Pay It Forward
I'm going to pay it forward. I'm going to write a very nice review about this movie (it actually does deserve it). It's going to be a big good deed for me because there are some big problems with this film. And in passing this review on to you, the reader, I'm paying it forward.
Story
Based on a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, "Pay It Forward" is about a boy named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) who is inspired by his social studies teacher Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey) and comes up with a school project based on a simple concept: Don't wait to pay back good deeds; pay them forward three times over. One of the boy's attempts to do good includes bringing his teacher together with his alcoholic single mother Arlene (Helen Hunt).
Acting
This movie has all the makings of Oscar. Two-time Oscar winner Spacey is solid as usual and escapes into the role of Mr. Simonet, whose facial and bodily burn scars hide a tragic secret. Oscar winner Hunt gets a chance to really flex her acting muscles, and she does. Her scenes with young Osment are especially gripping. But the revelation in "Pay It Forward" is Osment. This boy was born to act, and he improves upon his already impressive turn in "The Sixth Sense." It would be nice to see Osment win Oscar this year, and Spacey and Hunt will surely receive nominations. Providing strong supporting work are Angie Dickinson, Jay Mohr and James Caviezel, and Jon Bon Jovi appears in a fortunately brief cameo.
Direction
Mimi Leder ("Deep Impact," "The Peacemaker") takes a break from action films and slows it down, way down, with "Pay It Forward." Her foray into the non-action realm is shaky. Some of the scenes are out of place and take away from the overall effectiveness of the film. One major, and surprising, plot point is heartbreaking, unnecessary and executed in a contrived manner. And the ending is disjointed from the feel of the rest of the film. Fortunately for Leder, she has an amazing cast and a strong story from author Hyde.
Bottom Line
Direction and unnecessary plot point aside, "Pay It Forward" pays off.