Nicholas' Gift

{{Short description|1998 television film directed by Robert Markowitz}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Nicholas' Gift.jpg

| caption = DVD cover

| writer = Christine Berardo

| director = Robert Markowitz

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| composer = Carlo Siliotto

| country = {{Plainlist|

Italy
United States

}}

| language = English

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

Lorenzo Minoli
Judd Parkin

}}

| producer = Russell Kagan

| cinematography = Raffaele Mertes

| editor = David Beatty

| runtime = 90 minutes

| company = {{Plainlist|

Lux Vide{{cite web|url=https://www.luxvide.it/en/nicholas-gift/|title=Nicholas' Gift|website=Lux Vide|date=January 1998 |access-date=October 19, 2022}}
Mediaset
Five Mile River Films

}}

| network = {{Plainlist|

Canale 5 (Italy)
CBS (United States)

}}

| released = {{start date|1998|04|21}}

}}

Nicholas' Gift is a 1998 drama television film directed by Robert Markowitz and written by Christine Berardo. A co-production between Italy and the United States, it stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Alan Bates as an American couple who, after their son was mortally wounded during a family vacation in Italy, decide to donate the child's organs. The film received positive reviews and earned Curtis a Primetime Emmy Award 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

Jamie Lee Curtis as Maggie Green
Alan Bates as Reg Green
Gene Wexler as Nicholas Green
Hallie Eisenberg as Eleanor Green
Isabella Ferrari as Alessandra Grascia
Anita Zagaria as Anna Bianchi
Roberto Bisacco as Dr. Cipriano
Ennio Coltorti 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 was very positive about the film, describing it as "a wonderfully poignant movie that conveys an important message worthy of the widest possible circulation."{{cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-04-25-9804240227-story.html|title='NICHOLAS' GIFT' IS SURE TO TOUCH YOUR HEART|last=Jicha|first=Tom|date=April 24, 1998|website=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=October 20, 2022}} In his review for The New York Times, 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/25/arts/television-review-a-boy-is-slain-and-gives-life-to-others.html|title=TELEVISION REVIEW; A Boy Is Slain, and Gives Life to Others|last=Lyman|first=Rick|date=April 25, 1998|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 20, 2022}} The Deseret News 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1998/4/25/19376451/nicholas-gift-is-a-superb-true-life-movie|title='Nicholas' Gift' is a superb true-life movie|date=April 25, 1998|website=Deseret News|access-date=October 20, 2022}}

=Awards and nominations=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
Year ! Award ! Category ! Recipient(s) ! Result ! {{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
1998 \| 50th Primetime Emmy Awards \| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie \| Jamie Lee Curtis \| {{Nom}} \| {{cite web\|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/nicholas-gift\|title=Nicholas' Gift - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins\|website=Television Academy\|access-date=October 20, 2022}}
rowspan="2"\| 1999 \| 20th Youth in Film Awards \| Best Family TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series \| Nicholas' Gift \| {{Nom}} \| {{cite web\|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm\|title=The 20th Annual Youth in Film Awards\|website=Young Artist Awards\|access-date=October 20, 2022\|url-status=unfit\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128203408/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm\|archive-date=November 28, 2016}}
50th Christopher Awards \| Television Specials \| Robert Markowitz Christine Berardo Russell Kagan Lorenzo Minoli Judd Parkin Paolo Piria \| {{Won}} \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

Year

! Award

! Category

! Recipient(s)

! Result

! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

1998

| 50th Primetime Emmy Awards

| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie

| Jamie Lee Curtis

| {{Nom}}

| {{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/nicholas-gift|title=Nicholas' Gift - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins|website=Television Academy|access-date=October 20, 2022}}

rowspan="2"| 1999

| 20th Youth in Film Awards

| Best Family TV Movie / Pilot / Mini-Series

| Nicholas' Gift

| {{Nom}}

| {{cite web|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm|title=The 20th Annual Youth in Film Awards|website=Young Artist Awards|access-date=October 20, 2022|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128203408/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms20.htm|archive-date=November 28, 2016}}

50th Christopher Awards

| Television Specials

| Robert Markowitz
Christine Berardo
Russell Kagan
Lorenzo Minoli
Judd Parkin
Paolo Piria

| {{Won}}

|