Pay It Forward (2000)

This is what Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with for his assignment on his first day of Social Studies.The assignment is simple:Come up with an idea to change the world.What Trevor conceives is an idea where instead of paying back the favors that are done for us, we pay them forward...By finding three people in need of something vital -something they can't do on their own- and doing it for them, thus creating a chain of benevolence, and goodwill which hopefully will be perpetuated:By the three people we've just helped, following our example.With this in mind, he finds an indigent man (Jim Caviezel), and decides to help him out, giving him some money, and letting him sleep in his house for one night without his mother's knowledge.When this first attempt seems to crash and burn, Trevor turns his attention to his diligent but but deeply sorrowful teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey), who appears to have no one in his life who loves him, and who's face is tragically disfigured.Trevor's mother Arlene (Helen Hunt), is a struggling young cocktail waitress in Las Vegas who's recovering from a long bout of alcoholism, and having trouble coping with her child's disappointment in her.With a little maneuvering from Trevor, the two of them get together, and begin a relationship which, though great in the beginning, threatens to fall apart as obstacles block it's path.Meanwhile, in what appears to be the near future (and serving as a poignant opening to the movie), an L.A journalist named Chris Chandler (Jay Mohr) is given a brand new Jaguar by a complete stranger after his own car gets destroyed.Struck by this out of the blue event, he decides to investigate the matter further, which uncovers a chain of events eventually leading to Trevor himself.Pay It Forward is a terrific, and refreshing movie which manages to have a little humor despite it's dramatic premise.Everybody is good in it, and everybody seems committed to what the story has to say.I was particularly impressed that the director was a woman, since not too many women are good at directing movies.The ending is shocking, but is really the only good way to bring the story to a close.Those who don't agree should see the movie again.Originally, Review #75Posted On: May 31, 2010

The film can't decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama and disappoints on both levels, with an ending more suited for a drama but ultimately feels completely wrong for this movie. Despite the novel idea and a brilliant cast, all the elements just doesn't come together. The film toys with our emotions but doesn't stir any of my senses.

Pay it forward is not really a good movie. The characters are unlikeable, the story is really clunky and some of the dialogue is awful. However, there are some inspiring and good scenes in this movie. And the meaning the movie is trying to show is great on paper, but is not really explored well in the movie. The love story in this movie feels very out of place and boring. If the movie had focused all the way on the pay it forward thing, it would have worked much better. 4/10

Now I know... I could perceived things, things happened to me long time ago, happens now and maybe will happen tomorrow. The reason... We all are here, living for not to pay back what we are given, but to pay forward How beautiful phrase it is, TO PAY FORWARD Special thanks for Catherine Ryan Hyde, A writer of the book/movie "Pay It Forward" We all think about to pay back. If our parents bring us up, we care them because they had done for us before. It is wrong. They do for use, but we don't pay back, we pay forward to our kids. Also we care our parents not because to pay back something, because we love them. Only reason. This film taught me a lot of things which were unclear, but actually they were clear, but I was blind. That's what I learned.