"In America" begins with Christy asking her little brother Frankie to grant her a wish, and it ends with the same thing. Christy's wishes are an important part of the film whether you believe that these wishes cause things to happen within the character's lives or not. Christy's first wish is to get her family over the border into America. When the family comes to the border and is speaking with the patrolman, they say …showed first 75 words of 447 total…

…showed last 75 words of 447 total…but instead in the interest of her family, which shows how much they mean to her. The fact she never wastes a wish also shows how wise she is for her age. I think that within the film, Christy's wishes really do have an impact on the course of events. Everything she wishes for happens, and whether it's Frankie looking out for her, or simply her willpower to see these things happen, it's all linked.