Pay It Forward

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Pay It Forward

PG-13

2000

2h 2m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

39%

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129 Reviews

77%

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250,000+ Ratings

The story of a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. When one young student creates a plan for "paying forward" favors, he not only affects the life of his struggling single mother, but he sets in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness which, unbeknownst to him, has blossomed into a profound national phenomenon.

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Critics Consensus

Pay It Forward has strong performances from Spacey, Hunt, and Osment, but the movie itself is too emotionally manipulative and the ending is bad.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

A bit syrupy, but sentimental teens may enjoy it.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 27, 2010

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David Ansen

Newsweek

if this is what Hollywood considers serious, important filmmaking, maybe the movie industry should stick to the low road. Directed with the in-your-face subtlety of a sitcom, the tone of the movie is weirdly miscalculated from the get-go.

Mar 31, 2008

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Spacey and Hunt create interestingly layered characters who are hiding parts of themselves from themselves. And come Oscar time, Osment once again may be saying, 'I see tuxedoed people.'

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 6, 2002

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The stickiest pile of moosh since "Patch Adams," and it has a comparable tragic ending that invalidates the film’s message.

Rated: F

Sep 3, 2022

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Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

For such a self-righteous movie, Pay It Forward has its own share of racism, class snobbery and spurious moralism in this sloppy attempt to help Americans get in touch with themselves made by a group of people who are out of touch with reality.

Jan 29, 2020

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: C

Feb 15, 2013

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S S.

Sweet premise - Among the strangest-written endings of a movie.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/09/25

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Alexander S

Pay It Forward delivers a powerful message and standout performances, particularly from Haley Joel Osment, but its daunting and emotionally intense tone may not appeal to everyone, detracting from its potential as a meaningful and impactful story. Grading: C+

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

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Tori B

Such a phenomenal message. The performances were terrific. I honestly feel message was too hard to hear for the people who gave bad reviews. It's a hard thing to do, to put others first, and I can understand why people would nit pick parts of the movie to avoid having to actually open up and listen to it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/22/25

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Horror fan 4

What an amazing movie. That damn ending!! Spacey Hunt and Osment give brilliant performances. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/22/24

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Tim G

I'd managed to consign this atrocity to the darkest wastelands of my mind until my life decided it may be a useful tool for teaching our child the value of being nice. It's a sickening exercise in emotional exploitation, the nausea inducing nature of which can't even be saved by some very decent actors ying their best. Utter drivel.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

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Claire S

Kevin was wonderful in this movie. I had so much compassion for him.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/24

Full Review

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Mimi Leder

Director

Kevin Spacey

Eugene Simonet

Helen Hunt

Arlene McKinney

Haley Joel Osment

Trevor McKinney

Jay Mohr

Chris Chandler

Jim Caviezel

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Synopsis

The story of a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. When one young student creates a plan for "paying forward" favors, he not only affects the life of his struggling single mother, but he sets in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness which, unbeknownst to him, has blossomed into a profound national phenomenon.

Director: Mimi Leder
Producer: Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy, Steven Reuther
Screenwriter: Catherine Ryan Hyde, Leslie Dixon
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Tapestry Films, Bel Air Entertainment, Warner Brothers
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Violence|Mature Themes|Sexual Situations)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.5M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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