Pay It Forward
2000 Directed by Mimi Leder
Synopsis
When someone does you a big favor, don't pay it back... Pay It Forward
Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.
Popular reviews
More-
Take a sugar cube, dip it in honey and smother it in icing sugar. Then, and only then, will you approach the level of sickeningly saccharine sweetness this film is made out of. That, in itself, would be bad enough, but this film also feels the need to incessantly rub our faces in it and treats us like lobitomised retards.
The only thing I was willing to pay forward after seeing this horrid film is a sincere warning to those who haven't seen it yet: Stay far, far away from this one.
-
Nope, a rewatch still hasn't brought me to my senses it seems... still love this film.
It's a simple premise which is laid out beautifully, fantastically delivered with superb scoring.
Fuck all you haters on here!!! ;)
This is a wonderful film and only drops 1/2 a star for the over the top ending which detracts slightly from what is a true tear jerker.
Oh alright, maybe I'm an old softie who still has emotional ties to back when I originally saw it and it left me blubbing. Not ashamed to say how much I love this film though. :)
-
Good. God.
I don't think I've ever been spoon-fed such obvious, patronising, painful, tacky, sickly, incoherent bullshit for two straight hours before but I can confirm the experience was not ideal.
The biggest crime this film commits (among many) is, unlike some bad films which have the good grace to acknowledge their own ineptitude, 'Pay it Forward', entranced with its own delusions of grandeur and pretentiousness, genuinely fools itself into thinking its groundbreaking and making a difference to humans everywhere. This is highlighted by its hilariously stupid plot and unrealistic protagonist which culminate in a profoundly dumb movie.
The entire film, in fact, aims to shit all over American Beauty, or in some cases attempts to trick the audience into…
-
If we all did what this film suggests the world would be a better place.
-
Every possible cloying cliche is trotted out at some point; if it’s not in the forefront of the film, it’s in some character’s back story. Child abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, spousal abuse, school violence… it’s all there. The film feels like every Lifetime movie of the week rolled into one. Subtlety is not a word that the writers of this film were familiar with. Of course, it’s hardly unusual for a film with a message to be unsubtle, and that lack of subtlety can almost — almost — be forgiven when it gets that message across.
But here, it fails. Hilariously. And I’m not just being a snide reviewer there; I actually burst out laughing several times during the movie solely because of how bad this film is at presenting its message. Read full review.
Recent reviews
More-
Really enjoyed this sappy tear jerker.
-
Every possible cloying cliche is trotted out at some point; if it’s not in the forefront of the film, it’s in some character’s back story. Child abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, spousal abuse, school violence… it’s all there. The film feels like every Lifetime movie of the week rolled into one. Subtlety is not a word that the writers of this film were familiar with. Of course, it’s hardly unusual for a film with a message to be unsubtle, and that lack of subtlety can almost — almost — be forgiven when it gets that message across.
But here, it fails. Hilariously. And I’m not just being a snide reviewer there; I actually burst out laughing several times during the movie solely because of how bad this film is at presenting its message. Read full review.
-
Caught this one on TV and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Sure, it might feel somewhat sappy to some, but I was drawn in by such interesting characters. Also, the subject of forgiving, especially people as close as parents, really struck close to me. If anything, I thought the ending was unnecessary and just craving for a shock. Still, a fine film.
(review written in 2008) -
The concept is sweet and the filmmakers have their hearts in the right place, but regardless it's extremely gimmicky and hamfistedly melodramatic -- especially the ending.
-
Good. God.
I don't think I've ever been spoon-fed such obvious, patronising, painful, tacky, sickly, incoherent bullshit for two straight hours before but I can confirm the experience was not ideal.
The biggest crime this film commits (among many) is, unlike some bad films which have the good grace to acknowledge their own ineptitude, 'Pay it Forward', entranced with its own delusions of grandeur and pretentiousness, genuinely fools itself into thinking its groundbreaking and making a difference to humans everywhere. This is highlighted by its hilariously stupid plot and unrealistic protagonist which culminate in a profoundly dumb movie.
The entire film, in fact, aims to shit all over American Beauty, or in some cases attempts to trick the audience into…
-
Nothing better than a plate of cheese.
-
Kid Haley Joel Osment proves his genius once again.
-
"Die Welt ist scheiße ..."
Ganz ehrlich - jeder hat doch min. schon einmal in seinem Leben diesen Gedanken gehabt. Wenn nicht sogar schon öfters ... :)
Ändern wir das ganze doch mal etwas ... stellt euch vor ihr lebt in einer Welt, in der alle Menschen ununterbrochen gutes tun und das auch noch völlig selbstlos. Eine Welt in der einem ein Fremder seinen Jaguar schenkt, weil man so eben sein eigenes Auto zu Schrott gefahren hat oder in der man von irgend jemanden ein Essen spendiert bekommt weil man gerade so hungrig aussieht. Unvorstellbar, oder?
Gut, erweitern wir das ganze - nehmen wir an, ein kleiner Junge hätte diese neue Welt geschaffen. Er hatte im Zuge einer Klassenarbeit folgende…
-
Nope, a rewatch still hasn't brought me to my senses it seems... still love this film.
It's a simple premise which is laid out beautifully, fantastically delivered with superb scoring.
Fuck all you haters on here!!! ;)
This is a wonderful film and only drops 1/2 a star for the over the top ending which detracts slightly from what is a true tear jerker.
Oh alright, maybe I'm an old softie who still has emotional ties to back when I originally saw it and it left me blubbing. Not ashamed to say how much I love this film though. :)