Name: Pay It Forward
Genre: Drama
Released: 2000-10-20
Duration: 122 min
Rating: 7.4
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Angie Dickinson, Haley Joel Osment, Jay Mohr

Pay It Forward

Desire for Connection Amidst Resistance

Arlene McKinney I won't.

Eugene Simonet I don't wanna spend another second without you.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Initiating Change Begins with You

Taglines It all starts with you.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Early Morning Surprise in Pay It Forward

Eugene Simonet Trevor!

Trevor McKinney It worked!

Eugene Simonet Oh, God!

Eugene Simonet Does he always get up this early?

Arlene McKinney What?

Eugene Simonet Oh my God! This is not good. He just saw me.

Arlene McKinney It's okay.

Eugene Simonet It's not. I'm his teacher.

Trevor McKinney Now, you have to pay it forward, too! Eugene?

Eugene Simonet I think you should still call me Mr. Simonet.

Trevor McKinney You had a sleepover, didn't you?

Eugene Simonet Why don't you go back to bed?

Trevor McKinney Why?

Eugene Simonet It's too early for you to be up, and I've got to get to school anyway.

Trevor McKinney No, it's not. It's no early. No, it's a Sunday.

Eugene Simonet It's a Sunday?

Trevor McKinney Yeah.

Eugene Simonet It's a Sunday?

[to Arlene McKinney]

Arlene McKinney It's a Sunday.

Trevor McKinney So, stay. So, stay. My mom will make you breakfast. She makes great eggs.

Eugene Simonet No, I can't. You don't understand. I have a whole schedule that you don't know about. And I do it every Sunday, and now, it's all gone cuckoo-ey.

Trevor McKinney Well, all right. We'll bring everything here. Come on.

Eugene Simonet Will you please take care of him. I'll call you later, all right.

[to Arlene McKinney]

Arlene McKinney All right.

Eugene Simonet Bye.

Trevor McKinney Don't be a stranger!

Arlene McKinney My God, Trevor!

Trevor McKinney You like him?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Unpayable Favors and Their Impact

Taglines Some favors you are not allowed to pay back.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Expectations of Respect in the Classroom

Eugene Simonet Apparently, none of you have ever seen a new teacher before. I'm Mr. Simonet. Welcome to the seventh grade. Middle school. That hellish, shaky bridge you all must cross before you become members of that undyingly enviable high school elite. Now, some of you might think you can't get across this bridge fast enough. That you'd rather hold your breath, close your eyes, and not think about anything until it's all over. Well, I'm here to tell you that that is not an option in this class.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Lateness. Tardiness. To be late for your first class on your first day of school. What does that indicate?

Late student I'm having a bad hair day.

Eugene Simonet Perhaps what it indicates is a lack of respect. You see, I'm going to be here everyday for you, and so I expect you to be here for me. On time. No excuses. Put that down.

[to a student taking something out]

Another student Wait.

[whispering]

Eugene Simonet Now. This class is social studies. That is you and the world. Yes, there is a world out there and even if you decide you don't want to meet it, it's still going to hit you right in the face. Believe me. So, best you start thinking about the world now and what it means to you. What does the world mean to you? Come on! A little class participation here. Is it just this class you wanna get out of? Your house? Your street? Any further any one of you wanna go than that? Yes?

[A beat.; A beat.; A beat.; A beat.; A girl raises her hand.]

Girl The mall. That's only like two miles away from me.

Eugene Simonet Well, let me ask you another question. How often do you think about things that happen outside of this town? You watch the news? Yes? No? All right, so, we're not global thinkers yet, but why aren't we?

[He points to Trevor McKinney.]

Trevor McKinney Cause we're 11.

Eugene Simonet Good point. What's your name?

Trevor McKinney Trevor.

Eugene Simonet Maybe Trevor's absolutely right. Why should we think about the world? I mean, after all, what does the world expect of us?

[to the class; He looks at Trevor for an answer.]

Trevor McKinney Expect?

Eugene Simonet Mm-hm. Of you. What does the world expect of you?

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney Nothing.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Nothing. My God, boys and girls, he's absolutely right. Nothing. I mean, here you are. You can't drive. You can't vote. You can't even go to the bathroom without a pass from me. You're stuck. Right here in the seventh grade. But not forever because one day, you'll be free. All right, but what if on that day you're free, you haven't prepared, you're not ready, and then, you look around you, and you don't like what the world is? What if the world is just a big disappointment?

[to the class; A beat.; The class cheers.]

Boy We're screwed.

Eugene Simonet Unless . . . unless you take the things that you don't like about this world, and you flip them upside down right on their ass. Don't tell you parents I used that word. And you can start that today. This is your assignment. Extra credit. It goes on all year long.

[The class laughs.; He pulls up the screen and reveals the assignment written on the blackboard behind it, which says, "Think of an idea to change our world - and put it into ACTION".; The students grumble.]

Student Oh, man....

Eugene Simonet Now, wait a minute. What, what, what's wrong with this? What's the matter? Yes?

[The girl from earlier raises her hand, and Eugene points to her.]

Girl It's like so . . .

Eugene Simonet So what? There must be a word to finish that sentence. Someone help her.

Another girl Weird".

Eugene Simonet Weird".

Another student Crazy".

Eugene Simonet Crazy".

Different girl Hard".

Another boy Bummer".

Eugene Simonet Bummer". "Hard". How about "possible"? It's possible. The realm of possibility exists where? In each of you? Here. So, you can do it. You can surprise us. It's up to you. Or, you can just sit back and let it atrophy. Atrophy. If there is a word you hear that you don't understand, there's a dictionary at the front of the room. Look it up. And there are these dictionaries, which you will carry with you at all times because in this class, we're going to learn to love words and their meanings. Any questions?

[A beat.; A beat.; A beat. He points to his head.; A beat.; A beat.; A student looks at Eugene uncertainly, and Eugene sees this.; He starts passing out another pile of dictionaries to the class.]

Trevor McKinney Yeah. So, you'll like you'll flunk us if we don't change the world?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Well, no, I wouldn't do that. But you might just squeak by with a C.

[A beat.; A beat.]

Trevor McKinney What'd you ever do to change the world?

Class Whoa!

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Well, Trevor, I get a good night's sleep. I eat a hearty breakfast. I show up. On time. And then I pass the buck to you.

[He looks to the late student.]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

A Conversation on Honesty and Trust

Arlene McKinney Sit down, I want to talk to you.

Trevor McKinney You want to lie to me.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

A Question of Awareness

Taglines Have you heard?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

The Importance of Paying It Forward

Eugene Simonet Trevor, what is it?

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney Are you still gonna pay it forward? You could say you don't have to. Cause it didn't work out. But I thought you still might.

[A beat.; Eugene gets up. A beat.; A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Trevor, I would like more than anything than to do that for you. And when I find something worthy of paying it forward -

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney I know somebody who needs something.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Trevor, you have to let me find this on my own -

Trevor McKinney You know who it is.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Look. You don't understand everything. All right? So, you do not know what you're asking.

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney Give her another chance.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet I will pay it forward. I promise you that. But I cannot do that.

[A beat.; He sits down in a desk near Trevor. A beat.]

Trevor McKinney But that's why this is the one. Because it's supposed to be something hard. If you help my mom, even if you're still mad at her, if you helped her in a way nobody else could -

[A beat.; A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Did she asks you to come and talk to me about this?

Trevor McKinney No, she thinks you'll never forgive her, but I still think you could. If you wanted to do something really huge . . . for someone . . . or for a project . . . for me.

[A beat.; A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Trevor, she made a choice.

Trevor McKinney She said she made a mistake.

Eugene Simonet Well, that's the beauty of hindsight.

[Trevor gets up. A beat.]

Trevor McKinney You don't care.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Yes, I do. I will always care. About you, always.

[A beat.; A beat.]

Trevor McKinney Yeah.

Trevor McKinney You're my teacher. They pay you to.

[A beat]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Questioning Intentions in a Kind Act

Trevor McKinney Were you just being nice?

Eugene Simonet About what?

Trevor McKinney About my idea. Do you think it's good, or were you just being teachery?

Eugene Simonet Teachery"?

Trevor McKinney Bullshitting.

Eugene Simonet Do I strike you as someone falsely nice?

Trevor McKinney No. You're not even really all that nice.

Eugene Simonet Well, it was a slip-up, and it will not happen again.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

A Unique Idea Inspiring Faith in Humanity

Sean I'm gonna put up this website in Chinese. It's gonna tell all the kids in China to jump up and down at the same time.

[A beat. He heads back to his seat.]

Eugene Simonet The goal being to knock the earth off its axis?

[to Sean]

Sean Yeah.

Eugene Simonet Thank you. Sit down, Sean. Well, you're ideas are as surprising as they are variegated. Add this to your list of words to look up this evening. But, I wanna focus one moment on one project we heard today. Because I've been teaching for many years, and it really is the first new idea that also requires an extreme active faith in the goodness of people. Trevor has made an attempt to interact with the world, and that was the assignment. And if I were an effusive person, given to easy praise, I would call that admirable.

[Sean sits down, and the class laughs. Eugene addresses the class.; A beat.]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Understanding and Sobriety in Relationships

Arlene McKinney I want you to understand.

Eugene Simonet Oh, it's not necessary. Really. No explanation required.

Arlene McKinney Wait. Please don't talk to me like that. We had 13 years in, Eugene. He's sober now. We've never been sober together.

Eugene Simonet Well, I wish you luck.

Arlene McKinney I - I feel like I gotta give him a chance.

Eugene Simonet A chance. A chance for what?

Arlene McKinney To change. To try to make up for lost time.

Eugene Simonet Oh, what? To take Trevor to some ball games? Do some real daddy things with him?

Arlene McKinney Yeah. He promised to try. What do you want me to do?

Eugene Simonet Oh, I don't know. Be smart.

Arlene McKinney He's his father, Eugene.

Eugene Simonet He impregnated you, Arlene. In what other way has he been a father to Trevor? Unless knocking somebody around is a new family value.

Arlene McKinney What are you talking about? He never touched Trevor.

Eugene Simonet Oh, that's right. Only you. He only took it out on you. That's so much better.

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney What did Trevor tell you?

Eugene Simonet Enough. Christ, Arlene, secrets like that shouldn't be kept. What good does it do Trevor?

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney You weren't there. Ricky never meant to hit me. We were drunk.

Eugene Simonet Christ! What is it with women like you? Is that really something you tell yourself? "Oh, it's okay. He beat me. Trevor's okay"? Trevor has locked himself in a bathroom, and he can't breathe, and he's - and he's hoping and praying that it will stop!

Arlene McKinney Trevor never went through that.

Eugene Simonet How do you know what Trevor went through? How do you know? How do you know the next time, after you, he doesn't come for Trevor? I know what I'm talking about, Arlene! My father got on his knees and begged my mother, and my mother, she always took him back. I never understood it. She'd cover the bruises and the cuts, and she'd take him back. Because he begged, and he cried. And now, you ask me what happened after he came back.

Arlene McKinney No.

Eugene Simonet No! Go on! You said you wanted to know what happened to me! Now, ask me!

Arlene McKinney I don't like this.

Eugene Simonet Did he hurt you, Eugene? Ask me!

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney Did he hurt you?

Eugene Simonet Not for long. By 13, I was gone. I ran away. But, I missed her. So, I had to go back and see her. And so one night, I did. Now, ask me what happened that night. What happened that night you came back, Eugene?

Arlene McKinney What happened?

Eugene Simonet He was there. Drunk as usual. Only this time, I wasn't the same. I was 16 years old, and I was no longer afraid of him. And when I looked him in the eye and told him if he ever touched her again, I would kill him, he knew. He knew that he would never exist for me again. And I'm standing in front of the house, I'm telling her, I'm screaming for her to come out. I'm telling her she doesn't have to - she doesn't have to take it anymore. She really doesn't. She can come with me now. I don't even see it coming. He hits me in the side of the head with a two-by-four, and I'm bleeding from my ear. And then he's dragging me. He's dragging me behind the house and into the garage and then he's gone. A minute. Five minutes. I don't know. And then he's back, and he's wetting me down. He's wetting me down, and I don't understand. I don't understand why water should smell so bad. I don't understand. And then I see it. I see . . . this . . . gas can. This red gas can from his truck. And he looks at me one last time, and he lights a match. And the last thing I remember, and I'll never forget it, were his eyes. His eyes, because they were filled with this . . . immense . . . satisfaction.

[A beat.; He cries. A beat.; A beat.]

Arlene McKinney I'm so sorry.

Eugene Simonet Don't. Don't! Don't! Don't tell me how sorry you are for me! Just tell me how you're going to stop it happening to Trevor!

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney He would never do that.

Eugene Simonet Oh, Jesus, Arlene. He doesn't have to. All he has to do is not love him.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

A Tense Family Confrontation Unfolds

Arlene McKinney Get out!

Ricky McKinney Huh? You know, I liked you a whole lot better when you had a few drinks in you!

Ricky McKinney You want me out of the house? I'm out!

Arlene McKinney Sorry. I think I made a mistake.

[to Trevor McKinney; A beat.]

Trevor McKinney Everybody makes mistakes.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

A Moment of Reflection on Faith

Chris Chandler Jesus.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Introduction of Characters in Pay It Forward

Arlene McKinney Mr. Simonet?

Eugene Simonet Yes, I'm Eugene . . .

Eugene Simonet . . . uh, Simonet.

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney Hello.

Eugene Simonet Hello.

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney What is this assignment?

Eugene Simonet Scuse me?

Arlene McKinney What did you tell my son to make him bring a homeless man into my house?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Uh, I have two problems. One, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about and two, I don't know who you are.

Arlene McKinney Arlene McKinney. My boy is in your social studies class. Trevor.

Eugene Simonet Trevor. He's very attentive. He's very, uh, exigent, which I like. Exigent. It's challenging, testing -

[A beat. He notices some confusion on Arlene's face.]

Arlene McKinney I know what it means. Would you like to tell me why my kid brought a bum into my house?

Eugene Simonet I have no idea.

Arlene McKinney Bullshit.

Eugene Simonet Mrs. McKinney, I don't know how your son interpreted the assignment.

Arlene McKinney How do you think he interpreted it?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Well, I don't know. My suggestion to you is if you wanna know, why don't you go home and talk to your son?

Arlene McKinney Hey! I talked to him.

Eugene Simonet Really? Then, why did you come all the way down here to ask me what the assignment is? It's not a state secret.

[A beat. He points to the board.; A beat.]

Arlene McKinney Yeah? And?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet It's an assignment I give out at the beginning of every year to inspire. I don't expect them to actually change the world.

Arlene McKinney You don't expect them to change the -

Eugene Simonet Excuse me. It's to get them to think, not walk on water. It's a very good assignment.

Arlene McKinney You give them an assignment you don't think they can do? What kinda teacher are you?

Eugene Simonet I didn't say that. You know, they make attempts. Every now and then, they clean up a little graffiti before they lose interest -

Arlene McKinney Hey! This is my kid. You don't know him. You tell him he can do something, and he's gonna believe you. And when he can't, it's gonna wipe him out. They oughta fire your ass outta here right now.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Well, they probably won't do that because I fill a very excellent quota. I'm just this side of parking in the blue zone.

Arlene McKinney Oh, so you think you can do whatever you want just cause your face is messed up?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet Mrs. McKinney, why don't you put down in writing your little and loud complaints, and I'll make sure they get put in the suggestion box.

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney Jesus. You are really somethin'.

Eugene Simonet Thanks. I appreciate the euphemism. I always wanted to be somethin'.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Understanding Life's Struggles Through Experience

Jerry You ever been on the street?

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney My mom took us pretty close.

Jerry Well, you can't know. Not until you're looking at a dumpster. But when you climb into that thing for the first time, and you pull those newspapers over you, that's when you know that you've messed your life up. Somebody comes along like your son and gives me a leg up, I'll take it. Even from a kid, I'll take it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

A Young Boy's Vision for Change

Taglines Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Pay It Forward

Perception of Self and Others' Opinions

Arlene McKinney I gotta take a shower.

Trevor McKinney No. What?

Arlene McKinney I smell horrible.

Trevor McKinney No you don't. No, you smell good. You smell like, uh, roses or something.

Arlene McKinney Let me just wash under my arms really quick -

Arlene McKinney Are you sure?

Trevor McKinney Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.

Pay It Forward

Confrontation of Perception and Judgment

Arlene McKinney Do you look down on me?

Eugene Simonet What?

Arlene McKinney Do you look down on me?

Eugene Simonet No.

Arlene McKinney Cause I don't talk like you. I haven't read the stuff you read.

Eugene Simonet What are you talking about? That's not pertinent, and you know it.

Arlene McKinney Don't talk to me like that!

Eugene Simonet Well, I'm sorry, but that's the way I talk, you know. Words are all I have.

Arlene McKinney Why? Why? Cause you think you look like shit? Is that it? I don't care about your burns, Eugene, if that's even what they are. Is that what they are?

Eugene Simonet Yes.

Arlene McKinney Okay, well, whatever happened to you, you look good to me.

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet You look good to me, too.

Arlene McKinney Okay. So?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet So, I've never been here before.

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney Okay. So, you're scared. I'm scared, too. Listen. Bad things have happened to me, okay? I can't take my shirt off with a guy without five beers in me, but I want that with you. More than I'm scared, I want that.

Eugene Simonet You don't see me. All right? My life . . . my life is familiar. My life is . . . it's manageable. It's manageable. Everyday . . . I have a thing I do everyday. It's all I've ever known. And it's a routine and as long as I have that, as long as I have that, I'm okay. I'm okay. If I don't have it, I'm lost.

[A beat.]

Arlene McKinney So, is that all you want? Your goddamn manageable day?

Eugene Simonet It's what I have.

Arlene McKinney No, it isn't.

Eugene Simonet It is what I've always had.

Arlene McKinney Is it what you want?

Eugene Simonet Yes, it's what I want!

Arlene McKinney I don't believe you.

Arlene McKinney Okay. If that's the best I got.

Eugene Simonet It's not about you.

Arlene McKinney Yes, it is! Something's been offered to you here, and you don't want it! Maybe you're scared to get rejected. Well, I can't reject you! You're too quick for me!

Pay It Forward

A Conversation About Pride and Uncertainty

Chris Chandler Hi, I'm Chris Chandler, and I'm joined today by a very unusual seventh grader, Trevor McKinney. Trevor, you must be pretty proud of yourself.

Trevor McKinney No.

Chris Chandler So, you're not proud at all?

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney I don't know. I guess.

Chris Chandler Come on. You start a movement like Pay It Forward. You're not proud?

Trevor McKinney I guess. I mean, I - I got an A in Social Studies, but, uh, that was just for the effort. I mean, stuff I did, it didn't really work out.

Chris Chandler You're here.

Trevor McKinney Yeah, but . . . I don't know. I tried real hard, but . . . nothing really happened. My mom's stuff worked. She talked to my grandma. Kinda made up with her. It was really hard for her. It was great for me, cause my grandma came to my birthday party. And I had really missed her. And that's why Pay It Forward went all those places. Cause my mom. Cause she was so brave. My stuff, I . . . I don't know. I think some people are too scared or something to think that things can be different. And - I mean, the world's - the world's not exactly . . . shit. I guess it's hard for some people who are so used to things the way they are, even if they are, to change. And they kinda give up. When they do, everybody kinda . . . kinda lose.

[A beat.; A beat.; A beat.; A beat.]

Pay It Forward

The Concept of Paying It Forward

Thorsen I thanked him and there were some very specific orifices in which I was told to shove my thanks. He told me, "Just pay it forward." Three big favors for three other people. That's it.

Chris Chandler So it's like a pass-it-on thing, then. Wait a minute. You and this lowlife are in this chain of do-gooders, some kind of Mother Theresa conga line? That's a little New-Agey for you, isn't it? Sort of Tibetan? What, are you in a cult?

Thorsen If you mention my name, you'll be selling your kidneys to pay for your ]. Cult.

[[lawsuit]

Chris Chandler Hey, the guy. What was the guy's name?

Thorsen Sorry, I'm late for my mass wedding.

[as he's walking away]

Pay It Forward

Acknowledging a Personal Struggle

Arlene McKinney , so I'm just gonna tell you the truth. I have a problem. I have a really bad problem. I gotta stop.

[to Trevor; A beat.; A beat.; A beat.]

Pay It Forward

Consulting Spirit Guides in Conversation

Eugene Simonet Okay. You know, I'm gonna have to consult my spirit guides here, because you tell me that Trevor is withholding from you, but you won't tell me anything specific, and you still want me to sit here and divine why.

Arlene McKinney Divine why"? You always talk like that?

Eugene Simonet Yes.

Arlene McKinney You go to some big, fancy school?

Eugene Simonet Yes.

Arlene McKinney Think you could stop rubbing my nose in it?

Pay It Forward

The Power of One Idea to Transform

Taglines Is it possible for one idea to change the world?

Pay It Forward

Effort Over Outcome in Changing the World

Trevor McKinney Is the world just shit?

[A beat.]

Eugene Simonet No, it isn't. Hey, you did good work. Look at me. I'm proud of you, Trevor. I'm proud of you. And anyway, for what it's worth, I'm grading you on the effort, not the result.

[A beat.; A beat.]

Trevor McKinney I don't care about the grade. I just wanted to see if the world would really change.

[He gets up. A beat.]

Pay It Forward

The Concept of Paying It Forward

Taglines When someone does you a big favor, don't pay it back...Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

The Power of Simple Ideas

Taglines Sometimes the simplest idea can make the biggest difference.

Pay It Forward

The Challenge of Helping Others

Trevor McKinney It's hard. You can't plan it. You have . . . you have to watch people more. You know, sort of, sorta keep an eye on em. To protect em, cause . . . they can't always see what they need. It's - it's like your big chance to fix something that's not like your bike. You can fix a person.

[A beat.; A beat.]

Chris Chandler Is that what you want for your birthday? Everybody to pay it forward?

Trevor McKinney I can't ask for that.

Chris Chandler Sure, you can. Why not?

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney It wouldn't work.

Chris Chandler Why?

[A beat.]

Trevor McKinney I already blew out my candles.

Pay It Forward

Gift of a Car Without Strings

Chris Chandler You want me to drive home in your car?

Thorsen No, I want you to take my car. Had a lot of luck lately. I don't need it.

Chris Chandler You're giving me a brand new Jaguar, and you don't want anything?

Thorsen I can prove it. Give me your card.

Thorsen I'll be in touch.

Chris Chandler Whoa, what is this? What, you want me to kill your wife or something?

Thorsen No. Tempting, but no. Call it generosity between two strangers.

Pay It Forward

The Challenge of Embracing Change

Trevor McKinney But I...I guess it's hard a hard for some people who are so used to things the way they are, even if they're bad, to change, cause I guess they kinda give up. And when they do, everybody kinda loses.

Pay It Forward

Three Imperfect People, One Perfect Idea

Taglines Three imperfect people. One perfect idea.

Pay It Forward Quotes