The Ultimate Gift (2007)

32% of critics liked it
(59 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(38,887 ratings)

Filmmaker Michael O. Sajbel explores the relationship between wealth and happiness with this spiritual-minded tale about a privileged young man who receives a most unexpected inheritance. Adapted from the best-selling book by author Jim Stovall, The Ultimate Gift opens as trust-fund baby Jason… More Filmmaker Michael O. Sajbel explores the relationship between wealth and happiness with this spiritual-minded tale about a privileged young man who receives a most unexpected inheritance. Adapted from the best-selling book by author Jim Stovall, The Ultimate Gift opens as trust-fund baby Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) prepares to receive a sizable inheritance from his late grandfather Red (James Garner). Though Jason is convinced that the money is about to come flowing in, he receives a sudden shock upon discovering that Red has instead decided to offer him something much more valuable than simple cash. Realizing that his spoiled grandson has lived a sheltered life in which he has always been handed the very best of everything, Red has devised a crash course in living comprised of 12 gifts that will challenge the arrogant young man in ways that he could never have imagined nor anticipated. In the weeks that follow, Jason will befriend a terminally ill child (Abigail Breslin) and her grief-stricken mother (Ali Hillis) while attempting to determine whether it is money or happiness that truly matters in life. Brian Dennehy and Lee Meriwether co-star in an uplifting drama from the director of The Ride and One Night with the King. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By: Michael O. Sajbel
Written By: Cheryl McKay
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Oct 20, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Aug 21, 2007
Studio: Fox Faith

Critic Reviews

Lou Lumenick, New York Post
This new film moves along smoothly until Grandpa's most preposterous mission - which needlessly drags out the movie -- takes Jason to a severely caricatured Ecuador.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I think urban sophisticates can be people of faith who want to see movies, occasionally, that don't have the four-letter words, and I do embrace religion, but I think they have to be better than this.
, Boston Globe
Christian charity, in this movie, seems like a side-effect of capitalism.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
[James] Garner is good, and so is Brian Dennehy as a crusty ranch owner; Abigail Breslin, playing a leukemia patient, demonstrates that she was not a one-note wonder in Little Miss Sunshine.
Gregory Kirschling, Entertainment Weekly
The Ultimate Gift is kind of like a feel-good Saw for churchgoers, minus the sadistic games of death.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Reeking of self-righteousness and moral reprimand, The Ultimate Gift is a hairball of good-for-you filmmaking.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Spoiled, vapid rich boy gets religion.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
The Ultimate Gift will put you in a diabetic coma.
David Cornelius, DVDTalk.com
It's Self-Help: The Movie, and it stinks to high heaven.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
Wholesome, family-oriented fare for those interested in instilling old-fashioned values in their kids. A modern morality play which effectively delivers the salient message that much is expected of those fortunate enough to have been born blessed.
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
I haven't even read the book, and I know it has to be better than the movie.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A parabolic film about one selfish young man's spiritual transformation.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
The film squeaks by on a combination of reliable old pros...and appealing newcomers...
Toddy Burton, Austin Chronicle
The result is a deep desire for those Hollywood execs to remember that Christian doesn't have to equal brain-dead.
Annlee Ellingson, Boxoffice Magazine
Veterans Garner and Brian Dennehy give convincing professional performances here, but Fuller is bland.
Erin Clements, Time Out New York
If you missed the money-isn't-everything message, an end-credits recap outlines the story's salient points -- if you'd known, you could've skipped the rest.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
Pretty much what one would expect: a sincere story of redemption delivered with all the low-key execution of one of those Hallmark-backed TV movies of the week.
Susan Granger, www.susangranger.com
Wholesome and inspirational, it preaches a simplistic "prosperity gospel."

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

John M

Heartwarming, Heartbreaking, tender and tough. This is a movie worth watching by anyone of any age. There truly is more to life than money.
Alexander D

I vaguely remember seeing this, and it wasn't anything new. Just a typical family movie: cute kid, one parent gone, family issue, parent and other main character hook up. That's the gist of it. Sound familiar?
Cynthia S

Wonderful wholesome movie that grabs at your heart strings. The little girl Abigail Breslin (Emily Rose) is such a joy to watch. She has so much spunk, and talent, for such a young girl. The movie overall was great from beginning to end. I suggest you have a tissue box next to you… More
Wonderful wholesome movie that grabs at your heart strings. The little girl Abigail Breslin (Emily Rose) is such a joy to watch. She has so much spunk, and talent, for such a young girl. The movie overall was great from beginning to end. I suggest you have a tissue box next to you when watching, though...definitely a tearjerker.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Drew Fuller, Abigal Breslin, Ali Hillis, James Garner, Brian Dennehy, Bill Cobbs, Lee Meriwether When his wealthy grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens anticipates a big inheritance. Instead, his grandfather has devised a crash course on life with 12 tasks--or… More
Drew Fuller, Abigal Breslin, Ali Hillis, James Garner, Brian Dennehy, Bill Cobbs, Lee Meriwether When his wealthy grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens anticipates a big inheritance. Instead, his grandfather has devised a crash course on life with 12 tasks--or "gifts"--designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways, sending him on a journey of self-discovery and forcing him to determine what is most important in life: money or happiness. A great film about love, laughter, and grief. What life is all about really. A fun and sweet story with really great characters played very strongly by the actors. Got very caught up in the story very quickly. It's amazing when Hollywood puts out a clean movie that is not only good but also with great performances that keep you entertained. You feel for these characters because some of the story has affected one of us at one time in our lives or we know someone else who has dealt with it. So its very easy to connect with them. A great movie for the entire family. Not a lot of those out there unless they are animated or Disney related. But this one would be good for everyone. Probably could learn a lot from this film. Drew Fuller was great. Good seeing him doing something that he has a lead in so he can show how talented he is and that he has range. The acting from Abigal Breslin was amazing. Such a talented young girl who will go far in this business. I really liked Ali Hillis in this movie too. Thought she gave a great performance. This movie is going to have you laughing at one moment and then crying the next. A must see...
Leigh R

Really cute.
Bruce B

Fox Family Movies Never Get A Fair Chance in The Movie Theathers, Wonder why I didn't hear about this one. Its one of the better movies you will see, Right Next to Auguest Rush. Get it and Get it Now
Douglas W C

This was a wonderful movie! It may have had a predictable ending (like 99 % of movies due) but it was a emotional ride to get there.
Craig S

Directed by: Michael O. Sajbel. Starring: Drew Fuller, Abigail Breslin, Ali Hillis, James Garner. I had hoped for brilliance out of this, I had read viewers reviews and felt I should watch it, but I also… More
Directed by: Michael O. Sajbel. Starring: Drew Fuller, Abigail Breslin, Ali Hillis, James Garner. I had hoped for brilliance out of this, I had read viewers reviews and felt I should watch it, but I also decided to read the critics reviews and get an idea on what they didn't like about it....I am going to have to go with the critics on this one, but only their ratings, not their reasons, because I have my own reason I didn't like this film. The story follows trust fund baby Jason Stevens, a self-righteous man with little morals. When his wealthy grandfather passes, he thought he was entitled to a large sum of money, instead he is given tasks, to help him see the differences between wealth and happiness and meets some inspirational people along the way. I could turn around and say here that this film has 'formula' written all over it, but that isn't the problem. What I will say first is that the film has great intentions. Aside from the formulaic structure, it works by being sweet, sincere and inspirational in its message and with some inventive direction by Michael O. Sajbel, everything should be great....it isn't. The good intentions are killed by a lack of cohesive storytelling. The sincere scenes come along, but in small parts. We are put through a slow pacing which isn't overly bad, but the writer made a mistake. It isn't the many unnecessary settings for such a film, but the different jumps in genre and too many ideas that ruin the film and when the ending can't avoid contradicting its message, even with the layer of sweetness smeared on the top, it ultimately ruined it for me. The acting was really great though. Aside from Drew Fuller, who comes across as forced and with little believability, the rest shine. Abigail Breslin continues to show major potential, she plays the role beyond her years with such sweetness and understanding, she is sure to be a leading actress in years to come. Ali Hillis is also a reasonably new newcomer to feature films and her presence is full of spirit....and there is chemistry between her and Drew Fuller for us to enjoy. I hate the fact that my opinion is like this, because this film had the biggest potential to be amazing, but it gets killed by too many factors. A film with such a great heart and good intentions, but it gets killed by too many ideas, which makes for a lack of cohesive storytelling around the few sincere and heartfelt scenes....and an ending that contradicts itself without realizing, even if the message is bought across. I am just glad it didn't take the Christian elements any further. A disappointment, and I hate to say that.
Panta O

[b][color=brown][size=5]THE ULTIMATE GIFT (2007)[/size][/color] [i][img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/37/1024337.jpg[/img] [/i][color=orange][i]Sa smrcu bogatog industrijalca, okuplja se cela familija da bi podelili bogatstvo koje je on godinama sticao… More
[b][color=brown][size=5]THE ULTIMATE GIFT (2007)[/size][/color] [i][img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/37/1024337.jpg[/img] [/i][color=orange][i]Sa smrcu bogatog industrijalca, okuplja se cela familija da bi podelili bogatstvo koje je on godinama sticao teskim radom. Vecina clanova familije nije nikada radial ili uspela da ista zaradi, pa je podelom svako ocekivao veci deo… [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1173966/photo_09.jpg[/img] Ali, najveci deo je ostao po strain, s time sto je unuku, koji nije mnogo postigao u zivotu, ostavljeno da uradi vise zadataka koje ga na kraju vode do cilja: savrsenog poklona. [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1173966/photo_10.jpg[/img] Ovo je lepa prica posle koje svako ponesto nauci ili bar sebe natera na razmisljanje o zivotu i odnosu prema odredjenim aspektima istoga. Veoma lep izbor glumaca, a sigurna reziserska palica i veoma solidan scenario sun am u ovome filmu dali estetski dozivljaj sa kojim svako na kraju izadje sa osmehom na licu. Mnogi misle da je previse 'sladunjav', a;i to ostavljam da svako od vas oceni. Ovaj film je zaradio samo nesto malo vise od 3 miliona dolara, sto je za mene bilo iznenadjenje kada je prethodni film o kojem sam pisao zaradio deset puta vise... to samo govori o ukusu danasnje publike. [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1173966/photo_07.jpg[/img] Preporucio bih ovaj film posebno onima koji imaju sanse da u bioskop idu zajedno sa svojim tinejdzerima! Bice tu razgovora posle filma, to vam garantujem. Da ne zaboravim i veoma dobru glumu Drew Fuller, James Garner-a, Ali Hillis i Abigail Breslin u solidnoj reziji Michael O. Sajbel-a. Nekako sam mogao predspostaviti da je scenario pisala zena - Cheryl McKay, ali ja se ne zalim na 'happy ending'... naprotiv! [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1173966/photo_06.jpg[/img] Od mene ovoga puta, sa osmehom na licu 7/10[/i][/color][/b] [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1173966/photo_04.jpg[/img]
Yinalí R

It's nice.
Erin C

A little too cutesy. It was a sweet story, but it felt really fake for the most part.
Sarah P

It has a good moral, but it was boring and predictable. Seemed more like an after-school special...
Wu C

A nice tale about soul searching and personal growth.
Moe E

Not quite "The Ultimate Gift" that I was expecting, but an enjoyable family film with a good lesson on values and taking responsibility. Better have plenty of tissues handy...KJE was boo hooing through nearly half the movie. Another fine performance from Abigail Breslin with… More
Not quite "The Ultimate Gift" that I was expecting, but an enjoyable family film with a good lesson on values and taking responsibility. Better have plenty of tissues handy...KJE was boo hooing through nearly half the movie. Another fine performance from Abigail Breslin with strong support from Bill Cobbs and Brian Dennehy.
Sunil J

A little too soaked in wholesome family goodness but Abigail Breslin is always adorable.