Movie takes from the thousands of years old tribal & centuries old humanist concept of doing a random good deed for someone you know, as well as strangers, in hopes that they will in turn continue that ethos & kindness. A BYU sponsored script with a Christian bias, but done tastefully, i.e. not evangelically. My only criticism is that the setting involves well-off Americans helping less well-off Americans who, relative to most of the world would be seen as wealthy. It might have been a more universal, challenging & reality based story if it involved peoples living w/very reduced, often painful, lifespans from disease & hunger, and in culturally different parts of the world such as in Africa, Afghanistan.

This is just the kind of warm uplifting story that I love this time of year but it fell flat and I can only put it down to poor acting and shallow characters

This is a good overall movie that is both uplifting and well acted.It is rare find for me. This movie portrays the core goodness of people without oversimplification or being "syrupy sweet." Even for those who have read the book, the movie delivers. Take your family. You will be happy you went.