• Pay It Forward (2000)

    The story of a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. When one young student creates a plan for "paying forward" favors, he not only affects the life of his struggling single mother, but he sets in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness which, unbeknownst...

    VUDUYouTubeiTunes StoreAmazon.comWatch Online
Pay It Forward
40
metacriticBased on 34 Critics
85
Based on 147 Users

Release Date: October 20th, 2000

DVD Release Date: May 15th, 2001

PG-13 |2 hr 2 min

Plot Summary

The story of a social studies teacher who gives an assignment to his junior high school class to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. When one young student creates a plan for "paying forward" favors, he not only affects the life of his struggling single mother, but he sets in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness which, unbeknownst to him, has blossomed into a profound national phenomenon.

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, Jay Mohr, Jim Caviezel, Jon Bon Jovi, Angie Dickinson, David Ramsey

Director: Mimi Leder

Genres: Drama

Production Co: Tapestry Films, Bel Air Entertainment, Warner Brothers

Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures

Keywords: Love, Los Angeles, Investigation, School, Emotional, Quest, Heartwarming, Inspiring, 2000s

More on Wikipedia

Stream and Watch Online

Cast & Crew

view all

Ratings & Reviews

  • 49
    Kevin MaynardMr. Showbiz

    Despite being full of Oscar-winning talent, this is still just a better-dressed, drawn-out episode of "Touched by an Angel."

  • 75
    Jay CarrBoston Globe

    The kind of film you've got to admire simply for the way it squares its shoulders and plunges into a message of unfashionable idealism.

  • 63
    Roger EbertChicago Sun-Times

    With a cleaner story line, the basic idea could have been free to deliver. As it is, we get a better movie than we might have, because the performances are so good. show more

See all critic reviews on metacritic.com

Similar Movies

Magnolia
Magnolia

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estra...

Stream Online
Life as a House
Life as a House

"Life as a House" is the poignant, often humorous journey of one man who decides to tear down his house -- and winds up rebuilding the world around him. From the day he picks up his sledgehammer, Geor...

Stream Online
Millions
Millions

When 9-year-old Damian (Alex Etel) finds a bag of money in his back yard, he and his brother Anthony (Lewis Owen McGibbon) decide to try to spend it without telling their father (James Nesbitt). Seeki...

Stream OnlineWatch Trailer