewing gum
- TV - Commercials - V8 vegetable juice
- TV - Commercials - Vidal Sassoon hair care products
- TV - Commercials - Wendy's fast food
- TV - PSA - A.H. Robinson pharmaceuticals
- TV - PSA - Mondale/Ferraro Committee
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "Benson"
- TV - Promos - "Finder of Lost Loves"
- TV - Promos - "Hardcastle & McCormick"
- TV - Promos - "Hawaiian Heat"
- TV - Promos - "Matt Houston"
- TV - Promos - "Nightline"
- TV - Promos - "T.J. Hooker"
- TV - Promos - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
- TV - Promos - "The Impostor"
- TV - Promos - "Webster"
CREDITS
- Gerald I. Isenberg … Executive Producer
- Hans Proppe … Supervising Producer
- Jay Benson … Producer
- Deborah Ellis Leoni … Associate Producer
- Corey Blechman … Director, Writer
- Brad Fiedel … Music by
- Ralph Macchio … Cast, Billy Grier
- Betty Buckley … Cast, Nancy Grier
- Season Hubley … Cast, Phyllis
- Jeffrey Tambor … Cast, Dr. Lindsey
- Lawrence Pressman … Cast, Frank
- Conchata Ferrell … Cast, Dr. Gardner
- Ed Lauter … Cast, Mr. Grier
- Viveca Lindfors … Cast, Dr. Rice
- Hal Holbrook … Cast, Grandpa Grier
- Laura Dern … Cast, Chrissy
- Betty Phillips … Cast, Mary Whitelaw
- Meredith Woodward … Cast, Mrs. Patrick
- Janet Wright … Cast, the Woman in Bar
- Bill Murdoch … Cast, Scott
- Lillian Carlson … Cast, the Manager of Hotel
- Stephen E. Miller … Cast, the Gas Man
- Dorothy Jones … Cast, Mrs. Farbor
- Shirley Barclay … Cast, Mrs. Clark
- Jessica Loring … Cast, the Nurse
- Lois McClean … Cast, a Waitress
- Sharon Wahl … Cast, a Waitress
- Lloyd Berry … Cast, the Bartender