The Sweetest Gift (1998 TV Movie) User Reviews

As refreshing as good sweet tea in a jelly jar!

[friendofcash · 7/10 · 17 January 2009]

I liked this film for the same reasons I loved: "Sunshine State", "Ulee's Gold", "The Man in the Moon", and "Cookies's Fortune". It's a step back through my looking glass. It's the Christmas ornaments blowing in the warm breeze, the houses situated so it takes an adventure to meet your neighbor, the Spanish moss. I can almost feel the white, burning sand between my toes.

Not the best writing or dialog and the acting was a little stiff.

Kristin Fairlie gives a pretty good Canadian portrayal of a little southern throw-away. I'm gonna watch "The Virgin Suicides" again.

Wasn't that the great face of our little "Webster", Emmanuel Lewis? (He isn't credited on IMDb.)

Dianne Carroll is the star of the show! What a perfect presence. Her farmhouse seemed to become a central character.

This is an entertaining, rainy, Saturday afternoon movie to watch with a child of any age.

good watch

[jewelch · 7/10 · 16 February 2021]

In life we have to deal with many problems. Sometimes we don't realize that people around us may be dealing with the same types of problems even though they are different. This story shows how even people with different backgrounds have many things in common. The movie is enjoyable but there are some racial comments that are dealt with. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/15/2021

"heartwarmer" with good acting and relentless compassion

[Sleepy-17 · 12 January 2001]

A sweet movie with enough grit to make it easy to swallow; even one of the goats is named "Sugar". Similar in tone and plot to "Down in the Delta". The actors inhabit their characters without self-consciousness. I'm a sucker for movies like this, and I thought the goats were delightful.

Good Message

[athompsonblue · 8/10 · 4 March 2021]

This movie's a good story of a poor white family (a single mom with 3 kids) and a middle-class black family (a happily married couple with 2 grown children and 1 grandson) becoming friends, and bringing out the best in each other. The movie addresses themes of both racism and classism, and what friendship across those barriers really means.

Very early in the movie, there's a scene where a pet dog gets eaten by an alligator. Nothing gruesome is shown. Just mute the sound and turn the subtitles on.

Thoughtful & Enjoyable . . . .

[sundayatdusk-97859 · 8/10 · 26 February 2024]

This is a wonderful family movie that shows the lingering racial prejudices in a Florida town. When people list states with a lot of past racism, southern states like Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia come up, but many don't list Florida, when they definitely should! The prejudice shown in the film is not done in a heavy-handed way, however, but is expressed in more subtle ways.

Two familes are portrayed. There is the black Wilson family, consisting of a mother, father, adult daughter, young grandson and visiting adult son. There is the white Martin family, consisting of a mother and three children. The Martin family is having a hard time because Mr. Martin abandoned them, and their mother is having to run their dairy farm seven days a week. The Wilsons are dealing with their directionless daughter, but are truly happy she is back home with their grandson.

I was truly surprised to find out all the actors playing the Martin children are Canadians, particularly the youngest son. Both he and the daughter sounded like true Southerners to me! There are various Southern traditions shown, as well as fun goats and ducks, and dangerous alligators. (There was a cute little dog, too, but he gets eaten by an alligator early on in the movie. There is no blood or yelping. He is simply gone. It was very sad.)

All in all, this is a movie that makes viewers, both young and old, think of prejudices and discrimination, and realize the importance of family, neighbors, and owning land to pass down to future generations. In addition, it stresses how hard work and dedication gets you what you want in life. Finally, it shows how things have changed for the better over the last few decades when it comes to prejudices held by both whites and blacks. There is still stereotying and discrimination going on, but nowhere near what it was in the past.