Pay It Forward



Pay It Forward is a 2000 movie based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

A boy named Trevor is given an assignment to "think of something to change the world, and put it into action". He thinks of "paying it forward", in which you help three people, and tell each of them to "pay it forward", and help three other people. We see the implementation and results of this plan for kindness through the eyes of the people he pays it forward to.

Though well-regarded, the film's ending is generally considered terrible.

This film provides examples of:

 * Abusive Parents:
 * The Alcoholic: Both of Trevor's parents.
 * Creator Killer: Mimi Leder didn't direct for nine years after the film bombed with critics and audiences.
 * Diabolus Ex Machina: Infamously.
 * Exposition Diagram: Used to explain how "Pay It Forward" works.
 * Fridge Brilliance:.
 * Heroic Sacrifice
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi plays Hayley Joel Osment's dad.
 * Interrupted Suicide: Trevor's first person to receive the "Pay It Forward" treatment stops a woman from jumping off a bridge.
 * Karma Houdini:
 * Though if nothing else.
 * No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
 * Not Afraid of You Anymore: Trevor's teacher tried to do this
 * Paedo Hunt: A stranger approached Trevor and attempted to touch him when his teacher came in and kicked his ass.
 * Race Lift: Trevor's teacher in the book was African American. Enforced as they could not get Denzel to play as him so they got Spacey instead.
 * Single Mom Stripper: Trevor's mom is this.
 * Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: the film is trying to get an idealistic conclusion with a cynical backstory.
 * Snicket Warning Label: Stop the movie as soon as the guy is done interviewing Trevor.
 * Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: the film is trying to get an idealistic conclusion with a cynical backstory.
 * Snicket Warning Label: Stop the movie as soon as the guy is done interviewing Trevor.