“[to Mr. Simonet] What did you ever do to change the world?” – Trevor McKenney
Number of Times Seen – 3 times (10 Feb 2001 in theater, 19 Oct 2014 and 11 Apr 2024)
Link to original review – Here
Brief Synopsis – A reporter tries to find the source of a gesture of kindness after he is helped by an anonymous man who’s only request is that he ‘pay it forward’.
My Take on it – Great premise that doesn’t work as well as one might hope. The cats is super for when it was made, but Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and even a very young Haley Joel Osment. The idea is one that I recall hearing about even before the movie came out, but they way that they present it helps make it feel more tangible. The way that the story moves in two directions is done well and enhances things because of the various twists along the way. The story should feel much more poignant than it does, but it’s still effective regardless.
Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – In the scene where Helen Hunt’s character strikes her son Trevor across the face, Haley Joel Osment requested that she actually hit him to make it seem more realistic. However, director Mimi Leder declined to allow that to happen in the film.(From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10) (no change from original review)
______________________________________
Check out my *updated* movie stats here
To see my reviews of Oscar Winning Performances check out this link
To see my reviews of all Oscar Best Picture Winners click here (now complete)
Here is a link to my movie index A-Z
MovieRob 