Pay It Forward
The film tells the story of a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. One of his students, Trevor, plans a charitable program based on the networking of good deeds. He calls his plan 'pay it forward'.
30 September 1931, Kulm, North Dakota, USA
11 January 1941, Rhondda, Glamorgan, Wales, UK
8 June 1959, Colombo, Sri Lanka
16 August 1986, Tampa, Florida, USA
10 April 1988, Los Angeles, California, USA
December 27, 2010
A bit syrupy, but sentimental teens may enjoy it.
October 18, 2007
The film seems manufactured to furrow a cynic's brow before bringing up their lunch.
June 25, 2001
With its smorgasbord of moralizings, Pay It Forward is a confusing welter of sentiment.
December 06, 2005
Despite a ton of good intentions, the picture is numbingly obvious and crushingly sentimental.
January 01, 2000
Unceasingly manipulative.
March 22, 2002
Less a worthy achievement than a nice try.
January 01, 2000
If a movie can coax tears out of me, touch me in a way that the tears flow naturally, more power to it. But stealing my tears by beating me over the head with manipulated schmaltz is a cheat.
June 04, 2001
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.
June 23, 2008
Ironic, isn't it, that a film about human decency takes place in Vegas?
January 29, 2005
It is a movie that will not only find but charm -- or should we say con? -- a certain kind of audience.
November 06, 2002
Spacey and Hunt create interestingly layered characters who are hiding parts of themselves from themselves. And come Oscar time, Osment once again may be saying, 'I see tuxedoed people.'
October 14, 2007
There is a clear-cut difference between 'Oscar bait' and 'Oscar worthy,' which Mimi Leder's sentimental crock of a drama illustrates all too well.
