Film Review of Pay It Forward
Year: 2000 Reviewer: Chris Docker
This movie with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and boy wonder (Sixth Sense) Haley Joel Osmet, will either inspire and uplift you, or will help you regurgitate your popcorn into the empty bag. The "Pay it Forward" idea is similar to the equally new-age "random acts of kindness" only it becomes a sort of chain-mail of good deeds. In the movie, a schoolboy develops it in response to a social studies project. At first, it doesn't seem to work but a reporter traces the chain back and proves its worth. Osmet's mother is played by Helen Hunt, an abused, alcoholic, go-go bar waitress who is desperately trying to make things work and get back on track. His teacher is played by Spacey, and suffers from a deformity caused by extensive burns. Perhaps because I'm not really a very cynical person at heart except in fun, I came out of the cinema inspired and emotionally energized. But someone else would come out painfully aware of the Hollywood-style manipulation in this film. Having read the plot summary, I expected fine acting (which you get) to rescue an abysmal story and make it a watchable "weepie". Instead, for all its string-pulling, I felt Pay it Forward said made its point in a thought-provoking and realistic way. One I'd recommend.
Rating: Unrated
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