The Ultimate Gift

Hot on the heels of last year's "Conversations With God" comes another earnest, if turgid, adaptation of a spiritually based bestseller, "The Ultimate Gift." The story of a wealthy young man who learns the meaning of life from his recently deceased grandfather, the story is full of simple truths and hard-won wisdom -- that happiness lies in friends, family, meaningful work and gratitude -- that provide such endless fodder for repackaging.

Here, that package is Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller), an attractive rich kid who overcomes his selfishness and narcissism to find his true bliss. His guideposts along the way are his late grandfather, Red (James Garner), who in a videotaped will directs his grandson along a path of life lessons, and a little girl named Emily (Abigail Breslin), who has a knack for popping up in unlikely places.

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. Still, Breslin's captivating performance reminds you why she was recently nominated for an Oscar; even in weird scarlet lipstick and a gloomy black cloche, she radiates warmth and a spiky, unforced spontaneity.

-- Ann Hornaday (March 9, 2007)

Contains thematic elements, violence and profanity.