Taglines: Three imperfect people. One perfect idea.
Pay It Forward movie storyline. Young Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment), troubled by his mother Arlene’s (Helen Hunt)s alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father (Jon Bon Jovi), is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey). The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action.
Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward–repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor’s efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him.
Pay It Forward is a 2000 American drama-romance film based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It is set in Las Vegas in the present day, and it chronicles 12-year-old Trevor McKinney’s launch of a goodwill movement known as ‘pay it forward’. Directed by Mimi Leder and written by Leslie Dixon, 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 praising the acting, writing, music and cinematography but criticizing the story and accusing it of excessive emotional manipulation, particularly in its ending. It was a moderate box office success, earning just over $55.7 million on a $40 million budget.
Leslie Dixon adapted the screenplay from the book of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde, which was available as an open writing assignment.[2] Dixon struggled with the adaptation of the book in part because of multiple narrative voices within it. Specifically in that the reporter, the central character in the film, does not show up until halfway through the novel.
Stuck, Dixon considered returning the money she was paid for the assignment. She eventually hit upon the idea to start with the reporter and trace the events backwards. Dixon presented the idea to Hyde who in turn liked it so much that she decided to change the then unpublished novel’s plot structure to mirror the film’s.[4] In the novel, the character of Eugene Simonet was originally an African-American man named Reuben St. Clair. The role was offered to Denzel Washington, but he turned it down. Kevin Spacey was contacted next and accepted the role.
On November 19, 1999, it was announced that Osment had been cast as Trevor McKinney. The film was shot in late 1999 and early 2000. Filming took place on location in Las Vegas, Nevada and on studio in Los Angeles, California, with additional shooting (for the bridge scene) taking place in Portland, Oregon.
Pay It Forward (2000)
Directed by: Mimi Leder
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, Jay Mohr, James Caviezel, Jon Bon Jovi, Angie Dickinson, David Ramsey, Hannah Leder, Kathleen Wilhoite, Liza Snyder, Jeannetta Arnette
Screenplay by: Leslie Dixon
Production Design by: Leslie Dilley
Cinematography by: Oliver Stapleton
Film Editing by: David Rosenbloom
Costume Design by: Renee Ehrlich Kalfus
Set Decoration by: Peg Cummings
Art Direction by: Lawrence A. Hubbs
Music by: Thomas Newman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements including substance abuse / recovery, some sexual situations, language and brief violence.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: October 20, 2000
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