Pay It Forward (2000)
Coming Out at October 20, 2000 in theaters.
Drama
Pay It Forward is drama film directed by Mimi Leder. The film is based loosely on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It is set in Las Vegas, and it chronicles 14-year-old Trevor McKinney’s launch of a goodwill movement known as “pay it forward”. It stars Haley Joel Osment as Trevor, Helen Hunt as his alcoholic single mother Arlene McKinney, and Kevin Spacey as his physically and emotionally scarred social studies teacher Eugene Simonet.
The film was released on October 20, 2000 to mixed reviews, with most critics praisingon, particularly in its ending.
Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) begins 7th grade in Las Vegas, Nevada. His social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey) gives the class an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. Trevor’s plan is a charitable program based on the networking of good deeds. He calls his plan “pay it forward”, which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for three others rather than paying the favor back. However, it needs to be a major favor that the recipient cannot complete themselves.
Trevor does a favor for three people, asking each of them to “pay the favor forward” by doing favors for three other people, and so on, along a branching tree of good deeds. His first good deed is to let a homeless man named Jerry (Jim Caviezel) live in his garage, and Jerry pays the favor forward by doing car repairs for Trevor’s mother. Trevor’s efforts appear to fail when Jerry relapses into drug addiction, but Jerry pays his debt forward later by talking to a suicidal woman, who is about to jump off a bridge.
Director: Mimi Leder
Writers: Catherine Ryan Hyde (book), Leslie Dixon
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, Jay Mohr, Jim Caviezel, Jon Bon Jovi, Angie Dickinson
Cast:
| Kevin Spacey | … | Eugene Simonet |
| Helen Hunt | … | Arlene McKinney |
| Haley Joel Osment | … | Trevor McKinney |
| Jay Mohr | … | Chris Chandler |
| Jim Caviezel | … | Jerry |
| Jon Bon Jovi | … | Ricky McKinney |
| Angie Dickinson | … | Grace |
| David Ramsey | … | Sidney Parker |
| Gary Werntz | … | Mr. Thorsen |
| Colleen Flynn | … | Woman on Bridge |
| Marc Donato | … | Adam |
| Kathleen Wilhoite | … | Bonnie |
| Liza Snyder | … | Michelle |
| Jeannetta Arnette | … | Nurse |
| Hannah Leder | … | Thorsen’s Daughter |
| Tina Lifford | … | Principal |
| Loren D. Baum | … | Rough Kid #1 |
| Nico Matinata | … | Rough Kid #2 |
| Zack Duhame | … | Rough Kid #3 |
| Shawn Pyfrom | … | Shawn |
| Alexandra Kotcheff | … | Alexandra |
| Bradley White | … | Jordan |
| Christi Colombo | … | Christi |
| Phillip D. Stewart | … | Phillip |
| Justin Parsons | … | Justin |
| Myeshia Dejore Walker | … | Myeshia |
| Brenae Suzanne Davey | … | Brenae |
| Molly Bernard | … | Molly |
| Andrew Patrick Flood | … | Andy |
| Tameila N. Turner | … | Tameila |
| Julian Correa | … | Julian |
| Carrie Sullivan | … | School Girl |
| Patricia Deanda | … | Change Girl |
| Ryan Berti | … | Hallway Kid #1 |
| Gabriela Rivas | … | Hallway Kid #2 |
| Carrick O’Quinn | … | Man in Window |
| Stephanie Feury | … | Sandra |
| Bernard White | … | Cop |
| Tom Bailey | … | Liquid Man #1 |
| Tim DeZarn | … | Liquid Man #2 |
| Jonathan Nichols | … | Liquid Man #3 |
| Ron Keck | … | Lowlife #1 |
| John Powers | … | Lowlife #2 |
| Bob McCracken | … | Creepy Middle-Aged Man |
| Frank Whiteman | … | Doctor |
| Eugene Osment | … | Cop Who Gives Directions |
| Kendall Tenney | … | Male Newscaster |
| Sue Tripathy | … | Female Newscaster |
| Rusty Meyers | … | News Stand Guy |
| Leslie Dilley | … | The Governor |
| Cynthia Ettinger | … | |
| Joe Rampino | … | Bar patron |
| Stacy Bellew | … | School Girl |
| Rebeca Cristian | … | Battered woman |
| Johnny Drocco | … | Stripper’s Boyfriend |
| Jeremy Dunn | … | Diner Patron |
| Sebastian Feldman | … | Looky Lou |
| Ryan Keating | … | Stranded Motorist |
| Lana Kinnear | … | Dancer |
| Dustin Knouse | … | Student / Baseball Player |
| Vampiro | … | Vampiro (archive footage) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia