The Ultimate Gift

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The Ultimate Gift

PG

2007

1h 54m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

32%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) lives a life of wealth and privilege. When his grandfather (James Garner) dies, Jason expects to receive a hefty inheritance. Instead, however, Jason must set out on a journey of self-discovery to earn the true gift his grandfather meant for him to have. Along the way, Jason befriends a dying girl (Abigail Breslin) and her mother (Ali Hillis) and learns what is really important in life.

Critics Consensus

Though The Ultimate Gift avoids religious speechifying like other Fox Faith films, it's dramatically inert with flat direction.

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Lou Lumenick

New York Post

08/22/2007

2/4

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.

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

03/20/2007

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.

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Toddy Burton

Austin Chronicle

03/18/2007

1/5

The result is a deep desire for those Hollywood execs to remember that Christian doesn't have to equal brain-dead.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

09/26/2020

3.0/4.0

This is a film that will inspire many, frustrate others, and simply be dismissed by even more as nothing more than a cinematic greeting card.

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Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

09/09/2007

1.5/5

The Ultimate Gift will put you in a diabetic coma.

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David Cornelius

DVDTalk.com

08/21/2007

1/5

It's Self-Help: The Movie, and it stinks to high heaven.

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Gregory S

@Gregory566 Dec 3

It is a pretty good movie. The little one Emily stole the show. The only problem is that this same story has been told hundreds of times.

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jude h

@RT32930705 Jul 13

While most of the so-called' critics panned this movie, it was an excellent example of a young man learning that life is more than just having a good time. He learns his 'friends' are only friends with his money and that true friends want something completely different from him… just him. It was uplifting and tragic, showing the progress he makes along the road to his real self, one who gets more out of giving to others than always taking for himself.

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Joanne J

@RT81643040 Jun 2

The message behind the movie, that is where the gold is at. The world does not appreciate this type of message. You take a self-indulgent man and put him into situations he cannot control, take away those things he thinks are important and what you end up with in the end is one of 2 things. A bitter man who will never be satisfied in this world, or a man who recognizes that there are things more important in this world than money and things. I was rooting for this guy to be the latter one and in true tissue needing style, I got what I wanted!

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Faiz D

@RT95588871 May 13

I would have enjoyed it had I seen it when I was a kid. However, the movie seemed so... "unnatural" to me. Ultimately disappointing!

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Sarah B

@RT64145423 01/28/2025

This is my favorite inspirational movie, first of all Drew Fuller who played Jay does a great job acting spoiled and carefree when you first meet him but clearly has some unresolved issues from his childhood, and he's cute to boot. And then Abigail Breslin does a great job as sassy Emily and Bill Cobbs as ornery Mr. Hamilton. And the movie has a great message about there being more to life than money. Lastly, there's a clear disconnect between the Popcornmeter and the Tomatometer. Well, the critics can stuff it.

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Charles O

@RT10861356 12/06/2024

I guess I will be the odd one. This movie shows humanity in ways the world has completely forgotten. If you come from certain parts of the world, you will find out just how awesome this movie is. So yes I am giving it a five star even if a lot of people disagree.

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Michael O. Sajbel

Director

Drew Fuller

Jason

James Garner

Red Stevens

Abigail Breslin

Emily

Ali Hillis

Alexia

Lee Meriwether

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Synopsis

Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) lives a life of wealth and privilege. When his grandfather (James Garner) dies, Jason expects to receive a hefty inheritance. Instead, however, Jason must set out on a journey of self-discovery to earn the true gift his grandfather meant for him to have. Along the way, Jason befriends a dying girl (Abigail Breslin) and her mother (Ali Hillis) and learns what is really important in life.

Director: Michael O. Sajbel
Producer: Dave Ross, Rick Eldridge, Cleve Landsberg, John Shepherd
Screenwriter: Cheryl McKay
Distributor: The Bigger Picture
Production Co: Dean River Productions
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Some Violence|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 11, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.4M
Runtime: 1h 54m

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