The Birthday Wish
2017 · 84 min · Director: Peter DeLuise
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Gwen, a director of television commercials, has mapped out her life in an attempt to be in control. That plan was devised as she never wants to be thrown for a curve like she was when she was thirteen when her father unexpectedly died. That plan includes being engaged by the time she reaches thirty, which is just around the corner. That engagement and imminent marriage will be followed by moving to Los Angeles to further her career. Alex, an image conscious on-air weatherman and Gwen's boyfriend of three years, knows of Gwen's plans, he who seemingly factors perfectly into those plans. When what Gwen envisioned will be the perfect romantic proposal from Alex not only does not materialize on her thirtieth birthday, but that a proposal from him doesn't happen in any form at all on that day, Gwen makes an off the cuff secret birthday wish to be able to see ten years into her future. Gwen does end up seeing a vision of what she assumes is supposed to be her in ten years, that vision which is nothing at all as she had planned. Items in that vision that don't match her plan include living in the suburbs instead of in the city, having three kids and driving a minivan. But the most disturbing aspect of that vision is that she is not married to Alex, but to Dave, the caring creative director with who the ad agency has recently paired her on the commercial projects, Dave who she only knows casually. Slowly, things begin to happen in her current life that point to the vision being a reality for her future. As she and Dave become friends, feelings start to develop on both sides, with Dave not acting on those feelings as long as he knows Alex is still in her life. Gwen has to decide whether to stick to her plan or follow her heart, especially as Alex begins to work toward her plans, albeit solely for his own sake.
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Emotional fingerprint
The Birthday Wish (2017) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Love 30%, Hope 25%, Anxiety 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Love30%
- Hope25%
- Anxiety20%
- Empathy15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Love, Hope, Anxiety. Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Love, Hope and Anxiety. Its IMDb rating of 6.8/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 68/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Love
- Hope
- Humor
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Love
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Love | Hope | Humor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Humor | 37 % | 17 % | 22 % | 35 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 6′ | Humor | 39 % | 23 % | 25 % | 36 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 11′ | Humor | 45 % | 23 % | 29 % | 32 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 15′ | Sadness | 51 % | 25 % | 31 % | 24 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 19′ | Love | 49 % | 31 % | 30 % | 24 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Humor | 46 % | 29 % | 25 % | 33 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 27′ | Humor | 48 % | 28 % | 25 % | 36 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Love | 45 % | 29 % | 29 % | 32 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Humor | 40 % | 25 % | 27 % | 30 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Love | 38 % | 25 % | 26 % | 29 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 44′ | Hope | 43 % | 33 % | 34 % | 31 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Hope | 51 % | 34 % | 35 % | 34 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Tension | 54 % | 29 % | 29 % | 34 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Humor | 54 % | 36 % | 35 % | 43 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 61′ | Humor | 54 % | 43 % | 39 % | 49 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 65′ | Humor | 54 % | 43 % | 34 % | 43 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 69′ | Love | 59 % | 45 % | 35 % | 38 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Tension | 64 % | 38 % | 35 % | 32 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Tension | 73 % | 44 % | 41 % | 28 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 82′ | Love | 83 % | 67 % | 57 % | 32 % |
Oedipus
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
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Premise onlyAfterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Charles
Cookie Actress
Restaurant Woman
Mia
Creepy Guy
Balcony Woman
Details
- Directed by
- Peter DeLuise
- Written by
- Julie Sherman Wolfe
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2017
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Country
- Canada, United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Love
- Data updated
Where to watch
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Data: JustWatch
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