April 07, 2025

How to be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days

Air Date

October 8th, 1984 as the second episode of the Wonderworks series on PBS

Directed by

Joan Micklin Silver

Teleplay by

Bruce Harmon

Based on the book by

Stephen Manes

Starring

Ilan Mitchell Smith

Wallace Shawn

Hermione Gingold

Trivia

The full version is 60 minutes. The cut often played in schools is 30 minutes. The VHS tape contains the film in its entirety.

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An absent-minded, accident-prone boy named Milo Crimpley (Ilan Mitchell Smith) finds himself constantly in trouble. One day, he sees an advertisement for Doctor Pinkerton Silverfish (Wallace Shawn), who claims he can make a person perfect in just three days.

After accidentally wrecking his brother's (Lenny Von Dohlen) car, Milo decides to visit the doctor. The eccentric Silverfish does not hide his hesitance to accept the boy as a client but eventually gives him a cassette containing the first of three lessons. On day one, Milo must wear a stalk of broccoli around his neck. On day two, he mustn't eat anything. On day three, he must do something he's never done before.

On the third day, after accomplishing the other two tasks, Milo accompanies his friend Jenny (Sarah Boyd) to a kite-flying contest. Milo encounters a man selling balloons, Dr. Silverfish in disguise, who gives him the idea to make a floating chair. Milo does so, drawing everyone's attention to the contest. The judges award him first place: $250. This act doubles as his final task.

Once home, Milo gives the money to his brother to help repair the car. Believing himself cured, Milo and Jenny decide to have a celebration. When Milo falls and ruins the table setting, he returns to Doctor Silverfish's office, only to find it vacant. Back home, he discovers a coconut outside his door containing the final cassette tape. On the cassette, Doctor Silverfish reveals that no one can be perfect, and who would want to be anyway? Milo is fine as he is. It's more fun to make mistakes.

Mr. Von Dohlen portrays Milo's older brother Eric. When Eric first appears, he's in the midst of a phone call with a couple who express an interest in buying his car. He wishes to sell it to raise money to travel to Europe.

Eric cleans the car before the couple arrives. When he goes inside to take a phone call, Milo resumes cleaning. Milo eventually tries to reverse the car, only to drive it through the garage. Eric rushes outside and is devastated. He later asks his mother for money to repair the car.

As an apology for yelling at Milo, Eric makes his brother tacos, his favorite meal, but Milo can't eat them because Doctor Silverfish told him to not eat that day. Frustrated, Eric asks him why he won't eat, but Milo won't say.

In the final moments, Eric is happy to find the money Milo gave him and tells his brother he'll teach him to drive when he returns from his trip. Just as he says this, a crash is heard offscreen, which we can only assume is caused by Milo. The film ends with Eric saying, "On second thought...."

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How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days is not streaming on any platform other than YouTube. It is available on VHS.