Pay It Forward

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, Angie Dickinson, James Caviezel
Directed by: Mimi Leder
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary:Seventh grader Trevor McKinney is assigned in class to create a project that could change the world. He comes up with the plan to "Pay it forward." He does a good deed for three people, and tells each of those three people to do three good deeds for someone else, paying the favor forward, instead of back. Trevor starts his plan by trying to help a junkie (James Caviezel), his recovering alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt), and his teacher, a victim of a fire (Kevin Spacey).

Review:

Tim: This is a very powerful movie, and at its heart, has a beautiful idea.Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt both give amazing performances. I love Helen Hunt, but I didn’t really like her in this movie, which does not take anything away from her performance- it was still excellent. I'm probably just not used to seeing her in such a role.

The film is quite powerful, and brings up many thought-provoking questions about our society and how bad it can be. The downside to the film is the sheer length, and the fact that it never seems to end. In some ways, the length adds to the film, but mostly it bores the viewers.

All in all, this is a good movie to rent. The acting is superb, and the drama is very intense. Viewers who are prone to crying may wish to bring along a box of Kleenex for this film. While there are only a few occasional moments where you might shed a tear, it is better to have them just in case. I personally did not even come close to crying, but a few of my fellow viewers did.

I do recommend renting this film, but only if you can devote a good length of time to it. I don’t recommend watching this if you have something to do afterwards, as it will make this movie a very painful experience for you. Finally, if you are into drama, then this movie will satisfy you, but also has just enough entertainment value to keep the average action fan interested as well.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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