Wish I Was Here

Wish I Was Here follows Aidan Bloom, a thirty-something actor who is juggling a messy life as a husband, father, and struggling performer. He and his wife are cash-strapped, their dreams dimming as daily bills stack up. In childhood he fantasized about becoming a heroic space knight; today that spark pops up as a touchstone for his kids. When his aging father can no longer pay for private school and the local public system is faltering, Aidan makes a bold, if fraught, choice to homeschool his two children. Through unscripted lessons about life and love, he confronts the gaps between who he is and who he wants to be, and discovers parts of himself he had tucked away long ago.

Directed by Zach Braff from an original script by Braff and Adam J. Braff, Wish I Was Here is a 2014 indie drama about family, work, and memory. The cast includes Braff, Kate Hudson, Joey King, and Mandy Patinkin, and it reflects Braff's personal, life shaped approach to storytelling today.

Worldwide gross was about 5.48 million, roughly matching its 5.5 million budget, marking a modest commercial performance for an indie title with a star driven cast that found some audiences in limited release.

Wish I Was Here did not spark a global cultural moment, but it carries Braff's signature blend of humor and sentiment about family life. Some scenes echo his earlier work, and it earned a small but devoted following among viewers who enjoy intimate, imperfect portraits of modern parents, and it invites reflection on life choices.

Critics offered a mixed reception, praising the performances and its candid take on parenting pressures, while noting moments of sentimentality. The film weighs art against family duties, aging, and the search for meaning in ordinary life. On IMDb the vote average sits around 6.5 from hundreds of ratings, seen by fans of intimate character driven dramas.