# Pay It Forward (2000)

> A troubled schoolboy turns a social studies assignment into a chain of kindness that tests his family, his teacher, and the possibility of changing the world.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/5715

## Facts

- Runtime: 122 min
- Genres: Drama
- Director: Mimi Leder
- Cast: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Angie Dickinson, Haley Joel Osment, Jay Mohr, Jim Caviezel, Jon Bon Jovi, David Ramsey
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223897/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Mood: earnest, sentimental, hopeful, reflective evening, classroom discussion

## Synopsis

A young boy's simple idea sparks a movement of kindness that transforms lives.

## Movies like Pay It Forward

- [Lean On Me (1989)](https://ember.film/movie/8669)
- [As Good as It Gets (1997)](https://ember.film/movie/1906)
- [The Man Without a Face (1993)](https://ember.film/movie/5579)
- [Detachment (2011)](https://ember.film/movie/52108)
- [That's What I Am (2011)](https://ember.film/movie/39204)
- [McFarland, USA (2015)](https://ember.film/movie/130695)
- [With Honors (1994)](https://ember.film/movie/9854)
- [Akeelah and the Bee (2006)](https://ember.film/movie/8017)
- [Ordinary Angels (2024)](https://ember.film/movie/901607)
- [The War (1994)](https://ember.film/movie/11983)

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