Gus Caldwell I left the theatre choked up and feeling warm and relishing in the emotions the movie took me through. The three of them go horseback riding and Emily asks him what his best gift is. As she battled tax scandal, family secrets, and class separation.. Easy come, easy go! Definitely a movie worth watching with friends, family or just by yourself. Consequently, some may find the plot contrived or even hackneyed. How exactly are Grand Daddy's cronies able to instantly turn very wealthy Jason into a penniless, property-less Jason? Emily a little girl with a rare form of cancer. If you want a good story about the redemption of a covetous, grasping old sinner, try - you guessed it - Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Watch and cry. On a scale of 1 to 10, The Ultimate Gift, rates a: In the end, he receives the inheritance but he has learned his lesson and some humility. The movie had something I did enjoy, which is the beautiful scenery it displayed although the plot is quite predictable, as you can guess from the start how some events were going to end, but the scenery and the shots will take you by storm. It is good to watch with friends and relatives. Although this is not true for everyone, this country is known for its high consumerism and stereotyped for being rude and greedy. "[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change? This Indian man has had a troubling past, along with saying he has a habit breaking other peoples hearts, but he has good friends and even knows a couple of store employees who let him use their stores bathroom. Giving his family everything they wanted. I encourage anyone taking the time to read my comments to seek out this film. I feel that the biggest strength in this film was the acting of Bill Cobbshe perfectly captured the essence of his character. The sequence of parallels just jumped out at me as I watched, and the more I watched it again, the more fascinating parallels I discovered. The novel begins in 1912 and follows the ups and downs of Ms. Winfields trials of raising her younger siblings over the next 11 years. The only thing was the theme, and of course a great story A+. Not all that bad to be honest. When Jason takes his girlfriend out for an expensive dinner and his credit card is denied he assumes, as any of us would, that there was a glitch. At first I was like ugh this is going to be a boring movie but after the first ten minutes i was in to it and i was amazed on how good the actors did and how good they expressed their emotions. Why did the whole town go to Emilys funeral in A Rose for Emily. This is a must see! Gone in the bat of an eye are all his cars, property, money etc. It deals with how a self-centered spoiled brat begins to learn the meaning of life and pass the various tests or obstacles that his grandfather has placed before him so that he can truly be a person of distinction. The script is just plain bad, the acting forced and the story itself has so many loose and downright silly threads in it- this was a waste of time. She accepted him as a friend for who he is, not the number of credit cards he has. IF this had been a movie with a christian message, the "young man" would have been obliged to do everything, to free the other prisoners: He had already knocked out one guard, he could have taken his weapon and he could have tried to free the other hostages (even if it would have cost his live, Jesus etc. The movie is just cheap (please read the other comments, I dont want to recall their critics), but more - it is also mendacious. That night, Jason is seen sitting on a bench in the park, when Alexia joins him. "The Ultimate Gift" is one of those movies that exists solely to reduce its audience to a quivering mass of throat lumps and tears while making them feel good about themselves and the world around them at the same time. James Garner is only on screen during Reds videotaped messages to his grandson, but the always excellent actor has a strong presence. Jasons first task? [12], The Ultimate Gift opened with receipts of $1.2 million on its first weekend, with final box office of $3.4 million. He decides to pay Alexia's rent. The story, which is based on Jim Stovall's novel of the same name, is manipulative (big surprise there), but is fairly engaging once it gets going. Another lesson at the expense of legalities? What is the moral lesson of at wars end by rony diaz? By the end of the film you are rooting for him to make good on his grandfathers hope for him. His trendy girlfriend, Caitlin, ditches him when his credit card is rejected at a fancy restaurant, and none of his friends are willing to give him a place to stay despite him having done so many favors for them in the past. The part that I had the most difficult time with was the death of Emily Rose. The script is very well written, except when Jason was sent to Ethiopia to help with the library, it seemed unwise and cruel for his grandfather to put Jason in danger among the drug dealers. Overall the plot and concept of the movie is sound with Christian principles without evangelizing the view. And even though hes struggled to forgive his grandfather for a plane crash that killed his father (near that village), a friend of Reds tells Jason, He had one desire and one desire alone: To ask your forgiveness.. Anyway, we know what's going to happen from the moment that Jason arrives late for his grandfather's funeral. No anger, no sense of accomplishment both in the fence post work but also in the lesson he was learning. All in all, the cast was great, the acting was great, the script waswell, it could have been easier to understand and it was good, and the directing could have been better but I suggest that everyone sees it. Secondly, how refreshing to watch an entire film without having to suffer through the extremely unnecessary gratuitous sex scenes. "[10] Joe Leydon of Variety magazine was favorably impressed and noted that "discussions of faith and God are fleeting, almost subliminal without stinting on the celebration of wholesome family values. Having Jason kidnapped and almost killed didn't really fit in with the overall story, and the extreme rudeness of the family at Thanksgiving was overdone, so I would give a few demerits for this. Some of his deliveries are so terrible, they are hilarious. They never mention it again and it took up way too much of the movie to be so irrelevant. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to work for anything in his life. Jason aided Emily find her seamless day in the movie. If I threw these all in a basket like they use to pick Bingo tiles, the sequence might get jumbled a little, but as the movie played out, it seemed almost like the moments were drawn out just like the Bingo basket. The film falters most seriously, however, when it strays from the expected path. They fly into Houston and go to Bill's ranch. It's very obvious they filmed all of James Garner's scenes in a day, but he and his lawyer friends are the best acted characters in the movie. Not the best Christian film, but definitely not the worst. Red's attorney and friend, Mr. Hamilton, and his secretary, Miss Hastings, attempt to guide Jason along the path his grandfather wishes him to travel. The means of getting from point A to point B appear in the form of Abigail Breslin as Emily Rose, a tough little girl who is dying of leukemia. The best scenes of the film involve Abigail Breslin (so dynamic in "Little Miss Sunshine") as a dying girl who is very concerned about leaving her mother alone in the world. In the end, Jason chooses to build a hospital called Emily's Home, before Emily died. Education is a lifelong journey whose destination expands as you travel The gift of problems. How much better to gather backing in order to deliver a positive message about living purposefully and using Gods good gifts to serve others needs, than to shun such ties and deliver the opposite. It stars Drew Fuller, Ali Hillis, Bill Cobbs, Abigail Breslin, Brian Dennehy, and James Garner in his final live action film appearance. Twelve tasks, which Red calls "gifts," each challenging Jason in an improbable way, the accumulation of which would change him forever. Jason Stevens hasn't worked a day in his life and just expects to have life fed to him a a silver platter. A deceased billionaire leaves his spoiled adult grandson a series of odd tasks to perform in order to receive "the ultimate gift," with the resentful grandson having no idea what that might be. Start a grassroots campaign and let people know that these films exist. The "gifts" work for Jason and he becomes a caring person who appreciates the value of hard work, and giving back to society. I can't wait to own this one on DVD and I'll be giving copies as gifts to all my friends and family. There is a large gathering for the reading of the will, and all are disappointed because the sons and daughters are money-grubbing selfish people. Some things were unexpected even if the ultimate ending wasn't that much of a surprise - one of the main clues lacked subtlety. There is an incredible amount of value in this message and it is something people of all ages can learn from. I didn't find it "preachy" at all; it's as compelling as any other story in which a character learns life lessons. The ultimate flaw this film suffers, in my opinion, is that it is completely reflective of the evangelistic Christian mindset. In the end good potential does not carry the day. I love a good romance story. Each (12) gifts or lessons comes with its specific instructions and Mr. Hamilton's critiques so Jason has to pass each gift or lesson before he is advanced to the next one until he reaches the "The Ultimate Gift". It was such a beautiful and heart worming story and Fuller and Breslin are fantastic together. I really want in the mod for his kind of movie today but i got to say : It's been a long time since i didn't have this kind of greater cinema experience, and thank god for this movie! The viewer has the distinct impression that these will either make Jason or break Jason. In an intense sequence, Jason is manhandled and blindfolded by them, and he thinks he is going to be killed. Everyone I've mentioned it to has not heard of it. In an escape, Jason hits one of the thugs. Such a good movie. When I urge those to seek it out, they have never heard of the film. It proves a great movie does not need to involve violence and sex Plus, it makes you appreciate all the gifts you've got in your life. 4.Made me sad. Take your family. It is difficult to feel any sympathy for someone who has had everything handed to them. Even the one genuine performance was lost in this disjointed production. That life is not how to spend it but how you live it. Our family has watched this movie at least 7 times. Will Jason tire of the time-consuming and dangerous tasks and quit? When he meets the leukemic girl Emily (Abigail Breslin) and her mother Alexia (Ali Hillis), Jason changes his perspective of life and money, superseding the expectations of Red, improving and becoming a better man and receiving the ultimate gift from his wise grandfather. Having unworthy children with the exception of a son, who died in a plane crash, Garner decides to put that son's son, also selfish, through a series of tests to show him what life is really all about. My advice would be to skip this flick if you want to see something interesting and thought-provoking. Drew Fuller, who played the Jason Stevens character, was actually raised in a wealthy Orange County town located in California so he convincingly exudes the true spirit of a wealthy and privileged twenty-something single man. No, there's no gore, sex twists or terrorist plotsjust a story that anyone who's ever been part of a family will not only want to see but tell others about. There is a lot more to the film than the grinches might think! This film is a rewarding treat that everyone should see. As Jason works through these twelve gifts in twelve months he comes to see Red Stevens as more than a dead billionaire. I was truly moved and truly inspired by this story. I did better editing when I was 15, and that was with film, by hand! The movie began with the funeral of Red Stevens a very wealthy and successful entrepreneur. Jason gave the money to Emily to pay for her rent.. Jason gave books to the Library. He is the last hope in the family. Themen through a. Hamilton at the first of every month to receive an element. Gus uses an electric cattle prod to motivate Jason to get out of bed. Is it obvious that this movie has faith-based messages? I picked this film up as a new video release not realizing that it was from the Fox Faith Collection a Christian film. Avoid at all costs.we finally found something that makes Patch Adams look like a deep work of art! Well, this was a surprise. The supporting cast made the movie bearable, especially Abigail Breslin. It went from a big city to a ranch in Texas to a park bench to a children's ward in a hospital to the jungles.Wow, this movie was so involved and I never knew where it was going to take me next!!! 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