Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Those who thoroughly enjoyed this little gem - they got it. They were able to put the cynical critic within themselves on hold for a while and just sit there and enjoy experiencing it. Extraordinary cast. Delightful tone and mood. Wonderful ensemble acting.And, yes, a plot line you've seen many, many times before (see other reviews or the synopsis for details; I won't rehash them here). Most of those who disliked "Gideon" called the story hackneyed, and I want to absolutely disagree with that description.The dictionary definition of "hackneyed" means something beyond overly familiar. It also means that something is boring, not worth the time you may spend in watching it, and that it doesn't give you anything worthwhile to away with you. In this case, that's just wrong.How many great westerns have been built of the same basic situation? Hell, how many great John Ford westerns cover the exact same ground over and over? How many times did Frank Capra do the same thing. (In fact, they both remade one of their earlier hits, almost line for line.) How many great heist films or chase flicks or love stories or vendetta sagas offer absolutely nothing new by way of plot or structure or style? There's always a way to offer something new to any story, and it's no great sin to try putting your own spin on even the most overcrowded category. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Frequently the end result is beyond awful, an insult to genre.With Gideon," I think it does work. This isn't going to end up on the AFI's top 100 list, but it left me feeling refreshed, happy to have had a chance to take one more quick swim in a favorite old swimming hole.And just a couple more notes. The fact that so many terrific older actors willingly lined up to participate, tells you that they didn't see this film as hackneyed. And their deeply moving performances made it clear that their participation was no quickie play-for-pay gig with them.I also notice that as the years have passed, user reviews have become far more positive, most grading out in the 9 out of 10 range. This film has worn well, a familiar characteristic shared with very good films that didn't originally find their niche.So, when it rolls around again on one of your cable channels, I highly recommend that you give it an open-minded look. It may become one of your little-known personal discoveries, or maybe just become one of your slightly guilty pleasures, but you'll surely find that it does offer something original and satisfying to take with you.

A friend of mine recently gave me the video of Gideon and I must say I was very surprised. No, there is no action, no car chases, no special effects. What it does have are wonderful performances and an interesting story. There are so few movies these days that make us think and take stock of our lives. It's nice to find a small film with a simple story, that is well acted. Gideon will never be a classic because it lacks the fundamental basic requirements to achieve that -- but for those of us who still enjoy a good story that challenges you to think and feel, then this movie is a beautiful little gem. 10/10

Don't be fooled by whatever sentimental fools commented on this movie previously, Gideon is completely terrible. I'm a big Christopher Lambert fan, and I like Charlton Heston, but this movie still really sucks. Hard.

An old-fashioned sweet movie, sort of Being There meets Cocoon. Only Shelly Winters is out of place in a one-note portrayal as the evil owner. This is a fitting valedictory for Carroll O'Connor who trots out his Archie Bunker accent for the occasion. Barbara Bain is marvelous and steals every scene she is in. Charlton Heston and Shirley Jones make me wish I could look, talk, and act like them at their age --- heck, make that even at my age, and they have 30 years on me. This has a sweet and winning charm, It may be a bit too much saccharine for hardened hearts, must most of us sentimental softies will want to watch it again and again.