The Ultimate Gift

by Rene Gutteridge

  When Emily dies, Jason takes all the money that was so important to him, and he uses it to build a house for sick children. It is called Emily’s House. He makes it so that children can stay there when they’re sick and get all the help they need. Even though Emily dies, it’s sort of like she’s still there. She’s actually helping other children that are sick and need help.

  Interview with Ali Hillis

  (played Alexia in the movie)

  Interviewer:

  What does the ultimate gift mean to you?

  Ali Hillis:

  I think the ultimate gift is about learning life lessons. I think it is about searching yourself to find some semblance of truth and sincerity in the world. I think The Ultimate Gift is going to mean something different to everyone that sees it.

  Interviewer:

  Your character, Alexia, who is she?

  Ali Hillis:

  Alexia is the mother of a little girl who is dying of leukemia. She spends a lot of time dealing with her daughter’s illness. Then Jason walks into her life, and he’s searching for something. Initially I become a tool in his journey, and then after a while I become more than a tool.

  Interviewer:

  Tell me a little about the relationship between Emily, your character’s daughter, and Jason. They appear to have a nice dynamic.

  Ali Hillis:

  In doing my research, when a parent has a child who is dying, they may be more willing to let the child experience things. So when Emily and Jason first meet, she thinks he is a little scary since he’s apparently a homeless person. But Alexia takes a step back and once she feels like she’s created a safe distance between them, she watches them relate to each other. Alexia starts to trust this little relationship that is developing. And then, of course, the spitfire Emily has a little deal that she wants to make with Jason, and Jason has a little deal he wants to make with her.

  Emily doesn’t have a lot of time to make a whole lot of friends since she is in the hospital so much, so it’s neat to watch her learn to trust people. And I think as she learns to trust Jason, Alexia is also learning to trust Jason. It becomes more than trust when she starts to see a little bit more into his soul. I think she has very good instincts about him and knows that he is probably a good guy at heart. But she has to find that out slowly.

  Interviewer:

  Your character is pretty heavy. What do you like about Alexia?

  Ali Hillis:

  When I first got the script, I was under a pile of scripts at the time, and unfortunately I had to skim through each script fairly quickly. But I started slowing down as I was turning the pages of The Ultimate Gift. I immediately fell in love with Alexia’s character because of the relationship she had with her daughter. Here was a woman who obviously had a child very young, and that forced her to be very responsible at a young age. I think she was living vicariously through her daughter in that she was allowing Emily to be a little bit freer so she could really experience life. Alexia was also coming to terms with the fact that her daughter was not going to be around very much longer.

  Interviewer:

  How did you prepare for your character?

  Ali Hillis:

  There are a lot of heavy scenes in this movie for Alexia, and, in my opinion, she has it the toughest because she’s losing her child. I’ve never watched a child pass or suffer through a really extraordinary disease so relating to the character and figuring out how to find that place inside of me was definitely a challenge. It’s a very specific place inside myself that I have to go to find the essence of what it would feel like to lose a child, and I hope I found that.

  Interviewer:

  How was it working with the director, Michael Sajbel?

  Ali Hillis:

  I want to say one thing about the writer first, and then I’ll talk about Michael. Jim Stovall wrote a beautiful book that so thoroughly fleshes out these characters that finding the essence of Alexia was not very difficult. It’s all on the page, it’s all in the words, and it’s all in the character building in the story. He just built a beautifully simple story. I love it.

  Michael Sajbel, the director, and I go way back. We’re both Packer fans, so we have a lot in common. He’s a really fun director to work with because he always has a smile on his face. Well, almost always. And he’s got a great smile. He sets up the scenes so well. He’s great at making sure the actors are prepared. In filming, we shoot out of order for the most part, so he reminds us what happened just before this scene and what is going to happen after this scene, and he gives us little specific essences of little beats he would like us to hit. And then he just lets us play the music. That’s nice.

  Interviewer:

  How was it working with Drew Fuller?

  Ali Hillis:

  I really enjoy working with Drew. The very first time I met Drew Fuller was in a callback for this movie, and I think we had chemistry right off the bat. It was an interesting chemistry because I think he truly has pieces of himself that he’s able to use in this character. And then he’s able to soften those pieces and create the person that I had to fall in love with. It’s wonderful to watch him on-site because he really embodies each piece of this character as it goes through the cycle of receiving the ultimate gift.

  Interviewer:

  Tell us a little about working with Abigail.

  Ali Hillis:

  I’d never played a mom before. I have a dog, but I don’t know if that counts. Abby is fantastic. From the minute I met her, we hit it off. We went to the pumpkin patch on our day off. We took a hay bale ride, we got to pick out four pumpkins, and somehow we ended up with twelve. Don’t know how that happened. We got to see baby goats, sheep, and lambs. I think that was the most fun we had and that was off camera! Abby’s a very open spirit. She likes to talk about television shows, and I don’t know, things that kids talk about. She’s just a normal, but absolutely not normal, very special little girl. She makes it pretty easy to play her mom.

  Interviewer:

  Tell me about working in Charlotte.

  Ali Hillis:

  I couldn’t be happier. I’m so lucky. I had just gotten back from shooting a film in Malta. Where’s Malta? I don’t even know where it is. But I was there. And I came back pretty exhausted and had a lot of scripts dumped in my lap. As soon as I looked at the front of The Ultimate Gift and noticed it was being shot in Charlotte, North Carolina, and took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, I was there. I hadn’t even opened the book, and I said I’ll do it. I’m from Charlotte, so shooting here is fantastic. It’s a beautiful city and everyone here is so kind and generous and excited about shooting films. Everyone I’ve met on this production has been nothing but nice. It’s been a nice little break from the normalcy of this industry, where people don’t have time to get to know each other. But coming to Charlotte has been a nice break for me. I’m staying at home with my parents; I have my dog here with me. It’s perfect.

  Interview with Lee Meriwether

  (played Miss Hastings in the movie)

  Interviewer:

  What do you think is the central message to this story?

  Lee Meriwether:

  One is that you should never give up on someone. Goodness is in everyone, you just have to find a way to bring it out. And, Red Stevens, James Garner, found a way after death to bring out the best in Jason.

  The movie has adventure, a charming love story, and caring individuals who love one another and yet have a difficult time getting through to one another. People will relate to that.

  Interviewer:

  It’s hard to determine if we, as parents, are setting good examples for our children regarding materialism. Tell me some of your thoughts about this.

  Lee Meriwether:

  Well, I think all of us have at times wondered whether we’re doing the right things for our children. Are we giving them, perhaps, too much monetarily, as opposed to maybe love and affection? This film is so reaffirming because it says as long as there�
��s love, it’s all right to give your children certain things. And if they aren’t responsible enough to handle it, then you must take it away from them.

  Interviewer:

  You said that one of the ultimate gifts is not giving up on someone. I see Miss Hastings as one of the key characters who never gives up on Jason. Can you talk about the role Miss Hastings plays in this journey that Jason goes on?

  Lee Meriwether:

  Miss Hastings has been secretary to her boss, Theodore, for forty years. She adores him, respects him, and honors him, especially how he is able to bring to fruition the wishes of Red Stevens. Miss Hastings sees the potential in Jason’s character and knows he can go on this journey and follow Red’s gifts to the letter. Sometimes it’s a little rocky, but she still has hope, she still has faith that he will come through. It doesn’t hurt that she likes the young man immediately. She also knows that the relationship between Red Stevens and her boss, Mr. Hamilton, has been one of great love over many years. All of his hopes for his companies, his holdings, all of that, rests with Jason.

  Interviewer:

  Is there a certain gift in the movie that resonates with you?

  Lee Meriwether:

  The gift of family. Were it not for that gift, so many of the other gifts would not have fallen in to place.

  Interviewer:

  What are your thoughts on Drew Fuller’s embodiment of the character Jason?

  Lee Meriwether:

  Drew Fuller is a delight. He has a wonderful sense of humor. And very witty. He makes his transition into Jason’s character look so easy. It’s is a joy to watch.

  Interviewer:

  How has it been working with Bill Cobbs (played Mr. Hamilton)?

  Lee Meriwether:

  I am so lucky to have had this opportunity to work with Bill Cobbs. He’s wonderful. I marvel at how he finds his character and then wears it like a glove. I’m blessed to be at the feet of a master, because he really has that quality of being able to become that character. It’s wonderful to watch.

  Interviewer:

  What do you like about your character?

  Lee Meriwether:

  I think she’s a nice woman. She cares about and is loyal to her boss. She works very hard, and was always there to help. I’ve tried to embody that. Hopefully, I was successful.

  Interviewer:

  Where do you get the inspiration for the character?

  Lee Meriwether:

  For most of the character, it’s how I am. Or try to be. A caring individual. One who tries to understand both sides of a situation. I try to quell arguments. I’m very fortunate that in this film they dressed me with a great deal of class. If you saw me normally, you’d see jeans and T-shirts and sweatpants, things like that. But playing Miss Hastings I had to sit up straight. I personified a woman who has taken care of herself. She knows that she is the first person that anyone coming into the office of Theodore Hamilton would see.

  Interview with Bill Cobbs

  (played Mr. Hamilton in the movie)

  Interviewer:

  Tell me about your character in The Ultimate Gift.

  Bill Cobbs:

  Theodore Hamilton is a very successful lawyer. He’s been Red’s lawyer since they were both very young men. He has an extremely successful law firm and has handled most of Red’s business for him throughout the past few decades. ‘Course, Red’s a billionaire, so it has been a very lucrative business for Mr. Hamilton.

  Interviewer:

  Tell me why you think Red gave your character a shot fresh out of law school.

  Bill Cobbs:

  He actually hired my character sight unseen. I think it’s a very important thing to consider. We’re talking maybe fifty years ago and it was rather unheard of that he would hire an African-American out of any law school, just like that, without a lot more scrutiny. So it says a lot about Red’s character. Red was obviously a man who believes that your qualifications and integrity are more important than anything else.

  Interviewer:

  Talk about Hamilton’s friendship with Red. Why did Red choose you to take Jason on this journey?

  Bill Cobbs:

  This is a story about a lot of things: friendship, trust, and values. So, given that, I think that we have two men who respect and admire one another for their honesty and for their work ethic. They’re focused on doing the right thing. I think it’s good that we have a story that takes us back to the time when people’s word was their bond. You could do business on a handshake, where your ability to be trusted was very important— a time when we cared about that. I think nowadays we’re led down a path that’s cynical. It’s refreshing to see something quite different.

  Interviewer:

  Talk about the dynamic between Hamilton and Jason.

  Bill Cobbs:

  I’m enjoying this because it’s great to play a character that has ultimate power in a situation. And Hamilton’s been given that power by Red, as his executor. It’s also interesting to have absolute power over a very young man who really doesn’t understand some of the old fashioned values that I was talking about earlier in terms of what’s important. I think it’s not clichéd to say that it’s better to give than to receive. A lot of people argue about that today, but I think it’s still a pretty good thing. And I think this story shows why that’s true. In the beginning, we see the heirs getting their little portion of this very rich man’s fortune. We watch people’s reactions to what they receive. And we see some very interesting reactions to people receiving large sums of money, large pieces of an estate. It really makes a comment about human nature. So my character, Attorney Hamilton, has the responsibility of taking a young man who has a lot of potential but has some very wrong ideas about life and about what’s important. He gets the message in terms of the value of money, charity, kindness, loyalty, and respect.

  Interviewer:

  What’s going on inside Hamilton? We know the objective goal, the outside goal, but what’s Hamilton’s attitude toward Jason when the journey first starts out?

  Bill Cobbs:

  When it starts out, I’m really very upset with this young man’s attitude. I’m upset with his lack of a work ethic. He’s really a very spoiled young man, spoiled and a very unfeeling, irresponsible person. So, I really don’t expect him to do well. I have the power to put him through all kinds of tests, some of them very difficult.

  And my attitude at the beginning is that he’s not going to make it. I don’t have to have any mercy on him. So I get a little enjoyment out of putting his feet to the fire. But there are other times when I get rather disgusted and upset that he’s not getting the message. As the story progresses, we begin to see a change in Jason, and we all have a chance to look at things in a couple of different ways so we can make some evaluations for ourselves.

  Interviewer:

  What drew you to the story and made you want to be a part of it?

  Bill Cobbs:

  Everything about it. There’s no profanity in it. And I get the opportunity to play a very rich man, which is fun. This is probably the most powerful character I’ve ever played. In a very selfish way, that’s one of the things that drew me to it. And it’s one that you can take your whole family to see.

  Interviewer:

  How do you think Drew did embodying Jason?

  Bill Cobbs:

  Drew is a lot like Jason in terms of the enthusiasm. Drew’s a very athletic, active young man. He really enjoys his work. When you work with somebody like that, you enjoy the work, too. I think he’s just perfect for the character that he’s playing.

  Interviewer:

  What would you say is the essential message behind The Ultimate Gift?

  Bill Cobbs:

  The ultimate gift is not money. The most obvious gift in the very beginning is money. We all come to the table and everyone’s assembled to see how much money, maybe how much power they’re going to inherit. But the message is that material things are not what’s important. We h
ave spiritual and mental and moral things wherein our real values exists. I think the movie does a good job of reminding us about what’s important.

  Interviewer:

  Is there a specific gift that resonates with you?

  Bill Cobbs:

  The gift of giving.

  Interviewer:

  Why is that?

  Bill Cobbs:

  Because in the very beginning, like everyone else, his concern is about what he’s going to get. And one of the things he learns is that what he’s going to give is more important ultimately.

  ON THE SET OF . . . the ultimate gift