IMDB Rating: 6.70, 15767 votes |
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A school social studies assignment leads to social changes that spread from city-to-city. Assigned to come up with some idea that will improve mankind, a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) decides that if he can do three good deeds for someone and they in turn can "pay it forward" and so forth, positive changes can occur. What appears to initially be a failure, is indeed a success that is not immediately known but is traced backwards by a reporter who is a benefactor. The initial recipients of the boy are a drug addict (James Cavaziel), his badly scarred school teacher (Kevin Spacey), and his alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt). While physically and mentally scarred by past events, the teacher is not the only one bearing scars. The young boy fears his mother's fate, particularly at his brutal, alcoholic father's (Jon Bon Jovi) hands. The mother also bears scars from her childhood with a homeless, alcoholic mother (Angie Dickinson).Actors
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15 Comments
A nice idea. A sappy story. Too self-important.
Bad, but it has a certain something
Plot: 3
Originality: 6
Visuals: 4
Acting: 2
Overall: 3.75
Very good story, script gets a little too dramatic
Well scripted.
Spacey and Hunt seem wasted in this movie. I should have been in it.
I was into it for about an hour. Then it got real sucky real fast.
Kevin Spacey is at his best when he’s being kinda cagey. And his character here is that way for a while. Then he meets Helen Hunt and everything goes to Hell.
I think I’ve had my fill of Haley Joel Osment too. Ugh.
And the ending. Oh my. What crap. What sanctimonious, falsely-sentimental crap. I could have given this a 5 up until that ending. Two points off for making me guffaw in disbelief, staring at the screen in horror as all stops in the tearjerker arsenal are pulled from the toenails of cinema.
very cliche but not convincing enough (though the stars’ acting are great
Excellent movie!
Mimi Leder Ruins GREAT Performances…
What do you get when you combine Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment in a touching story with each star playing a certain "scarred" role? If you said Oscars, you’re wrong…At least at this point in the game. If you said The Apocalypse, you might not be that far off. But if you said Mimi Leder, then we have a winner!
From the women who was "clever" enough to bring us an "emotional" asteriod flick comes Pay It Forward, the story of Trevor McKinney (Osment), a 4th grader who is inspired to help the world after being given a project from his teacher, Eugene Simonet (Spacey). Trevor’s idea is to do three "big" favors for three other people. In turn, instead of paying those favors back to Trevor, those three people would pay the favors forward to three other people, who in turns would keep the process going and so on. After Trevor brings a bum (James Caviezel) home, Trevor’s mom, Arelene (Hunt), goes to Trevor’s school to find what is going on. Trevor’s other two favors are to set-up Eugene with his mom, and to help his school-buddy, Adam (Marc Donato), avoid getting bullied at school.
First off, the basic plot of Pay It Forward is wonderful. It is a tad idealistic, but when you think about it, the plan is so simple. Also, if there is any sort of justice at the Academy, Pay It Forward hold threes Oscar nominates performances within. And with that praise said, Pay It Forward is probably one of the worst-directed films I have ever seen.
After seeing Deep Impact, I basically thought that Leder got too ambitious, which let the movie get out of hand. After seeing Pay it Forward, though, I’ve come to the realization that Leder merely enjoys pandering for tears. Instead of telling a story, she’d rather try to make you sob by showing excessive amounts of close-ups and playing up the most pointless dialogue. Some movie critics are bashed for being "quote whores," but it is apt in this situation to label Leder a "tear whore."
With Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment starring in this movie, a monkey could have pulled out a better product. Leder practically ruins what could have been the run-away film at this year’s Oscars. Yet, despite Leder blundering stupidity, the cast manages to shine. Leder could have shut the door on them completely and we still would have been able to see small bursts of light. We can consider this both a testimony to the caliber of the performances and the unsound ways of Leder.
The story for Pay It Forward is told through the reporting of a Chris Chandler (Jay Mohr), a magazine features writer. I don’t know who to blame for this problem, but the set-up for this is poorly executed. It seems very choppy, and Mohr’s character only needs to talk to 3 or 4 people to get the "scoop" on what is supposed to be a national phenomenon.
If you read the review of Pay It Forward in Entertainment Weekly, I hope you heeded Lisa Schwarzbaum’s advice to stop reading if you didn’t want to know the ending. I now, too, will talk about the ending, so I’d suggest you stop reading if you haven’t seen the movie yet. And if you just want to read it anyway, thats fine too.
While helping Adam out while being bullied, Trevor is killed. He dies in order to finish his third and final favor. Very touching. And I am being serious this time. Not even Leder could ruin the powerful emotions that occur during this sequence. I would have typed "final sequence," but there is one more Leder horror to discuss. Instead of ending the film with the death, or Trevor’s taped interview, Leder decides to snap your eyelids one more time to try and pull out some tears, any tears. We see thousands of people leaving flowers outside of Arlene’s house and holding candles. We see cars on the road stretching for miles. It looks like a scene straight out of the Princess Di tragedy. Then again, this is Pay It Forward. And after such an emotionally-wrenching scene, Leder made me go from sorrow to near-vomiting.
If I were King of the World, Mimi Leder would not have directed Pay It Forward. But alas, you have not elected me to that position…yet. Still, it would have been cool to see a monkey accepting the Best Picture Oscar this March.
Special…
Another steller performance from , Kevin Spacey, who i think may be the best actor working today. This is one of those rare movies that is able to couple some kind of "message", without being sappy about it. i liked this one!
Amazing how wonderful this movie is! Refreshing!
This movie has the potential to change the world
… and I hope it does, even if it’s just a little bit. The concept of Pay It Forward will live in my heart forever.
A must-see tear-jerker. Great acting. I LOVED the song in the final scene!! Go see it!
a great story and some incredible acting, but I wish the ending was better…
Good story. Very touching.
It sure would be nice if people could be like that - not the manipulative part - but just be helpful. The story isn’t very likely, but it’s very touching - the whole theater had the sniffles
The acting almost saves the movie.
This movie isn’t as bad as many of the reivews it has been getting (if you discount the manipulative ending) but if not for the acting it wouldn’t be worthwhile. The story is kind of sappy and unbelievable but Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment are all incredible and get close to pulling the film off.