Oklahoma Film “Wisher Maddox” Is Warm Holiday Viewing
Child actor Will Tate is catching the attention of Oklahoma moviegoers thanks to his notable performance in the newly released independent film Wisher Maddox (2023).
The 13-year-old Mustang native plays the fictional title role of Maddox, an 8-year-old orphan boy who discovers the ability to grant wishes to others but can’t grant any of his own.
When his sole wish to be adopted goes unanswered, Maddox is left to decide whether to help those he encounters or to selfishly withhold his ability out of contempt for not getting what he thinks he deserves.
“The character kind of became a part of me,” said Tate, who assumed the titular role on the heels of starring in previous films like American Underdog (2021) and A Thousand Tomorrows (2023). “I really liked doing it…Everything about it was just amazing.”
Tate joined several other young Oklahoma actors on the set of Wisher Maddox — including his on-screen best friend, Stephen, played by newcomer Jax Bridges of Lawton — to bring the 45-minute faith-based story to life on the silver screen.
Tate also shared the spotlight with more experienced actors like Edmond’s Christine Lanning, who played his orphanage teacher, Ms. Christy, as well as David Greyson, also of Edmond, who played Maddox’s 28-year-old adult counterpart in the script, which spans two decades of his life.
“I just really connected with the character and where he was at,” Greyson said about embodying Maddox’s ongoing battle with selfishness that he carries into adulthood. “How has this affected him, how has this jaded him to the world and how to convey 20 years of that struggle, that was kind of fun for me to play.”
Written and directed by Oklahoma’s own Dan Tibbs, Wisher Maddox premiered at the International Christian Film Festival in May 2023 and debuted to Tulsa audiences at the Circle Cinema Film Festival this July.
Tibbs, a video production instructor at Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton, released the new movie — his 25th motion-picture to date — under Option D Productions, a film company he created for his students to get more hands-on experience in the industry.
Tibbs’ longstanding experience of creative storytelling ultimately led him to draft a narrative that he felt addresses a common dilemma most people can relate with.
“I was going for that metaphor for prayer where sometimes you don’t get what you want but you get what you need,” Tibbs said. “And sometimes you can’t see the bigger picture because you want instant gratification now instead of trusting a better way that’s coming.”
Tate echoed Tibbs’ sentiment when asked about the film’s takeaway, adding: “Just be the bigger person and just always trust God.”
Circle Cinema Film Festival Director Kerry Wiens said she was pleased to see audiences resonate with that lesson, especially being portrayed by young local actors like Tate.
“They’re really good kids,” Wiens said. “When I saw it, it just had so much heart, and I was just so proud of it, a film like this being made in Oklahoma. It was one of our top-scoring films.”
Wisher Maddox, filmed in towns like Lawton and Indiahoma and at sites like Camp Y’Shua in the Wichita Mountains, joins the hundreds of projects being filmed in Oklahoma, complementing the state’s burgeoning film enterprise that continues to garner the attention of avid moviegoers.
“Whenever someone wants to watch one of the films we’re able to make and they enjoy it, it’s just a really good feeling,” Tibbs said. “And it’s a joy to screen a film for someone or for a group of people and you get to see their reactions.”
When asked what he wants viewers to take away from the film, Tate added, “I just hope they enjoy watching it, and I just hope they get moved by it.”
For more information about Wisher Maddox, visit optiondproductions.com.
Wisher Maddox Special Family Screening
Wisher Maddox is a family film that is perfect viewing for the holiday season.
Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave.
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024
5 p.m., film; 5:45 – 6 p.m., panel discussion with Dan Tibbs, director, and David Greyson, actor
Follow @tulsakidsmagazine on Facebook for a chance to win four tickets to the show.
Family Discussion Questions
It’s fun to see a film as a family and then discuss it together. Wisher Maddox would also be a good conversation starter for church youth groups, Sunday school classes, organizations or school groups.
Here are some questions to get you started:
- What kind of wishes are granted for young Maddox in the film?
- Why does this make him angry?
- What happened to the people Maddox wished for?
- Maddox’s wishes are prayers. What does that say about prayer?
- What change, if any, did Maddox go through in the film?
Art Haddaway is a journalist and photographer with over 20 years of experience covering a variety of topics for various publications and organizations. He is also the author of “Reflections of an Editor: Insights & Observations of a Small-town Newsman.”
