This movie was based on characters that had serious problems in their lives and one boy's way of dealing with it. The idea that you in turn do good works for someone else without expecting anything in return is a great concept thought of and pronounced vividly by many religious gurus throughout history, but there is a difference here... there is no claim for an entry into heaven or grand reward - just people helping people to make the world a better place. Indeed the concept seems vague in the beginning and a dream of a well wisher, but really it is fantastic. Now there is a couple of aspects to certain ways that some characters think they are 'helping' that can be argued. A good example of this is the old drunk lady that lives in the car helping the thief escape the police and that same thief opening the ammo on his gun in a hospital to get the attention of a girl in need. All in all there is a good formed, but at what price? Even the author of the whole affair paid the ultimate price of death for instituting what he believed to be the right thing - something that is portrayed in Christianity by the role of Jesus. basically we are given the screen of life to show how evil people can be and yet how good they can be as well... and if you do good... good will come from it. The movie reminded me a lot of the many near-death experiences I have read about where the people claimed that after the experience on the other side they realized that all they needed to do is be good - do good to others.
Over all I thought that the movie was very good. The script was thoughtful, indepth, and unique. The characters where believable and even lovable, I found myself caring about what happened to each on. But the movie lacked some real hard drama moments to build up to, I thought. I found myself wishing I could just fast forward to the end and find out what happened instead of wading through the details. But over all, worth seeing once at least, and it leaves you with a good feeling in your heart at the end of the movie.
QUOTE (konquererz @ 22-May 05, 8:32 AM) |
But over all, worth seeing once at least, and it leaves you with a good feeling in your heart at the end of the movie. |
Tena, although it can seem that way for me it reinforced the fact that Pay It Forward had nothing to do about what you get 'paid'. You just did it because it is right, not because you were expecting anything. Of course this can also be likened to the similarities of what Christ did. Some movies take a religious context for the storyline and believe in this movie it was no different. I too cried a lot after I saw the end.
Well, my wife had not watched this movie before, so I rented it for her again. I told her I had a good feeling in my heart after the movie. She was so angry at the end of the movie and angry at me at my statements of feeling good after the movie. The idea behind by statement was that he was twelve and he did more good in his small twelve years than most of us do to effect the world in a life time. My wife was upset that he died and hated the end of the movie. I thought that it was symbolic and spoke volumes more than a happy cushy ending would have.
Well I just watched the movie for a second time so that LDS could see it. Seeing a movie like this twice opens your eyes to other points the director wants you to catch. First off, you will notice the movie starts with Kevin Spacey (the Teacher) ironing his clothes in his routine lifestyle. Then it moves off into the scene of the reporter trying to cover the story. The Teacher is living comfortable - he has a lifestyle that has put him in a comfort zone. People in general are like that - they live their lives with no thought of the possibility of helping someone that needs help because it would make their comfort zone life a bit too uneasy for their liking. The Teacher was asking Trevor to change the world, yet as the mother rightly said when she first met him - he did not believe it was possible. Trevor showed that anything is possible, even if you have to pay a high price for it. Wether we are willing to pay that price is the point, wether we will pay it forward.
I watched the movie yesterday and I thought it was excellent. The acting was great and the story line was also very interesting. It made me think a lot and realized how much time we waste feeling sorry for ourselves and our problems when there are people out there who are really struggling with big problems.
The part that touched me the most wasn't the end. It was when the teacher was telling the kid's mom how he got burnt. Kevin Spacey did such a wonderful job in that part and in that role.
The whole movie got me thinking a lot, specially to know that just because you are in a bad position, you are struggling and you think you have no exit, it does not mean you cannot help someone who needs it more than you do...and believe me, there are TONS of people out there more in need than us.
It was a terrific movie and an excellent ending...yes...because real life are not like the typical Hollywood movies where the ending is always happy.