A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story

120 mins | Oct. 22, 1995

This highly-rated television film covers the life of American movie/TV/pop music idol Annette Funicello. The movie starts with the move of her family from New York to California, where in 1955 shy Annette becomes one of the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. The movie covers her child stardom, her teen idol years, her singing career with big hits like "Tall Paul", her romance with Paul Anka, her classic beach party films with Frankie Avalon, and her first marriage. It also shows her large comeback in the late 1980s and her second marriage, and the day when she found out she had multiple sclerosis.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story

120 mins | Oct. 22, 1995

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story
This highly-rated television film covers the life of American movie/TV/pop music idol Annette Funicello. The movie starts with the move of her family from New York to California, where in 1955 shy Annette becomes one of the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. The movie covers her child stardom, her teen idol years, her singing career with big hits like "Tall Paul", her romance with Paul Anka, her classic beach party films with Frankie Avalon, and her first marriage. It also shows her large comeback in the late 1980s and her second marriage, and the day when she found out she had multiple sclerosis.
IMDb rating 7.2
Producers Fireworks Entertainment, Cactus Pictures
Original title A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story
Directors Richard Flower, Julia Done, Bill Corcoran
Writers Patricia Romanowski, Pj Torokvei, John McGreevey, Annette Funicello

Cast

Eva LaRue

as Annette Funicello

Len Cariou

as Walt Disney

Frank Crudele

as Joe Funicello

Rob Stewart

as Jack Gilardi

David Lipper

as Paul Anka

Don S. Davis

as Glen Holt

Louis Ferreira

as Young Frankie Avalon

Andrea Nemeth

as Annette Funicello (age 12-15)

Frankie Avalon

as Self

Linda Lavin

as Virginia Funicello

Ahnee Boyce

as Gina Portman

Austin Basile

as Jack Gilardi Jr.

Jay Brazeau

as Uncle Pete

Victoria Brooks

as Jill

Stephania Ciccone

as Grandma Albano

Demetri Goritsas

as Jimmie Dodd

Elysa Hogg

as Annette Funicello (age 4)

Gary Jones

as Production Assistant

Lorraine Landry

as Young Shelley Fabares

Hrothgar Mathews

as Plastic Surgeon

Alexandra Purvis

as Heather

Claire Riley

as Neurologist

Suzanne Ristic

as Aunt Irene

Greg Rogers

as Al Gilbert

Nina Roman

as Fortune Teller

Domenico Sansalone

as Young Joey

Michelle Skalnik

as Cissy

Blair Slater

as Jason Gilardi

Kavan Smith

as Young Dick Clark

George Touliatos

as Grandpa Albano

Scott Augustine

as Mouseketeer

Kim Bailey

as Mouseketeer

Talia Derksen

as Mouseketeer

Laura Jenkins

as Mouseketeer

Ben Newcombe

as Mouseketeer

Kelli Stewart

as Mouseketeer

Rene Tardle

as Mouseketeer

Kimberly Wallace

as Mouseketeer

Joe Funicello

as Self

Glen Holt

as Self

Gina Portman

as Self

John Portman

as Self

Jason Gilardi

as Self

Jack Gilardi

as Self

Dick Clark

as Self (uncredited)

Shelley Fabares

as Self (uncredited)