The Ultimate Gift (2006)

Cynically, I wonder if Abigail Breslin's charm and appeal will last past her child star years. Though released and marketed as espousing strong Christian overtones and values, the movie manages to stand on its own surprisingly well. It doesn't wear its religion on its sleeve, and the very few points where it does come up don't feel forced or preachy. With that out of the way, the film itself is a decent morality tale with sadly slipshod editing. The story is a good, if extremely clichéd, narrative of learning to value what you have. The problem is it's told with what feel like obvious gaps in the tale, where important character moments or critical situational set-up is missing. It doesn't cause the plot to miss any important lessons, but it makes the big moments where it tugs at your heartstrings have significantly less impact than it ought to. Pity, too. The acting, the overall directing, and the delightful turns the drama takes all work, but it's just missing the edges of time it would've needed to feel complete.

6 out of 10.