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Pay It Forward (2000)

Pay It Forward
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Angie Dickinson, Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt, James Caviezel, Jay Mohr ... (see more)

Eugene Simonet, an emotionally and physically scarred social studies teacher, challenges his young students to devise some type of philanthropic plan and put it into effect. A young boy, whose own life is far from rosy, takes the assignment to heart and invents the "pay-it-forward" philosophy, which... (read more)

Flixster Users

82% liked it
185,920 ratings

Critics

40% liked it
124 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 55 min.
Directed by: Mimi Leder
Release Date: Oct 20, 2000
DVD Release Date: May 15, 2001

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Flixster User Reviews

8 hours ago
Beautiful movie and an excellent concept!
1 day ago
I cry like a bitch every time. :<
2 days ago
Interesting concept, really heavy movie to watch.
3 days ago
the movie, cast, and execution - not good (aside from jim caviezel). the idea and the message i took from it - amazing
3 days ago
Disgustingly cloying, manipulative movie that began the slow, sad career decline of Kevin Spacey. At least it dispelled the idea that Helen Hunt is a movie star.

Critic Reviews

View more Pay It Forward reviews at RottenTomatoes.com
3136 days ago
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Not since Gump has there been such a pandering, faux-virtuous package of populist pap for Hollywood to shove in the faces of electioneering politicos and say: Look, we don't just market unwholesome swill to families, we market wholesome swill, too.
full review
3656 days ago
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
So enamored of its own upbeat view of human nature that it expects you to overlook its stick-figure characters, its creaky plot machinery and its remorseless assault on your tear ducts.
full review
3656 days ago
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It tells a story that audience members will want to like, but it doesn't tell it strongly and cleanly enough; it puts too many loops into the plot, and its ending is shamelessly soapy for the material.
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