Jerry is having the worst Christmas season ever. When he loses his job as a newspaper film critic for panning a blockbuster film that was made by his boss's son - he's not sure he can survive the holidays. In an effort to cheer him up, his girlfriend gives him an old lamp that just happens to contain a genie - who grants Jerry five wishes. As each wish takes him farther and farther into disaster - Jerry begins to worry that the odd number of wishes might come back to haunt him in the end.