Couldn't we all benefit from an act of kindness by another human being? Maybe that's part of what's wrong with today's society. We are all in such a hurry for me-me-me! Heck, we've got road rage and the craziness of other drivers to prove that point alone. Here is a movie, one of the most thought-provoking that I think I've seen in a long time, if ever, about the human spirit. It's something that's innate in us; we all want and need love. It makes us feel "a part of" rather than isolated and alone. It's definitely safer and perhaps more familiar if we don't venture out and embrace it, but we lose so much if we don't. We lose a part of ourselves and that is sad.
Pay It Forward definitely tells such a story. I think I've seen Kevin Spacey in every movie he has made; he is one of my top three favorite male actors. His acting comes across to me as effortless, yet possessing the charisma that always gets my rapt attention. But, I've never seen him so "naked" before. I mean that figuratively of course! This is rated PG-13 after all. He brings such a sadness, such a vulnerability in this particular performance.
Star: Kevin Spacey (Eugene Simonet)
Star: Haley Joel Osment (Trevor McKinney)
Star: Helen Hunt (Arlene McKinney)
Director: Mimi Leder
After seeing the trailers of Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment and with that same old familiar music that I've heard somewhere-- American Beauty, I thought-- oh no, not another replication of that. Don't get me wrong-- I loved that movie, but it was so depressing. This movie definitely struck a chord with me, as I could relate in many ways. Hollywood sure knew how to tug at the old heart strings with this. Be sure and bring a box of Kleenex if you haven't gotten the picture already. This is definitely oscar caliber written all over it with the performances by all three principals.
I think Helen Hunt especially brings a whole other dimension to her acting credentials. I had just seen Dr. T and the Women, which she was also in, but that role doesn't begin to touch this multi-facted performance. She plays the part of a hard-working mom to Trevor who is also trying to put the cork in the bottle. She has the typical trailer-trash persona, from clothes to makeup to hair.
This is based on the Catherine Ryan Hyde novel "Pay it Forward." The movie does not follow the book exactly. In the book the Spacey character is actually a "black" man, a Vietnam vet with an eye missing. The movie portrays the Spacey character as a "white" male who is severely disfigured due to burns. Those scars run deep, and not just in the physical sense, but emotionally as well. The author gives her approval on the film version, as she did not want the premise really, to have any color boundaries. Unfortunately to some in Hollywood, this is just another case of another missed opportunity for a "black" actor to play a leading role.
Kevin Spacey plays the part of a 7th grade social studies teacher. He challenges his young students to devise some type of idea on how they would change the world. One student, Trevor takes the assignment to heart and invents the "pay-it-forward" philosophy, which encourages paying back favors in advance. The idea is to help someone who cannot help themselves, say perhaps a homeless person. And, the movie takes off from there-- where Trevor does just that. It's sort of like "love they neighbor" theme. You help someone and they help three other people, and so on.
There is a remarkable performance by Angie Dickinson as a bag lady. I had not seen her in anything in years, except for a fluff piece here and there, but she plays a pivotal role here.
The movie takes you on the journey of the "pay-it-forward" philosophy with all the twists and turns through the supporting roles to the principals and how they all connect. There is never any lull in the film as it uncovers the many layers of their lives. You will laugh and you will cry. It pulls you in and makes you care about these people through their vulnerabilities. You will ask yourself questions about your own life and that's a good thing. Sounds like utopia doesn't it? In the end we are all looking for our own little niche and this may be just the vehicle to help get us there.
I highly recommend this movie for the stand-out performances and it's message. It's definitely the best I've seen this year, and I'm sure will garner Oscar's attention as well.
A boy creates a scheme as a class project. It involves helping three people who must each help three people and so on until everyone is doing somethin...More at HotMovieSale.com
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