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Photo - http://rutracker.org/ Year: 2006 Country: USA Running time: 103 minutes Director: Michael O. Sajbel Categories: Drama Cast: Drew Fuller as Jason Stevens The Ultimate Gift is a film based on author Jim Stovall's bestselling novel released on March 9, 2007 in 816 theaters in the USA. The film was not well attended in the USA and produced low box office receipts, though DVD sales were quite high in relation to its theatrical receipts. Plot: When his rich grandad, Howard "Red" Stevens (portrayed by James Garner) died, Jason (Drew Fuller) thought he was going to inherit a piece of the old man's multi-billion dollar estate, but it came with a condition. In order to get his share of the willed inheritance, Jason must complete 12 separate assignments within a year. Each assignment is centered around a "gift". Gifts of 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. Throughout his trials and tribulations, the family attorney, Mr. Hamilton (Bill Cobbs), and his secretary Miss Hastings (Lee Meriwether) attempt to guide Jason along the path his grandfather wishes him to travel. However, the problem they have is that Jason has lived leisurely using his grandfather's money as an under-achiever who has never had to genuinely work, and who believes through a young adulthood of loneliness that money is the only pathway to making life decent. For instance, to carry out the first task he has to fly to Texas, and naturally assumes he has a first-class seat, and is annoyed when he discovers he has a coach class seat, complaining to the steward "Don't you know who I am?" On his return after completing the first task in Texas, everything he values is suddenly taken away from him - luxury apartment, his restored muscle car (a 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T) and money - and he is left homeless. His trendy girlfriend, Caitlin (Mircea Monroe), ditches him when his credit card is rejected at a fancy restaurant and she is mortified when he asks her if she could pay the bill. After his mother tells her son she cannot give him help as part of the agreement, Jason miserably finds himself being ejected from private property he wishes to rest on, and wanders the city for the first time truly alone. It is while sleeping in a park that he encounters a woman, Alexia (Ali Hillis), and her extrovert daughter Emily (Abigail Breslin) - a side story that was not in the novel. Jason befriends the two but then tells them that he needs them to come along to the attorney's office and confirm themselves as his "good friends" in order to pass the "gift of friends" assignment. Alexia and Emily still believe that Jason is very self-centred person, and not anyone they want to have as a friend. However, it is then that Jason discovers by accident that Emily is suffering from leukemia, and sees this family as a chance to develop a strong bond with someone. Indeed, the emergence of his "true" self is the key theme of the film. From that point onwards he tries as best he can to help Emily to have a great life while it lasts. Emily also engineers and encourages a romance between Jason and her mother. Also, as Jason works through the twelve gifts in twelve months, he comes to see his grandfather as more than a dead billionaire who he believes disliked him. After Jason has completed his twelve tasks, he is given a sum of $100,000,000 to do with whatever he pleases and all of his property is returned to him. His former girlfriend, knowing that he has regained his wealth, makes an attempt to win him back merely with the offer of sex, but he disgustedly walks out on her. With his inheritance, Jason chooses to build a hospital, called Emily's Home (named after Emily), for patients with deadly diseases and their families, which also includes a church (knowing that Emily was often in the hospital chapel). But then before the building begins Emily dies. Alexia and Jason pray for her at the chapel. After the groundbreaking for Emily's Home, he is brought back to the law firm for one more meeting. He had exceeded the expectations of his dead grandfather and receives one final "gift" of $2,000,000,000, rewarding Jason not only for his completing the tasks, but for using everything he gained to give to the unfortunate ones. That night, Jason is seen sitting on a bench in the park, when Alexia joins him. He thanks her for her help that she and her daughter gave him. They then kiss and a butterfly, representing Emily, is shown flying around them. The Twelve Gifts: The Gift of Work Cast and crew: James Garner plays the mysterious Red Stevens. In the leading male role is Drew Fuller, better known from WB's long-running series Charmed. Drew described performing in the movie as "an actor's dream." Emily is played by Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin, and her mother by Ali Hillis of Must Love Dogs. The film was produced by Jim Van Eerden and Rick Eldridge, directed by Michael O. Sajbel and written by Cheryl McKay. Costumes were designed by Jane Anderson (Rudy, Hoosiers) with makeup by John Bayless (Cold Mountain, The New World). Critical reception: The movie was given generally negative reviews from movie critics, the consensus being "Though The Ultimate Gift avoids religious speechifying like other Fox Faith films, it's dramatically inert with flat direction." On Rotten Tomatoes, The Ultimate Gift has a 32% overall approval (56 reviews with a 5.1/10 average rating) but only 15% approval from top critics (13 reviews with a 4.1/10 average rating). On Metacritic the film has a rating of 49 out of 100 based on 16 reviews. Among the harsher reviews The New York Times' reviewer said, "Reeking of self-righteousness and moral reprimand, [the movie] is a hairball of good-for-you filmmaking......[T]he movie’s messages — pro-poverty, anti-abortion — are methodically hammered home." John Anderson of Newsday, called the movie "cartoonish and broad," and commented on the surprising obsession with material possessions, while The Washington Post noted, "There's nothing wrong with the moral of The Ultimate Gift's story; in fact there's everything right about it. But director Michael O. Sajbel too often succumbs to movie-of-the-week sentimentality and starchy pacing." Christianity Today felt the film warranted 2.5 out of 4 stars and called it "lovingly crafted ... but never manages to build up much mystery, suspense, tension, or narrative steam.". Joe Leydon of Variety was favorably impressed and noted that "Discussions of faith and God are fleeting, almost subliminal -- without stinting on the celebration of wholesome family values." William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes "Its sincerity, optimism and air of open-minded tolerance go down well, and it makes a nice change-of-pace." The Washington Post and The Hollywood Reporter both thought highly of Breslin's performance as the young girl calling her "captivating" and referring to her "charm," respectively. Indeed, it was a common theme for those who both recommended the movie and those who did not to praise Breslin's role. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/ Смотрите также: Христианские фильмы
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