duff101 I had to watch this movie for a theology class (I go to a Catholic High School,) and this was the third movie I watched this year with a religious theme. I was burned out, but this film regenerated my enjoyment.This movie is not terribly made, it has a substantial budget and perfectly good sets and camera work. The problem with this film is in the acting.Drew Fuller is WOODEN. Some of his deliveries are so terrible, they are hilarious. The child actor in this movie has strange emotional shifts. 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. In conclusion DO NOT WATCH THIS EXPECTING A GOOD MOVIE. Watch this to be entertained by wooden acting and baffling writing.

Writer_Commentary This movie is probably a better movie than most that exist. It has a strange plot, that isn't as believable as other movies are, but that can happen with a lot of good movies. The main character doesn't have that good a life, and over the course of the films gains a much better perspective on how to live his life. There are some flaws, which is why I'm not giving it a perfect score. Some parts of the movie and unfeasible and highly unlikely. But the movie has a good message at the end and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who likes movies of faith and value. Without ever watching it, you might not know how good it is. But I would see it at least once and own it if I could.

petersonmlp I am sad to see that the box office receipts for this movie were so low. I think if it was released today, there might be a much better reception. Our family stopped going to the movies about 10 years ago because the poor quality of family movies. We are starting to go again with Fireproof, Courageous, The Help, etc. We were given the DVD by my parents. They almost NEVER watch movies, but they liked this one. If you are looking for high action, great stunts, special effects, and shocking scenes, you might need to watch a different movie. Our family has watched this movie at least 7 times. Every time we watch, we are affected in different ways. We usually talk about the "gifts" for a long time after we watch. It is good to watch with friends and relatives. Please do not miss this life changing movie.

EveIsBored The Ultimate Gift, a drama directed by Michael O. Sajbel and released in 2006, tells the story of a thoroughly spoiled and rebellious man Jason, whose dying grandfather decides to put him through a series of obstacles, leading to what he calls 'the ultimate gift'. 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. The film has a rather beautiful idea: a man tries hard to get his grandfather's money yet at the end realizes that money isn't what matters in life. However, 'The Ultimate Gift' completely fails to execute this idea. It has all too many plot twists (a girl dying from leukemia, Jason unexpectedly falling in love with the girl's mother, etc.) that seem as if they belong to a soap opera, not a family film. It also tries to show us too many events – the film focuses on Jason being kidnapped by a gang in the forest, trying to find the place where his father died, stalking his ex-girlfriend and such – whereas it completely neglects character development. It is due to this that many of the characters' decisions seem hard to believe or simply absurd. 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. Still, it could be said that the film ought to be praised for its positiveness. It tries to preach the ideas of love and acceptance and has the happy ending that seems mandatory for all American dramas – Jason falls in love with the girl's mother and ends up owning a company that is worth billions of dollars. Maybe someone who could relate to the characters in the film would find the movie to be a more touching experience. I, on the other hand, found this film's plot to be too contrived and irksome. The acting was also mediocre at best (particularly Drew Fuller's, who is quite probably the blandest male lead I've ever seen). My advice would be to skip this flick if you want to see something interesting and thought-provoking. However, if you enjoy all these sugar-sweet generic dramas, you might enjoy it.