Director Don Taylor should be given credit for keeping a rather uneventful flick interesting. To that end, he relies on some very solid acting from Julie Harris, in a small but eye-catching and sensitive part; the ever reliable Glenn Ford in the sunset of his career; and a highly naturalistic performance from Gary Frank.
The Irish brogue and sharp dialogue help, as does the typical TV photography of the 1970s, everything done with unassuming intelligence.
In the end, family amounts to the loftiest value of all, and Navy soldier Frank's short Xmas visit ultimately yields him gifts in terms of family relations that remind one how precious loved ones really are, their moods and unpleasant personal traits notwithstanding.
Interesting that Frank's other Xmas gift was to call it a day with his cheating girlfriend: self-respect is as important as family.
A couple of minuses: the photos showing Ford's soccer prowess are unconvincing because it looks like his face was grafted onto some player's body and the "gift" that his right leg was is tough to imagine, because all you see is him heading the ball.
Those minor letdowns aside, I found THE GIFT eminently watchable.
