Review of Pay It Forward

`Pay It Forward' refers to the idea thought up by eleven year old Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) as the answer to a homework project given by his social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey). The repercussions of Trevor's acts are heartwarming and heartbreaking. Trevor's mother, Arlene (Helen Hunt) is trying to make ends meet as a single mom while raising her son in Las Vegas. Jay Mohr is a reporter trying to find out the origin of `pay it forward' so he can write an effective human interest article. Other seemingly unrelated characters finally fit into place as the tale winds to its powerful conclusion. Performances here are all top-drawer. The viewer will get drawn into the events which will provide an emotional reaction. It is only after the film, as you take it apart, that some of the flaws will become apparent. But by then it won't matter. Even though the final scene is a bit overdone, by then you will have been won over by the characters and the circumstances the writers have placed them in. Mimi Leder has directed the film so that the viewer can't thinking as he or she goes home of how to `Pay It Forward'. By the way, the title means to perform difficult acts of kindness for someone who needs help. Can you change the world? It certainly makes you think.