Pay It Forward (2000)
Angie Dickinson, Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt, James Caviezel, Jay Mohr ... (see more) , Jon Bon Jovi , Kevin Spacey , Liev Schreiber , Shawn Pyfrom
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) 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 encourages paying back favors in advance. The whole town embraces the boy's concept, and random acts of kindness become a community pastime. Though celebrated by acquaintances and the media, the boy struggles at home with his alcoholic mother, and the only one who recognizes his lonely fight is Eugene Simonet.
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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
the movie, cast, and execution - not good (aside from jim caviezel). the idea and the message i took from it - amazing
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.
one person helps 3 people and that person helps 3 people and so and the world would be a better place
Se iba aflojando la historia con el recorrido, pero los giros en el desenlace son llamativos. Creo que en el fondo se plantea algo interesante.
Se iba aflojando la historia con el recorrido, pero los giros en el desenlace son llamativos. Creo que en el fondo se plantea algo interesante.
What a great movie... Heard to take the ending. Osment demands loyalty on the screen, did also in The Sixth sense.
Critic Reviews
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
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
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.full review
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