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Pay It Forward (2000)

tomatometer

40

Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 127
Fresh: 51 | Rotten: 76

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

37

Average Rating: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 22

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

audience

82

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 185,920

My Rating

Movie Info

A young boy stumbles upon a simple way to change the world in this drama. Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) is a bright 11-year-old boy who comes from a troubled home; his mother Arlene (Helen Hunt) is an alcoholic trying to hold down two jobs to support her son, while Trevor's father Jon Bon Jovi) left his family behind some time ago. At school, Trevor's class is introduced to their new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey), a guarded man with severe facial scars. Simonet gives his class

PG-13, 2 hr. 3 min.

Drama, Romance

Leslie Dixon, Catherine Ryan Hyde

May 15, 2001

$32.8M

Warner Bros. Pictures

All Critics (142) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (79) | DVD (15)

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.'

November 6, 2002 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | Comment
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Less a worthy achievement than a nice try.

March 22, 2002 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comment
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

With its smorgasbord of moralizings, Pay It Forward is a confusing welter of sentiment.

June 25, 2001 Full Review Source: New York Magazine | Comment
New York Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Not since Gump has there been such a pandering, faux-virtuous package of populist pap for Hollywood to shove in the faces of electioneering politicos and say: Look, we don't just market unwholesome swill to families, we market wholesome swill, too.

June 4, 2001 Comment
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Unceasingly manipulative.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | Comment
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The year's most manipulative movie.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | Comment
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A bit syrupy, but sentimental teens may enjoy it.

December 27, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

Ironic, isn't it, that a film about human decency takes place in Vegas?

June 23, 2008 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | Comment (1)
Filmcritic.com

The film seems manufactured to furrow a cynic's brow before bringing up their lunch.

October 18, 2007 Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | Comment
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

There is a clear-cut difference between 'Oscar bait' and 'Oscar worthy,' which Mimi Leder's sentimental crock of a drama illustrates all too well.

October 14, 2007 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
TheMovieReport.com

Despite a ton of good intentions, the picture is numbingly obvious and crushingly sentimental.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | Comment
One Guy's Opinion

It is a movie that will not only find but charm -- or should we say con? -- a certain kind of audience.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Comment
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

a slick but choppily edited and underdeveloped drama that heads straight for the heart and applies a stranglehold once it gets there.

August 14, 2004 Comment
Reel.com

A fine, honest tale that gives full respect to the pain of yearning and the power of hope.

February 7, 2003 Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | Comment
Cincinnati Enquirer

Hopefully, I've now prevented three people from seeing this film, and now they will each prevent three other people from doing the same.

December 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment (1)
Film Threat
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Pay It Forward

B-

July 29, 2010
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
Richard C

Super Reviewer

A really interesting movie with some great performances, but I feel like it was overly preachy, gimmicky and dramatic. I like the message to a degree, but the way it was handled made it seem like this was a public service announcement rather than a movie.

May 23, 2010
ythelastman89

Super Reviewer

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