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.

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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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Kat 3

@RT12066118 Jul 14

I really enjoyed this movie. Most critics can’t seem to critique their way out of a paper bag. So listen to me not them. 😁🤪

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Pantazi A

@RT82525458 May 9

This movie was a really good watch , it shows an "average rich kid" that changes this entitled and overspending personality to a kind and giving personality. The movie has an amazing message that you just don't see today. I'm very happy that I actually got to see it.

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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 07/13/2025

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 06/02/2025

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 05/13/2025

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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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