Pay It Forward
2000 · Directed by Mimi Leder
Original language: English
- drama
The story
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.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-washed Las Vegas and a grittier, wintry Los Angeles, shot with an earnest naturalism that leans on soft interiors, kitchen lamps, and the glow of candles at night vigils. Mimi Leder's camera stays close and handheld in the emotional scenes, then settles into warm, steady framing for the quieter ones, and the color has a faded, slightly yellowed film quality that suits memory and small-town school corridors. The score is sentimental piano and strings that swell at the big moments, with plenty of room left for near silence. The pacing is deliberate and sometimes sentimental, moving through a sequence of kind acts and their ripple effects, and the tone is hopeful and tender with a steady current of sorrow underneath. Its arcs follow a sensitive boy, his wary single mother, and a lonely man who slowly opens up, all tied to a classroom assignment and the idea that one good turn can spread outward. Intensity is low: there is a serious car crash, a bullying episode, and a burn injury shown with some visible scarring, but no gore, and the cruelty is mostly emotional and brief. It suits a rainy evening or a comfort watch for people who want a heartfelt drama about hope, kindness and second chances, not a thriller.
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