Critic Reviews

A touching and almost ridiculously inspirational story for all of us.

An inspirational movie about a inspiring figure: Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah of Ghana.

Ten percent of Ghana's 20 million people are disabled, yet the film makes little attempt to explain why.

Sincere but fairly soft piece of ennobling journalism that gives a positive spin to some of Africa's seemingly intractable problems.

Yeboah is so levelheaded about his own accomplishments that the swelling score and emotional narration from Oprah Winfrey feel embarrassingly sentimental.

Directed in the breathless inspirational tones of an infomercial, the film's an acceptable document of a thoroughly remarkable individual.

The heroic struggle of its subject is clearly meant to inspire, but it also seems destined to shame weak-willed viewers who'd crumble under much less formidable obstacles.

This feel-good profile barely touches on the political and cultural ramifications of Emmanuel's work. Narration by Oprah increases the aura of a civics lesson.

Samson Chan's color-saturated visuals add punch to the absorbing narrative, but overall this documentary plays like slickly packaged TV fare, right down to the plugs for Nike.

Sadly, Emmanuel's Gift is a powerful story of political change almost smothered by contrivance.