Rating: 5/5

Three-Word Summary: Wish captivates community

Full disclosure: I currently work for the Make-A-Wish chapter in Georgia. However, I watched this documentary on my own time and don’t actually know anyone who appears in the film. My loss.

That just means I know more about the Make-A-Wish organization than the average person. Thankfully, the average person is know coming to know more about the nonprofit because of this inspiring wish and the subsequent documentary.

Because of my job, I know how much work and dedication that goes into each of the thousands of wishes that we grant each year. Although special attention is payed to each sick child, sometimes there are those experiences that are just a little more captivating and engaging.

The Batkid wish is perhaps the best example. It was so moving precisely because it successfully executed what every wish tries to achieve: motivating a community to rally behind their own youth. That’s when the real magic happens.

It was amazing to see all of the effort and drive that went into making Miles’ wish come true. It was even more amazing to see the overwhelming response from the San Francisco community and beyond.

Anyone watching the documentary could tell that Miles enjoyed his unique wish experience. But I don’t think he’ll fully realize the magnitude of that day and the sheer size of that wish until he is much older.

Thankfully, the entire experience was captured beautifully in Batkid Begins. For now, it explains to the country what Make-A-Wish does. But in the future, it will act as a reminder to Miles and his family for what Make-A-Wish did. And it’s thanks to some incredible people in San Francisco that Miles is more likely to have a future.

That might be a little overly sentimental, but it’s hard not to be when you see a film like this. They call them feel-good stories for a reason. Try to watch this and not get goosebumps. Or tears. It’s emotional.