Review of The Ultimate Gift (2007) by Janet B — 01 Jan 2009

One can argue The Ultimate Gift's plot does drag in its story telling, flirts with oversimplicity, and stutters at key points. However, this film speaks to universal issues of death, love, bitterness, forgiveness, and yes ultimate redemption.

Those who aren't professional critics, who prefer to base a film's value on the message it delivers, can forgive imperfections when presented with performances such as Abgail Breslin's, whose performance is sassy, witty, and sincerely vulnerable.

In an era of assembly line movie making, where most every movie devolves into one or more central themes of sex, greed, senseless violence, drug use, and dedicated self-absorption this movie is refreshing. It is a film that communicates a positive message of appreciating what is truly valuable in life, and thereby what is best in the human heart.