Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Preamble
This was a movie I wanted to see in the theater however, I just never got around to it. I had the opportunity to view it this weekend and although there were parts that were "nice", I was overall, disappointed in the film. Maybe it was my anticipation, maybe it really was the film. Who knows....Regardless, I'll get over my one issue of Helen Hunt and recommend that you view it.

The Story OR How Kristina Saw It
Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) starts the seventh grade with an assignment from his Social Studies teacher, Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey). The assignment? Come up with an idea that will change the world. Seems simple enough, right? Not to a group of unattached-to-the-world seventh graders.

Trevor leaves the classroom, a bit skeptical that he can do anything to change the world. An idea pops into his head and he creates the concept of "paying it forward". Paying it forward means to do three life changing things to/for three other people (individually of course). They in turn, will do that for three additional people. Pretty soon, every body is doing good things for every one else in the world. This changes the world how? It changes in the way that we are all viewed by each other. No longer are we self-centered creatures but a society of people who have large hearts and just want to do good in this world.

Along the way, Trevor runs into some complications. His first experience is with a homeless man Jerry (James Caviezel). He brings him in, gives him food, and his life savings so that Jerry can buy clothing and get back on his feet. Jerry bounces in and out of the pay it forward concept but eventually, he pulls it together and passes it on to others.

His second complication is his mother. Arlene McKinney (Helen Hunt) is an alcoholic. Her husband Ricki (Jon Bon Jovi) has left her and she raises Trevor on her own, the best she knows how. Holding down two jobs in a Las Vegas casino and bar, Arlene is the epitomy of trailer trash. She doesn't know words bigger than five letters in length and she has little self esteem.

Trevor tries to instill self-esteem in his mother by riding her about her alcoholism and by trying to hook her up with his teacher, Mr. Simonet. They engage in a relationship however, Mr. Simonet has many demons of his own that he struggles with throughout the movie.

His third person he wants to save is a little kid at school who constantly gets picked on by bullies. Unfortunately, it's this third assignment that costs Trevor the most.

As Trevor goes about doing his good deeds, a reporter picks up on the pay it forward concept and tracks it down to Trevor. Trevor is made an overnight star but unfortunately, at another expense.

Overall
I'm sure I'll get shot (akin to what is happening in my Pearl Harbor review) because I don't fall to my knees and proclaim this to be the movie of last year. Yes, it has a nice message in it. I am the kind of person who embraces the fact that all humans are generally good people and when they do things that are not up to a certain standard, it's just cause they need assistance from someone else. A message alone however, does not a great film make. I base my ratings on the overall entertainment of the film - not one single item (end rant here).

Generally, the acting was average. Supporting characters like Angie Dickinson, James Caviezel and Jay Mohr blink in and out of the screen leaving us with a little hope and love.

The direction seemed a little lost. At first, I felt the pacing of the film (in the beginning) was steady. As director Mimi Leder weaved in more of the mother angle, I felt like she lost direction and control. Incidentally, this is the same feeling I had from one of her other movies, Deep Impact.

The Good
Kevin Spacey - put him in any movie - and he just shines. I don't care what the character is, he does good by it. I had no issue in believing that he was a school teacher or that he could fall for someone like Arlene McKinney. I SO enjoyed his interactions with Haley Joel Osment. His character was sympathetic without being a total weenie both with children and with adults. There was a scene between him and Helen Hunt where he opens up and explains to her how his skin became burned. That was one of the few times in this movie that I cried. A very moving performance, it was.

Haley Joel Osment is the Macaulay Culkin of this generation. That's not a bad thing however, let's hope that he doesn't screw up his personal life and waste his talent. He was very convincing as a child of alcoholic parents. Although (especially towards the end) the director seemed to have him crying a lot, in 3/4 of the movie, his emotions were tightly guarded on the inside and we were only allowed to peak at them occasionally. And this my friends, is the way children of alcoholics behave.

The writing wasn't too bad so I'll go ahead and stick it in the good category. If you didn't already know, this movie is based upon a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Honestly, I've not read it so I have no clue how close the book and movie match up. One thing I will say is that I appreciated that the screenplay writer, Leslie Dixon's ensured that Trevor was written in as a boy. Lots of the material was adult-like in comprehension and it would have been easy to make Trevor this super-child who was really smarter than all adults. She didn't do that. At the age of 11, Trevor is a character who is at that age where he's part little kid and part rebellious hellion. We saw Trevor enjoying 11 year old type things (wrestling, action figures).

The Bad
I really like Helen Hunt. I really wanted to like Helen Hunt in this movie however, I just couldn't. She wasn't convincing. I felt like her attempt to fit the part translated into "over" acting. Pile up the mascara, slog on the eye shadow - that still doesn't turn you into trailer trash. I'm not sure of the timing of this versus Erin Brockovich but it seemed to me that Helen was trying her darnest to be her or at least her sister :).

Most of her scenes with Haley Joel Osment seemed forced. I couldn't buy her as his mother. They lacked chemistry. She seemed to get all of her lines across by screaming all of the time. It was hard for me to be sympathetic for her, especially towards the end.

Her scenes with Kevin Spacey also seemed forced. Clearly, she was out of her league with him both as a character and as an actor. No way (and I know part of this had to do with the directing) did I believe that she wanted the teacher over her loser husband (played by the hot looking Jon Bon Jovi). Even he seemed more comfortable in his brief appearance than she did.

I would have inserted any of the following actresses into this role: Meg Ryan, Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock. Almost any one (except say Ms. Minnie Driver or Gwen Paltrow) would have been an improvement.

Special Note for Levda: Girlfriend, if you are renting this to catch your babe, Jon Bon Jovi, save your $$$. He's a slimeball in the film for all of five minutes (and I'm being generous on both accounts!).

The End
This is an okay video to watch in your home. I'm glad I didn't pay full price. And yes, you may need to bring your hankies.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older