Film

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

1995 · 2h · TV Movie

IMDb

7.3

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.

Eva LaRue

Annette Funicello

Len Cariou

Walt Disney

Frank Crudele

Joe Funicello

Rob Stewart

Jack Gilardi

David Lipper

Paul Anka

Don S. Davis

Glen Holt

Louis Ferreira

Young Frankie Avalon

Andrea Nemeth

Annette Funicello (age 12-15)

Frankie Avalon

Self

Annette Funicello

Self

Linda Lavin

Virginia Funicello

Ahnee Boyce

Gina Portman

Austin Basile

Jack Gilardi Jr.

Jay Brazeau

Uncle Pete

Victoria Brooks

Jill

Stephania Ciccone

Grandma Albano

• Bill CorcoranDirector
• Ron FrenchProducer
• Stanley M. BrooksExecutive Producer
• Jan KiesserDirector of Photography
• George BlondheimOriginal Music Composer
• George ApplebyEditor
• Ellen Lubin SanitskyCasting

Release date

October 22, 1995

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

2h

Genres

TV Movie