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IMDbPro

Pay It Forward

  • 20002000
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
120K
YOUR RATING
Promo poster
Trailer
Play trailer0:32
1 Video
70 Photos
Drama
A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
120K
YOUR RATING
    • Mimi Leder
    • Catherine Ryan Hyde(book)
    • Leslie Dixon(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Haley Joel Osment
    • Helen Hunt
    • Mimi Leder
    • Catherine Ryan Hyde(book)
    • Leslie Dixon(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Haley Joel Osment
    • Helen Hunt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 685User reviews
    • 117Critic reviews
    • 40Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Pay It Forward
    Trailer 0:32
    Watch Pay It Forward

    Photos70

    Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment and Kevin Spacey star
    Haley Joel Osment stars as Trevor McKinney
    Arlene & Reuben
    Helen Hunt stars as Arlene McKinney
    Reuben & Trevor
    Haley Joel Osment stars as Trevor McKinney
    Pay It Forward (2000)
    Pay It Forward (2000)
    Pay It Forward (2000)
    Teaser one sheet
    Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, and Haley Joel Osment in Pay It Forward (2000)
    Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, and Haley Joel Osment in Pay It Forward (2000)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    • Eugene Simonet
    Haley Joel Osment
    Haley Joel Osment
    • Trevor McKinney
    Helen Hunt
    Helen Hunt
    • Arlene McKinney
    Jay Mohr
    Jay Mohr
    • Chris Chandler
    Jim Caviezel
    Jim Caviezel
    • Jerry
    • (as James Caviezel)
    Jon Bon Jovi
    Jon Bon Jovi
    • Ricky McKinney
    Angie Dickinson
    Angie Dickinson
    • Grace
    David Ramsey
    David Ramsey
    • Sidney Parker
    Gary Werntz
    • Mr. Thorsen
    Colleen Flynn
    Colleen Flynn
    • Woman on Bridge
    Marc Donato
    Marc Donato
    • Adam
    Kathleen Wilhoite
    Kathleen Wilhoite
    • Bonnie
    Liza Snyder
    Liza Snyder
    • Michelle
    Jeannetta Arnette
    Jeannetta Arnette
    • Nurse
    Hannah Leder
    Hannah Leder
    • Thorsen's Daughter
    • (as Hannah Werntz)
    Tina Lifford
    Tina Lifford
    • Principal
    Loren D. Baum
    • Rough Kid #1
    Nico Matinata
    • Rough Kid #2
      • Mimi Leder
      • Catherine Ryan Hyde(book)
      • Leslie Dixon(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the scene where Helen Hunt's character strikes her son Trevor across the face, Haley Joel Osment requested that she actually hit him to make it seem more realistic. However, director Mimi Leder declined to allow that to happen in the film.
    • Goofs
      The point of triage in an ER is to identify and treat patients in need of immediate care. No nurse in his/her right mind would pass over a girl having an acute asthma attack for an obviously stable man with a gunshot wound, no matter what order they arrived in.
    • Quotes

      Trevor McKenney: I think some people are too scared, or something. I guess it's hard for people who are so used to things the way they are - even if they're bad - to change. 'Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Dr. T and the Women/Billy Elliot/The Ladies Man/Lost Souls/The Broken Hearts Club (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      You Gotta Move
      Written and Performed by Sam Cooke

    User reviews685

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    " Knowing the right thing is easy, doing the right thing is a bit harder "
    The world is a pretty awful place if one sees only the bad which is usually all around us. Occasionally when there is a disaster, people from all walks of life, suddenly forget who they are and step forward to help out and for a moment, the world becomes a place where all mankind can share in that one brief pause, called Humanity. This is one such film. It's called " Pay it Forward. " The name strikes an immediate note of confusion at first, until one thinks about it. Too often when someone does a good deed, most of us feel we should try and Pay it back. This is the original concept, except in the film a young student named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) designed it so a person who receives a favor, is then told to pay it forwards to three other people. The idea first began as a school assignment given by his teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey) and encouraged by the boy's mother Arlene. (Helen Hunt) It is not that often when such a simple idea can have such a profound effect and reminds the rest of us, that simplicity is the key to our basic nature. With two academy award winners in the forefront of this film, I fail to see how it was not nominated for an award of some magnitude. ****
    helpful•6
    0
    • thinker1691
    • Jan 19, 2010

    FAQ1

    • Is this movie based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 20, 2000 (United States)
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • -Making-of
      • Filmymen
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Bel Air Entertainment
      • Tapestry Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 3 minutes
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

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