There was nothing objectionable that I remember. Jason ends up finding Alexia's purse in the park, and upon returning the purse he finds out that Emily has cancer. (United States). and the right-wing paternal-guidance aspect. Uplifting and positive, though sometimes predictable, The Ultimate Gift is the story of how one young man learns to live his life in a valuable, unselfish way. What irritates me the most is the lack of sympathy for any character; whilst main character is a boring playboy, his "masters" are all very confident and look like playing games all the time. McKay gives it a freshness by presenting each gift Jason takes on in an episodic manner,which allows the boiled Melodrama to be mixed in with sweet comedy that keeps the flow smooth,as Jason gets caught up in guerrilla warfare! It was truly inspiring, heartfelt, moving, emotional, and clean. But, this movie had a good story, light romance, intriguing (could NOT necessarily guess what was next). After the groundbreaking for Emily's Home, Jason is recalled to the law firm for one more meeting and told he has exceeded the expectations of his dead grandfather, and he is given the final gift of $2-billion dollars, rewarding Jason not only for his completing the tasks, but for using the $100-million to help others. It was released on March 9, 2007 in the United States and Canada. They're all this way. The story revolves around Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) and the tasks he must complete to receive the inheritance of his grandfather, Red Stevens. Overall the plot and concept of the movie is sound with Christian principles without evangelizing the view. Their content is more balanced, with solid story lines exploring each character's mental and spiritual health and wellbeing. This may be why she kept their bodies around after they died to preserve the environment she had grown accustomed to and alleviate her loneliness. Jason and Alexia spend time together in the chapel where a priest is briefly visible kneeling in prayer. He first goes to Texas where he works on his grandfather's friend Gus Caldwell's ranch for a month, learning what hard work is. Thats what makes learning a gift). This is my sleeper pick of the season! The acting of Abigail Breslin is yet again incredible, I think even better then Little Miss Sunshine, she completely steals the show. Here is a video from the movie the ultimate gift. Whoever edited the video didn't have a clue what he was doing! Life is about love. This movie is not terribly made, it has a substantial budget and perfectly good sets and camera work. How do the various secondary characters -- his materialistic mother, the "bum" who steals in the park, the "amigo" in Ecuador -- help Jason learn his lesson? It is profound and interesting storytelling. A very unlikable young man is awakened by his boss using a cattle prod, left without resources to fend for himself on the streets, and is captured, beaten, and threatened with death by drunken drug dealers. There are a lot of similarities in families that do not have money. Her dialog was too mature and too adult-like, totally unnatural to play as an underage sick kid. This is a faith based film (not that there is anything wrong with that) where Grand Daddy (James Garner) has a postmortem plan to make a mensch of his long estranged, errant young adult playboy grandson. Along the way, he befriends a little girl suffering from leukemia and her mother; again, even though their friendship gets off to a rocky start, they overcome these obstacles to become a part of each others lives, as expected. The story teaches a lesson all by itself. It wasn't until the end of this film that I worked out why - this film is a pseudo-Christian production trying to push a religious message in the guise of a heartwarming story. I commend the author, producer, actors, etc., on this movie. Jason dream was Emily's home. I gave this movie a 9 because as much as I did enjoy it there were a few things that didn't completely make sense. The story talks about this Indian man, known as Jackson Jackson, goes on this quest to redeem his grandmothers regalia back from this pawn shop employee who would give it to him for $999. that seem as if they belong to a soap opera, not a family film. Obviously, he has lots of lessons to learn. But having seen quite a few "Christian" movies I guess my review isn't much of a surprise to me. And what a great investment that living room sofa for the night would have been! Along the way Jason encounters work-ethic Gus (Brian Dennehy), a little girl Emily dying from leukemia (Abigail Breslin) whose sharp wit and tongue manifest wisdom that leads to the bonding of Jason and Emily's mother Alexia (Ali Hillis), and host of other character actors in the various parts of the world where Jason's journey takes him. Later I found out that he was just being polite. They do a fine job of avoiding the pitfalls that could make them sappy. As did Emily's incessant lecturing to Jason vis a vis: This is how your love life is going to be.DO YOU HEAR ME JASON.DO YOU HEAR ME? Oh, and the butterfly at the end of the movie was a wonderful, special touch! As I was watching Jason learn from the "gifts" that his grandfather was giving him, I couldn't help but think of my own father, who is wise and gentle and generous and loving. See our. The Ultimate Gift Analysis. What was the lesson Jason told Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Hastings that he learned through this experience? And just in case you somehow managed to miss the message that they have been pounding into your skull for nigh unto two full hours at this point, the filmmakers thoughtfully provide a recap of each of Jason's "gifts" as part of the closing credits. The scene changes are so Klutzy, they are annoying! There were both overtly religious parts (a statue of Jesus, etc.) After the family patriarch named Howard "Red" Stevens dies, the Stevens family are convened together by Mr. Hamilton, who is his lawyer, and his secretary named Mrs. Hastings. Why were Alexia and Emily at the funeral of Red Stevens in The Ultimate Gift? They went to Texas and Emily said it was the perfect day another gift. With the October Horror Challenge on IMDb's Horror board having recently ended,I mentioned to a friend about how impressed I was with Abigail Breslin performance in Haunter,and that I've recently enjoyed watching her in Little Miss Sunshine again recently.Happily catching me by surprise,they revealed that they had recently picked up a lesser-known Breslin movie,which led to me unwrapping the gift. Red instead devised a plan for Jason to experience a crash course on life. Based on the best-selling book "The Ultimate Gift" by Jim Stovall, the story sends trust fund baby Jason Stevens on an improbable journey of discovery, having to answer the ultimate question: "What is the relationship between wealth and happiness?" Jason had a very simple relationship with his impossibly wealthy Grandfather, Howard "Red" Stevens. I picked this film up as a new video release not realizing that it was from the Fox Faith Collection a Christian film. What an awesome world we would have if we just took to heart half of the messages in the book/movie. Jason asks her, What do you think [heaven] is going to be like? Emily responds, Butterflies. Jason, a reckless young man sets in pursuit for the ultimate gift which his late grandfather had promised in his will. COVID-19 Grief Guide; Mourner's Bill of Rights; Grieving Alone and Together Booklet; Atravesar el Duelo . They are repeated, named, and illustrated with film clips. Christian references that were never explained in context, but just enough to get the "Fox Faith" production approval. As Mark Urman of film distribution company ThinkFilms told the Los Angeles Times, While there has always been a great deal of philanthropy in the film business, this is a new iteration: relatively inexperienced people entrenched in another part of the industry making accomplished feature films. Not at all. When Jason met Alexia and her daughter, Rose, he gained the gift of friendship. Firstly, there was nothing religious in it at all except for a mention of a church near the very end. My wife and I saw the movie last night. 10+. Her death may be very upsetting to kids. When a possible 'future' bequest is mentioned Jason's curiosity takes hold long enough to take first class seat (at least he thought it was first class) to Texas to pick up the secret $$$$$$ bequest. I cannot believe some of the critical comments here. It's not rocket science. I'd happily watch it again. You want to know the answers to these questions. Giving dysfunctional families everywhere an example of what can happen, Garner's family bickers and threatens lawsuits over his will and what they perceive as shortchanging of their fair share. You've got to see this movie! It had challenges, both sweet and sad moments, intense moments, and a little bit of romance. The ultimate flaw this film suffers, in my opinion, is that it is completely reflective of the evangelistic Christian mindset. For his reckless and selfish grandson Jason Stevens, who hated him, Red assigns twelve apparently simple tasks called "gifts" - of work, money, friends, learning, problems, family, laughter, dreams, giving, gratitude, a day and love - challenging the playboy Jason to a journey of discoveries. Her mother's name was Alexia, and Jason began to date Alexia, with a little help from Emily of course. Drew Fuller was superb as someone you want to hate but end up liking. Powerful Stories About Martin Luther King Jr. Festive Lunar New Year Activities for Kids and Teens, Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings. Not all, but a lot of people born to wealth never really appreciate what it is to earn and strive. Brian Wright Copyright 2008. The part that I had the most difficult time with was the death of Emily Rose. It was lent to me by a friend who knew that I would be home for a week following surgery. Jason looks right of Hamilton, but Miss Hastings is left of Hamilton, meaning Jason has asked his question to an empty chair and a blank wall. Danielle Steels No Greater Love depicts the story of a family torn apart by the tragic sinking of the Titanic, centralizing on the eldest daughter, Edwina Winfield. Ground rules for the gift are. Emily dies the next day in the hospital of her cancer. we ended up with twelve. However, Jason soon realizes that the old man is trying to teach him not only how to be a successful businessman, but also a good person. ISBN- 9781589193574. It speaks to the very essence of the human spirit. The stories are similar in the messages that they teach even though they use different story lines. Taking the gold from Jason's hand,director Michael O. Sajbel & cinematographer Brian Baugh give the title a golden shine which glows in a bright amber with each self-discovered "gift" of Jason. but starting out with another "gift" from Fox, to wit: FOX FAITH, a new brand of religious based movies. The film is well-meaning but does occasionally become a little predictable. I, on the other hand, found this film's plot to be too contrived and irksome. The book is a great story, the movie's storyline is even better. It has a good cast list and the plot is interesting - but full-on film-making it ain't. Kudos to Abigail Breslin who might have been the most interesting of the actors. Videos Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Gifts of work, money, friends and learning are among the dozen that Jason must perform before he is eligible for the mysterious "Ultimate Gift" his grandfather's will has for him. But, Red has planned for his death carefully. When his grandfather (James Garner) dies, Jason expects to receive a hefty inheritance. Making friends was also a very important part of his gift because without friends he wouldnt have the motivation to do something. Nuanced and detailed, his performance is the film's only convincing element. Also, the film might seem a little hypocritical as it spends a lot of time attempting to prove that money only does good when given away to the poor (otherwise it just corrupts a person), yet at the end Jason still ends up gaining billions of dollars from his grandfather and not being unhappy with it. Jason gets 100 million to spend however he wants and comes up with a hospice-hospital for sick kids calling it Emilys House. There is an inheritance, in fact, but it comes with a condition: Jason must complete 12 separate assignments within a year in order to get it. When we saw it everyone around us loved it. John. It was very inspirational! Jason, by the way, is the ultimate rich-kid, lazy, shallow brat. What were some of the principles/characteristics that Jason said define friendship? It has a strange plot, that isn't as believable as other movies are, but that can happen with a lot of good movies. If you are with someone who recently lost a loved one, this may be a difficult movie to watch - especially and adult who has lost a child. (Younger kids will probably be bored). The film was financed with $14 million from the Stanford Financial Group,[5][6] a Houston based firm the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shut down two years later for being a "massive Ponzi scheme". Jason thinks it's money. Stupid mistakes too! In What You Pawn, You Will Redeem, I have found three literary, events that may be an influence on Jasons behavior and adaptation to his home life, home life. This is terrible in every respect, so hopefully people will be a little more honest in the future and give this a score it deserves! Having no concerns for anyone around him, he was selfish and egotistical and did nothing productive in life. Ultimate Entertainment for "Ultimate Gift", Parents-How to leave an inheritance for your children guide, A Christmas Carol meets It's A Wonderful Life, Possibly the worst movie I've ever watched, A well intentioned Christian movie that could of been better. After thirty days, he returns to Houston, where he's paid for his work. As Jason gradually emerges from a cocoon of wealth and privilege, he begins to see his hated grandfather Howard "Red" Stevens from a different perspective and learns the truth behind his altruistic, loyal, and hardworking father's mysterious death in a South America jungle. The story was interesting. Another of his tasks requires him to travel to Ecuador and study in a library his father and grandfather built to help the people there. His acting in this movie was very uneven, sometimes he seemed to be somewhere else and completely lost the interest in playing that Jason role, but sometimes, he seemed to merge himself into that role, he got no feeling at all to this character and lacking a convincing acting talent to play this role; in summary, a very bad and non-talent actor. She didn't like him, then she some what tolerated him, then she didn't like him again, then the second he comes back from Equador she's hugging him like they were married. However it was a good movie. His spoiled, money-hungry girlfriend replaces him, he argues with a bum (Tom Conder), and he meets adorable 10-year-old mini-Goth girl Emily (Abigail Breslin), who, along with her mother, teach Jason his greatest lessons. Of course you can't fault the actors for something that had such a terribly written script. 33%. Bad and boring movie, in conclusion. Families can talk about the change in Jason. 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