| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kevin Spacey | ... | ||
| Helen Hunt | ... | ||
| Haley Joel Osment | ... | ||
| Jay Mohr | ... | ||
| Jim Caviezel | ... | ||
| Jon Bon Jovi | ... | ||
| Angie Dickinson | ... |
Grace
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| David Ramsey | ... | ||
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Gary Werntz | ... | |
| Colleen Flynn | ... | ||
| Marc Donato | ... |
Adam
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| Kathleen Wilhoite | ... |
Bonnie
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| Liza Snyder | ... |
Michelle
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| Jeannetta Arnette | ... | ||
| Hannah Leder | ... |
Thorsen's Daughter
(as Hannah Werntz)
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Young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward--repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
This was not a bad film; in fact, it was fairly well done, for what it was. Unfortunately, what it was was emotionally manipulative. Child abuse survivors, cute kids, recovering alcoholic mom working two jobs, this movie had it all. Above all, the director's vision was muddled. "Life is sh*t," says Trevor (Osment); by the end of the film, we can see that life is not sh*t after all. Or is it? The dramatic twist at the end (I won't spoil it for you) seemed to revoke the entire message of the movie. It had no apparent purpose, other than to lead up to the buy-the-world-a-coke, faux-heartwarming finale. The movie was not a total wash, however, as the genuinely solid performances from everyone involved lifted it above the sappy little mess it could have been. Osment is a gifted actor who manages to be a scared, vulnerable kid, without resorting to overt cuteness; he has a wary toughness which makes his performances very believable. Although I am admittedly ambiguous about Helen Hunt, she did turn in a very strong, thoughtful performance in a role that could easily have been one-sided or overplayed. Final analyss: If you like sentimentality, "Pay it Forward" is worth the effort, but it falls far short of a classic.