Rating: 
Summary: Kevin and Helen Make This Movie Special!
Review: PAY IT FORWARD is director Mimi Leader (The Peace Maker, Deep Impact) third film and she herself will tell you this is the film she would have wanted to make first. I agree. This film has a heart and a story that even in its simplest way can teach us all something about each other and ourselves. This is one you might want to watch with your kids and your family as a whole.The film stars two of Hollywood's best Kevin Spacey (K-PAX, American Beauty, A Bug's Life) and Helen Hunt (What Women Want, As Good As It Guests, Twister). They have chemistry and an energy that was real and honest. Kevin is one of my favorite modern day actors and Helen just performs better and better each time. The story is that of Kevin's character assigning his class a social studies project for the year to be graded on. Simply to come up with an idea, concept or function that would - or has the potential to - change the world. Haley Joel Osmon (Hunchback Of Notre Dame II, The 6th Sense, A.I.) is the kid who comes sup with the idea of every person who can help three people in a big way. These people PAY the favor back - by PAYING IT FORWARD to three other people. As so on, and so on, etc. Haley is incredible in this role and he gives an honest and heartfelt performance. There are problems along the way and issues that can change the course of a human being that at the time seem strange, but often have positive results. Listening to the DVD commentary by the director was interesting knowing how this concept affected the cast and the crew. To be this is a good wholesome film with a positive message. And after 9/11/01, we certainly could a positive movement all over this world. This is a good one to have. Buy it! (9-9-02)
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Touching Movie
Review: Pay it Forward is a very touching, heartfelt movie you will love. Trevor a young man, is given a social studies project from teacher Eugene, who is rather socially awkward, about changing the world. Trevor gets an idea to do three people a favor, then those three people have to do three other people a favor, and so on. He tries to hook up his mom and his teacher, but finds he has failed himself. However he is surprised to learn his idea is becoming a universal idea that is sweeping the nation. Without giving away the ending, this movie has a lot of surprise plot twists, but it is excellent. The movie inspires the viewer to make a difference, and to not take life for granted. The movie tackles various issues, and does it very well. Rent this movie, buy it, you wont regret it. Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osmont have handed in a Emmy worthy performance here with a movie that will be a favorite of yours forever, with its touching tale of family, friends and making the world a better place.
Rating:
Summary: The most underrated movie of the year
Review: With a superior cast - Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment, and Jim Caviezel - and a unique story with good plot, it is very unfortunate this film was so underrated. I remember when it came out in theatres and it just seemed to fizzle out of existence. I myself never had the chance to see it in the theatre but rather rented it a few years ago one boring Sunday afternoon and I tell you, I am glad I saw it. It was just brilliant. Helen Hunt plays a single mother who lives with her son (Haley Joel Osment) in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is separated from her sons's father, (Jon Bon Jovi - in a suprisingly good performance)a lush and wife-beater who one day up and left them. Hunt works two jobs to make ends meet and tries to raise her son as best as she can despite her alcoholism. The story begins with Osment's first day of sixth grade. His first class is social studies and the teacher is none other than Kevin Spacey - with a distorted right side to his face. You immediately wonder what happened to him and what the significance of it is. You will, of course, learn that later in the movie. Osment's social studies teacher is rather extraordinary in that he actually talks to and treats his students like young adults and not just kids. He takes his job seriously and expects the same from his class. He challenges them to an extra-credit assignment by using "the realm of possibility that exists in your mind" and make it reality. Osment rises to the challenge by coming up with a concept of paying good deeds forward to others instead of back to their originators. He actually applies it and puts it into action. What he does and the consequences of each action produce a domino-like affect. The movie opens up with characters unrelated to Hunt, Spacey, and Osment but you must give it a chance to realize the connection. Just keep watching and don't give up; I almost wanted to, but just then it all begins to come together. I won't go into any further detail of this movie. Besides, I am sure that by now you have read other reviews of this movie and have a general idea of what it's all about. Some reviewers have given away too much, I think, and it just spoils the whole thing. But you just must watch it. You have to see for yourself the transitions each character (major and minor) goes through.
You will enjoy. By the way, without even knowing it, this is the first movie I saw with a semi-unknown actor by the name of James Caviezel. He plays the role of Jesus in Mel Gibsons's "Passion of the Christ." I was so surprised and astonished to learn that Caviezel is the homeless guy in this movie that Osment's character brings home as his first deed of paying it forward. Despite Caviezel's dirty and grubby appearance in this film, I still thought he was good-looking. And boy am I right! Jim Caviezel is a fine specimen of a man - and quite an actor, too. I have since seen all of his films and am impressed. Anyway, this is a brilliant film with a brilliant message. Imagine the possibility: if we all pay it forward. Just imagine. Ok, now let's make it real. I have already, how about you?
Rating:
Summary: heart warming story
Review: The chance that I watch this DVD was the purpose that extent the skill of my English listening. Because I heard that it was good for listening up to watch boys and girls movie. But when I watched this DVD, the thinking that I had first changed, that is to say, I enjoyed the story honestly.
The movie is not used ellegant technique and superior computer graphics, but the story was very heartwarming. I always have self conciouseness, and I tend to think that it is important for me to move things in myself main. And the more I grow older, the more I have not the feeling that I help other persons.
But what devote myself to other men is important thing and if I am in the condition that can help other people, on the other hands, will mean what keep good condition of my mind, that is, even if I feel down, by helping other persons, the mind of myself may feel up too. And the teacher of the main character of this movie have many knowledge and inteligent and perfect man in my first feeling, but he was troubled with the scars of his body. But by confessing the scars to a woman, he get over the trouble.
After all,the only way that can cure the scars of the mind will be by man, I think, can not cure by oneself.
To tell the truth, I have the scars of my body, I have been troubled for long years. But when I watched this movie, in the truth that have the same trouble even if that is fiction-story, I took the bravery, and some day I believe that I will be able to get over too. After a long time, I met wonderful and heartwarming film. Thank you for reading poor English.
Rating:
Summary: Was this a Sam Mendes movie??
Review: No, it isn't, but the music director must have had their hands in American Beauty as the opening scenes have some frighteningly similar background music. . . Anyway, on to Pay it Forward. This is a remarkably heart-felt movie. Kevin Spacey plays a middle school teacher who was badly burned as a child. Helen Hunt play the mother of "The Sixth Sense's" Haley Joel Osment. The characters in this picture are amazingly baggage laden. Hunt's character, Arlene McKinney, is an alcoholic, who repeatedly lets her son Trevor's alcoholic father come back to their home. Spacey's character, Mr. Eugene Simonet, is heavily scared both mentally and physically from a less-than-ordinary childhood. Mr. Simonet, assigns quite the idealistic project when he asks his kids on their first day of the seventh grade, for extra credit of course, to come up with an idea to change the world. Trevor takes this assignment to heart and comes up with the idea of "paying it forward." Simply stated, you do something for a person, something that they themselves are incapable of doing but instead of paying that person back for the favor, you pay the favor forward to three people. Trevor decides to do three favors for three people. . . and the story goes on from there. This movie is a profound piece of work. The cast is phenomenal. Spacey, Hunt, and Osment are all wonderfully played. Osment is quite a believable actor for being so very young. epc
Rating: 
Summary: The definition of a Bad 'Feel good' Flick
Review: Pay it Forward is a movie I really was looking forward to. It had a great cast, a good director and what looked to be an interesting plot. Alas, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment when a movie doesn't work for you. The problem is that the story, which stumbles several times, ends on a false and manipulative note. I felt used. Haley Joel Osment plays Trevor, a bright but troubled kid. He lives in Las Vegas with his mother, Arlene [Helen Hunt], an alcoholic cocktail waitress. She's a caring mother, but she's having a hard time kicking her addiction. Her husband has long since departed, and Trevor has good reason to hope he stays away. At school, Trevor has a new social studies teacher. His name is Eugene [Kevin Spacey], an excellent teacher whose face is badly scarred. His past and his disfigurement are enough to keep Eugene living in his own controlled little world. The teacher gives the class an year-long assignment. The students must come up with an idea that will change the world. Trevor decides that he will help three people and tell them they should pay the favor forward to three other people. He figures that if everyone aids three others, the world will be a better place. He starts with a drug addict [James Caviezel] whom he lets live in his garage. When Arlene finds out, she naturally throws the guy out. (Wouldn't you?) Next Trevor vows to keep his nerdish best friend from getting beaten up. Finally, he decides that Eugene is the perfect match for his Mom. His efforts continue on interestingly enough until the aforementioned climax. The cast does what it can; in fact, the three leads display an earnestness that is touching. If only the material had been worth their efforts! Joel Haley Osment affirms that his performance in The Sixth Sense was no fluke. If he is this good at age twelve, will he be even better in ten years or will he burn out? Helen Hunt always seems to shine in working mother roles. Kevin Spacey can do no wrong in my book, if you take into account that no actor in history has ever had a perfect record in choosing scripts. I liked director Mimi Leder's previous efforts. She has stated that Pay it Forward is the kind of movie she expected to direct in the first place. Ironically, her other movies were about such things as nuclear weapons and killer asteroids [The Peacemaker, Deep Impact]. She proved that a female director can successfully helm a thriller. Perhaps she should keep that genre in mind in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Moving Film
Review: Helen Hunt leads an all-star cast as a hard working mom from Vegas, raising seventh grader, Trevor, on her own. Social Studies teacher, Mr. Simonet, played wonderfully by Kevin Spacey, is the crusty middle-aged man who can't come to grips with his painful childhood experiences which leads him through a lifetime of lonely bachelorhood. When he assigns the class an extra credit project to "change the world," Trevor finds an original way to intrepret the job and literally sets out to, one by one, create a hands-on affect on his community. First he befriends a homeless man, Jerry, played convincingly by THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST'S Jim Caviezel, and tries to help Jerry get back on the right track. Jon Bon Jovi plays Trevor's nasty pop, who saunters back into the picture just when Helen Hunt begins a tender relationship with Mr. Simonet. The viewer roots for the PAY IT FORWARD idea, despite numerous setbacks. Angie Dickinson has a small role as the weather-battered drunk mom of Helen Hunt, and we see Jay Mohr intermittently as a fumbling reporter trying desperately to track down the originator of this Pay it Forward "movement." The ending took me by surprise, and I will not spoil it, but suffice to say there won't be a dry eye in the house when you see it for yourself. This one is a keeper!
Rating: 
Summary: Pay it Forward... 3.5 stars
Review: Pay it Forward was an emotionally stirring movie about doing good in the world we live today. The story centers around a Jr. high teacher's (Kevin Spacey)assignment to his class to "make the world a better place." One student (Haley Joel Osment) seriously carries out his plan, only it's difficult for him to do so because he has an alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt)with an abusive boyfriend. Watching this movie on a 9 hr plane trip, of course, was not optimal; however, it did allow me to get the gist of the movie, which was probably enough. My rating is due to the fact that the movie was somewhat cliched and over-sappy. Events in the storyline seem to connect, but not logically or seamlessly (this was especially true with the surprise ending). The saving grace of Pay it Forward was the superb acting by all three lead roles, who brought life to the movie and will bring tears to your eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: Happiest Movie Ever.....NOT!!!
Review: How much happier can this movie get? Was there a split second in this movie where no one was emotionally or physically hurt? If there was, I'm sorry, but I missed it.
Between the father of the teacher setting fire to him, Trevor, the main character getting stabbed to his death, and the mother being a stripper, I failed to see any level of depth throughout the movie. If you cry easily, beware of this movie, you'll fall into a coma triggered by an emotional breakdown. I'm not kidding.
The cover lies, I tell you. You see the smiles? I wouldn't be smiling if my mom was a stripper, or my son just got stabbed to death, or my father poured kerosine on me and set me on fire. Tell me if I'm wrong. Please.
Rating:
Summary: Ironical
Review: How ironical it is that, whenever non-Christians stumble onto the teachings of Jesus Christ, so long as the name of Jesus Christ is removed from it, they suddenly trip over themselves in heaping accolades on this "new" philosophy. How very strange.
This movie in itself deserves no such praise as it was given at the time of it's release.
It was not well crafted. And the ending was woeful.
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