'The Ultimate Gift' DVD Review

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

(PG)
MOVIE: *1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)

STARRING
Drew Fuller as JASON STEVENS
James Garner as RED STEVENS
Ali Hillis as ALEXIA
Abigail Breslin as EMILY
Bill Cobbs as TED HAMILTON
Lee Meriwether as MISS HASTINGS
Brian Dennehy as GUS

Created by: Michael O. Sajbel

Studio: Fox Faith

BY KEVIN CARR

Let me take this review from two different angles… If you are a person like my mother-in-law, who watches shows on television that will make you cry, goes to church regularly and adores Thomas Kincaid, read the following paragraph. If you’re a person like myself, a cynical bastard who only likes saccharine in his coffee and prefers a good R-rated action flick to inspirational fair, skip to the third paragraph.

For people like my mother-in-law… “The Ultimate Gift” is an uplifting film about an incredibly wealthy man who bestows a gift in his will to his grandson. He challenges the boy to become a better person in order to get his inheritance. By learning about hard work, true friendship and the need to help his fellow man, we see a young brat blossom into a caring individual.

For people like me… “The Ultimate Gift” will put you in a diabetic coma. It follows a terribly contrived story that bashes on old-school stereotypes of the rich, yet makes an ultimate award out of a 2-billion dollar estate. Preaching begins in the first scene of the film and continues throughout. With its schmaltzy plot points and overdose of good nature, I found myself riffing on the film like the guys from “Mystery-Science Theater 3000.”

The DVD comes with a behind-the-scene featurette about the making of the film, as well as an advertisement for the “Ultimate Gift” family kit to help your family get more out of the film. Also, because the original novel was written by a blind man, the DVD also include a spoken description track for the visually impaired viewers.