A deceptively dark film that seems light-hearted and somewhat fun on first glance, but just keeps on twisting as it progresses. A badly burned teacher (Kevin Spacey) wants his grade school class to come up with a project to make a difference in the world. Thus young Haley Joel Osment comes up with an idea to help three people in trouble and then have each of them do the same for three others in order to keep paying it forward. Osment wants a father and soon hopes that Spacey will fall in love with his mother (Helen Hunt). He also helps a homeless man (James Caviezel) who just cannot seem to say no to narcotics. For a while it appears that everything might actually work out, but Spacey's sad life and the return of abusive father Jon Bon Jovi (in a nice little supporting turn) just make Osment that much more tortured emotionally. The love that grows between Hunt and Spacey appears it will save the day, but sometimes nothing is the way it seems to be in life. I did enjoy "Pay It Forward" very much. I liked the elements of the production really more than I liked the entire movie as a whole. There are some really wonderful ideas here and in all honestly there are really two or three movies within "Pay It Forward". All the performers are right on. Osment is the greatest child actor to ever live, hands down. Spacey is always a guaranteed performance and Hunt has grown as an actress in just the last several years. I was disappointed that Caviezel's (who struck gold in "The Thin Red Line") did not have a little more time here. His character is quietly deep and complicated beneath the surface. The tone hurts "Pay It Forward". I really expected a somewhat light-hearted film at the start after some situations that seem to be going for comedy. Some things just do match up with other parts of the movie. With all that said, I still think that "Pay It Forward" is a fine effort that stands a little taller than others might believe. 4 stars out of 5.
Review of Pay It Forward
