Movie Review: The Ultimate Gift

The Ultimate Gift (2007) 

Directed by Michael Sajbel

Written by Cheryl McKay 

Starring Abigail Breslin, Drew Fuller, Bill Cobbs, James Garner

Release Date March 9th, 2007 

Published March 10th, 2007 

Cynically trading on the Oscar nomination of young Abigail Breslin is the religious themed drama The Ultimate Gift. This film from the newly minted Fox Faith distribution company is Fox's even more cynical attempt to turn a profit on religion. In the wake of Passion of the Christ we have seen more and more of these religious dramas and with their low budgets and relative returns; they aren't likely to improve in quality anytime soon.

Jason (Drew Fuller) has drifted through life on his mom's money for many years. Naturally, with privilege paying for his high class New York apartment and expensive car, Drew values nothing above vanity. However, his life is changed forever by the death of his grandfather Red (James Garner). It's not that Jason was close with his grandfather, indeed grandpa wasn't close to anyone in his family. No, it's just that grandpa decided on his death to use his money to teach his wayward grandson a lesson.

With the help of his lawyer (Bill Cobbs) Red has set up a series of challenges for Jason. First, he forces Jason's mom to cut off his money. This costs Jason his apartment and his beloved car. Jason must prove that without his money he still has friends. This is much harder than he would have imagined. This is when Jason meets Emily (Abigail Breslin). Sleeping on a park bench, Jason is thought to be a homeless man.

Emily offers him food and soon Jason is scheming to have the girl and her mother Alexia (Ali Hillis) pretend to be his friends. Unfortunately, that still isn't enough for Jason to get his money. There are more challenges, including working on the ranch owned by Gus (Brian Dennehy) one of Red's best friends, to teach him hard work. Of course all of these valuable less are meant to make Jason a better person and wouldn't you it, the little girl and her mom have a secret that will also influence Jason's becoming a better person.

Directed by Michael O'Sajbel, The Ultimate Gift is like an unfunny version of the Richard Pryor comedy Brewster's Millions. Both films are about learning the value of a dollar and how money, having it and not having, teaches a valuable lesson. Brewster's Millions thankfully, isn't weighed down by biblical piety and dull melodrama as The Ultimate Gift is.

Director Michael O'Sajbel has been rather indignant about his film being treated as or marketed as a faith movie. He might want to look at the distributor shingle hanging on the front of the film. It's a new division of the Fox movie company called Fox Faith. A reaction what marketers had hoped was a new niche in the wake of The Passion Of the Christ.

Unfortunately, that niche has proven unreliable and movies like The Ultimate Gift, Amazing Grace and September Dawn have been made for an audience that may not even exist. Certainly, there was a vocal group of people who went to see the Passion and talked openly of how they rarely go to the movies because of their negative impression of Hollywood filmmakers.

In reality, most churchgoers are just average moviegoers who would rather watch swashbuckling pirates, spider based heroes and big green ogres rather than some self serving pseudo religious drama. Churchgoers, even the evangelicals, are as starstruck as any other audience and would rather watch Johnny Depp in a bad movie than some guy named Drew Fuller in a movie that allegedly appeals to their values.

The failure of The Ultimate Gift is simply a question of quality. The film isn't very good. The acting is subpar, the aesthetic is amateur and the underlying ideals are a cynical attempt at niche marketing. There really is nothing good about this movie and that is why audiences rejected it in droves when it was released in theaters and continue to reject it on DVD.

This will no doubt be the fate of most if not all films that follow the same path. Assuming that churchgoers are not savvy movie fans or that they are somehow entirely different from average moviegoers is a failed premise.

Movie Review: The Notebook

The Notebook (2004) 

Directed by Nick Cassavetes 

Written by Jeremy Leven 

Starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, James Marsden, Joan Allen 

Release Date June 25th, 2004 

Published June 24th, 2004 

There is a terrific line in the movie High Fidelity where John Cusack sums up his short-term romance with Lily Taylor. "You have to be of a certain disposition to believe you’re going to be alone for the rest of your life at 26. We were of that disposition.” I too am of that disposition. At 28 years old I am single, really unattached single for the first time in a very long while. I have had steady relationships since I was 14 year old. Don't worry I'm going somewhere with this.

I get to thinking this way every time I see a romantic movie. What if I had my great love already and lost it? What if great love only exists in the movies? If that is true then The Notebook is a wonderful example of the big love I wish existed in real life. A collection of great actors comes together with a director slowly coming of age to create, not a perfect movie, but a romantic and memorable movie.

The film stars Ryan Gosling as Noah, a poor boy working in a lumber yard who one summer night meets the woman of his dreams. Her name is Allie (Rachel McAdams), the daughter of rich parents who has moved to the small southern town of Seabrook only for the summer. Allie does not share Noah's immediate attraction but eventually his charm breaks through and the two begin a torrid summer love affair.

Parallel to this is the story of an old couple living in a nursing home. James Garner and Gena Rowlands are the old couple. While he is in good shape, she is suffering from severe dementia. He kindly comforts her by reading to her from a notebook the story of Noah and Allie's love affair. You will have to see the film for the rest of their story.

Naturally, with Allie coming from a rich family and having a disapproving mother (Joan Allen), their affair is destined to be short lived. When Allie returns home very late from a date with Noah, her mother forces her to return to their home in Charlotte. She leaves a message for Noah to write to her but sadly, his letters are intercepted by her mother. He goes on to fight in World War II while she heads to college and a few years later is engaged to another man played by James Marsden. Noah and Allie reunite once more but again you will have to see the film to see if there’s is a happy ending.

Or you could read the book by Nicholas Sparks, the famed romance writer whose credits also include the sappy A Walk To Remember and the even sappier Message In A Bottle. Indeed Sparks has a tendency to lay it on pretty thick but The Notebook somehow is not as bogged down as the previous novels. Maybe it's better writers adapting the book to the screen but whatever the case, The Notebook is far better than either of Sparks’ other works.

Maybe it's just the amazing cast. Gena Rowlands and James Garner are fantastic. The heartbreaking chemistry of these two masterful actors should land them both Oscar nominations in the supporting categories. Rowlands especially is magnificent. I don't cry at movies very often, after years of working as a critic, but I was very moved by Ms. Rowlands’ work in this film. It helps that her son Nick Cassevetes' camera absolutely loves her.

Ryan Gosling has been a star on the rise for a few years now and with his performance here he has guaranteed his stardom. Gosling has the presence and chops of a true movie star. Watch the way he commands attention in every scene without having to force it. It's honestly like watching a young Paul Newman or maybe James Dean. Gosling has presence, gravitas, and charisma to go with his remarkable good looks. 

The films only obvious weak point is, unfortunately, Rachel McAdams who sadly can't find her footing for most of the film. It's probably her pairing with Gosling. Though they have okay chemistry, McAdams is clearly intimidated and Gosling is so good that his performance exposes her flaws. She may yet have stardom in her future, she was good in her comedic turn in Mean Girls earlier this year, this however is not her coming out party as a great actress.

The films real revelation may be director Nick Cassavetes who, after a series of almost great films, finally finds himself with The Notebook. The material is a little sappy at times, overly sentimental, even a little precious but Cassavetes is clearly in command and wrenches the film away from too much melodrama. Cassavetes smartly relies on his terrific actors to carry the day and they make this a memorable experience.

The Notebook is a wonderfully romantic film. It's a film that got to my emotions like few films are able to do. I always get a little broody and contemplative after a movie like this and it leads to hours of old photos and pop songs. I believe there is big love out there in real life, you just have to try and find it or let it find you. Even if you lose it, it's still big. No matter what, big love will always be on the big screen, a comforting reminder of a dream you have for yourself.