16 Wishes

16 Wishes is a 2010 teen fantasy-comedy television film directed by Peter DeLuise and written by Annie DeYoung, starring Debby Ryan and Jean-Luc Bilodeau. It premiered on June 25, 2010, on Disney Channel in the United States and on July 16, 2010, on Family Channel in Canada. The film was the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on Disney Channel. In addition, 16 Wishes introduced Ryan to new audiences, such as the contemporary adult audiences since the movie received high viewership in the adults demographic (18–34). The film was the second most watched program on cable during the week of its premiere.

It was the second film to be released on Disney Channel in 2010 that was not promoted as a "Disney Channel Original Movie" (after Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars) and is a co-production between Disney Channel, Family Channel, Unity Pictures of Vancouver and MarVista Entertainment in Los Angeles. In other countries, it was advertised as a Disney Channel Original Movie. It was planned to have its UK premiere on November 19, 2010, on Disney Channel UK, but was replaced with Starstruck, which had already been shown in May; it was later shown in December 2010 in the UK.

Plot
Abby Jensen has been planning her sweet sixteen since she was a little girl, and keeps a list of wishes that she wants to come true. When her sixteenth birthday finally arrives, she adds her crush Logan as her sixteenth and final wish to the list. Throughout the day, Abby is consistently visited by a peculiar woman named Celeste, who first appears as an exterminator when the Jensens' house is swarmed by a wasps’ nest that had been building up for 16 years. Celeste saves Abby's list, but the family is unable to return inside until the wasps are exterminated.

Abby meets her best friend, Jay Kepler at the bus stop where he gives her a necklace for a birthday gift. Celeste returns, dressed as a mailwoman, and gives Abby 16 candles and a matchbox. Abby lights the first candle and her first wish, meeting celebrity Joey Lockhart, is fulfilled. Realizing that the numbers of the candles correspond to the numbers of the wishes on her list, Abby lights the eighth candle, granting her wish for a car; when Celeste emerges from the car, Abby deduces that Celeste is a magical being. Celeste also arrives every time a wish is granted.

Abby unsuccessfully tries to fulfill her third wish. Celeste explains that there is a limit to how many wishes can be granted within an hour, and that at midnight, the wishes she made will become permanent. Throughout the day, Abby uses the candles to beat her rival Krista Cook, who has the same birthday as her, in a volleyball match, and become student body president.

Jay agrees to take Abby shopping for a dress for her party but drops his wallet. They are followed by Krista, who convinces the clerk to eject them. Abby uses the 9th candle to make a wish to be treated like an adult, creating consequences of adulthood that she did not previously consider; Abby is suddenly 22 years old and now overage for high school. None of her classmates remember her and she cannot live with her parents due to the festering of wasps in their home. She has an apartment, but the landlord is ready to evict her for nonpayment of rent. Abby makes a wish to decorate her room, and Celeste arrives and explains the candles grant her wishes literally as shown when her wish to be treated like an adult turned her into an adult.

Abby unsuccessfully tries to alter and add to her wish list. When she makes a wish for her parents to understand her, it is granted, but her parents only understand her under the impression that she is an adult. Finding Jay at Krista’s sweet sixteen, she manages to restore his memories of their friendship by showing him the necklace he gave her, but he remains unable to help her. After talking to Krista, Abby learns that the two are on good terms in adulthood, and that Jay wanted to be student body president.

Abby returns to her apartment, where she meets Celeste and laments her selfishness. Celeste reveals that, because the photo of Logan was attached to the list using chewed gum, it technically does not count and can be changed. Abby swaps out the photo for one of her taken that morning, and wishes to return to that morning right before midnight strikes.

With her life back to normal, Abby throws away her wish list and gives her money to her brother Mike for a guitar. Abby realizes that Krista dislikes her because she took Jay away from her as a friend. The two reconcile and work together to make Jay student body president, fulfilling his dream. At Abby and Krista’s joint birthday party, Krista and Logan become a couple, as do Jay and Abby. As all four dance in celebration, Celeste turns into a fairy and flies away.

Production
Some scenes were filmed at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, British Columbia.

Soundtrack
16 Wishes is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name, released on June 15, 2010, by MarVista Entertainment.

Reception
The movie garnered over 5.6 million viewers in its first showing. The film went on to become the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on Disney Channel. The Sunday airing of the film received over 4.0 million viewers.