seeingbystarlight 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

Paul J. Nemecek Last week I reviewed a film called The Contender. The title would have been even more appropriate for this week's film Pay It Forward. In the 1954 Oscar-winning film On the Waterfront Marlon Brando has a great speech in which he says, "I could've been a contender, instead of a bum, which is what I am." I left Pay It Forward thinking a great deal about what it could have been.The premise is engaging. Kevin Spacey plays a middle-school teacher who challenges his students to come up with a strategy for changing the world. One of his students, Trevor, comes up with the interesting idea that is the heart of the film. He says that we worry about paying people back when they do us a favor--maybe we should pay it forward. He decides that he will do something for three different people, instructing them each to do something positive for three other people instead of paying him back. If this exponential altruism catches on it might just change the world.One of Trevor's not-so-random acts of kindness is to get his mother together with his teacher. Trevor is an only child living with an overworked alcoholic mother. His teacher is a single man with a badly scarred face. He knows that they would be good for each other and does everything he can to get them together.There are, of course, complications. The primary weakness of the film is best described by quoting Richard Foster. Foster tells of a publisher who responded to a manuscript by saying "this is original and creative . . . unfortunately the parts that are original are not creative, and the parts that are creative are not original." Once we get past the engaging premise the film becomes a virtual compendium of cliches. We move back and forth between the chain of altruism and the budding romance but both plot lines are chock full of melodramatic machinations.The sad thing is that with a little better writing this could have been an excellent film. The performances are outstanding. Kevin Spacey is excellent as always, Helen Hunt gives one of the best performances of her career, and Haley Joel Osment proves that he is, pound for pound, one of the best actors working.I liked the film overall, but I really wanted to like it more than I did. In this season where we are drowning in the politics of self-interest, anything that encourages civility and compassion is a refreshing change. My expectations were so high that I left a bit disappointed. I am hoping that if I lower your expectations you might see it and like it more than you thought you would. It would please me greatly to do you that small favor. If it does work out that way, no need to thank me or pay me back, just pay it forward.

dissident320 I don't want to spend a lot of time thinking about this movie but oh boy is it bad. Every character is the way they are because of a tragic backstory. Alcoholism is treated as a cheap plot-point to show a character is troubled. Attempted suicide is used as an opportunity for another character's redemption. Heartfelt moments are not earned, they're just peppered throughout to help make this movie feel like it has meaning.And don't worry about difficult characters. Kevin Spacey plays a teacher with facial burns but they're nice and subtle as to not to make the viewer uncomfortable. Helen Hunt's character practically begs to sleep with him and quite easily gets over her alcoholism so we don't have to question whether we like her. Haley Joel Osment is in this too but I won't be so harsh on him as he was still a kid and probably didn't realize what manipulative movie he was in.This manages to feel worse than Crash (2005) and I think I might resent these actors for even taking part in this garbage.

grantss A good, albeit idealistic and naive, idea, very badly executed.The idea - do good things for others and the world becomes a better place - was a nice one. A touch idealistic and naive, but sentiments to live by, at least.However, everything else about the movie is ridiculously bad. The plot ends up very syrupy, manipulative and predictable. Cringeworthily trite.The characters are quite difficult to like: the irritating, whiny yet do-gooder kid (played by Haley Joel Osment), the smug, aloof, pretentious teacher (played by Kevin Spacey). The mom, played by Helen Hunt, was about the only real and believable character in the movie.The more you get into the movie, the more irritating it becomes. Having made its point early, it just seems to be marking time for the remainder of its two hours. Final straw was when the kid's father turned out to be Jon Bon Jovi... Seemed like he was only there for the audience reaction.The ending just seemed silly too, and went a long way to contradicting the central theme.Hard to like the performances, as the characters weren't that likable. Helen Hunt was solid in her role (and looked pretty good too...). I guess Kevin Spacey did as he was directed for his performance, it was just the character was irritating. Same for Haley Joel Osment.