''Nicholas' Gift'' is a 1998

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

directed by

Robert Markowitz Robert Markowitz (born February 7, 1935, in Irvington, New Jersey, Irvington, New Jersey) is an American film and television director. He directed episodes of ''Serpico (TV series), Serpico'' (1976), ''Delvecchio (TV series), Delvecchio'' (1976- ...

and written by Christine Berardo. A co-production between Italy and the United States, it stars

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Known for List of Jamie Lee Curtis performances, her performances in the horror and slasher film, slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream qu ...

and

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the Cinema of the United Kingdom#The 1960s, 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down ...

as an American couple who, after their son was mortally wounded during a family vacation in Italy, decide to

donate A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as blo ...

the child's organs. The film received positive reviews and earned Curtis a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

nomination for her performance.

Plot

''Nicholas' Gift'' is a fact based drama about an American couple on vacation in Italy in 1994 with their two children who are attacked and shot by highway bandits. Shortly they discover that their son (named and based on Nicholas Green) is brain dead. The parents are then faced with the hard decision to donate the boy's organs which ultimately led to saving the lives of seven seriously ill Italian patients.

Cast

as Maggie Green *

as Reg Green * Gene Wexler as Nicholas Green *

Hallie Eisenberg Hallie Kate Eisenberg (born August 2, 1992) is an American former child actress, best known for being "The Pepsi Girl" in a series of Pepsi commercials, as Marie Alweather in '' Paulie'', and her role as Erika "Erk" Tansy in ''How to Eat Fried Wo ...

as Eleanor Green *

Isabella Ferrari Isabella Fogliazza (born 31 March 1964), better known by her stage name of Isabella Ferrari, is an Italian television, stage and film actress. She is best known for her role as Commissioner Giovanna Scalise, the main character in the police dram ...

as Alessandra Grascia *

Anita Zagaria Anita Zagaria (born 27 June 1954) is an Italian actress. She has appeared in more than eighty films and TV series since 1982. Selected filmography References External links * 1954 births Living people Italian film actresses ...

as Anna Bianchi *

Roberto Bisacco Roberto Bisacco (1 March 1939 – 10 October 2022)Ennio Coltorti Ennio Coltorti (born 21 March 1949) is an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Rome, Coltorti attended the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts and began acting and directing on stage in 1981, collaborating with Giorgio ...

as Dr. Santucci * Nazzareno Costantini as Angelo Bianchi * Manrico Gammarota as Paolo Bianchi * Daniele Pio as Stefano Bianchi * Carlo Cartier as Inspector Tramontana * Jeremy Zimmermann as Richard Brown

Reception

Critical response

Tom Jicha of the ''

Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County, an ...

'' was very positive about the film, describing it as "a wonderfully poignant movie that conveys an important message worthy of the widest possible circulation." In his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', Rick Lyman wrote that "a veteran cast pushing a commendable message is not quite enough to elevate ''Nicholas' Gift'' above being a by-the-numbers tear-jerker." The ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...

'' praised the film for "superb performances by Jamie Lee Curtis and Alan Bates, tight steering by an award-winning director, an Italian crew schooled in feature film making, an intelligent script based on a riveting real-life story, and an almost religious commitment from everyone involved in the project to make a film worthy of its subjects."

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{Robert Markowitz 1998 films 1998 drama films 1998 television films 1990s American films 1990s Italian films 1990s English-language films American drama television films CBS films Italian drama television films Films about child death Films about families Films about vacationing Films directed by Robert Markowitz Films scored by Carlo Siliotto Films set in 1994 Films set in Italy Films shot in Rome American films based on actual events Drama films based on actual events Television films based on actual events