the movie Pay it Forward

[TMF Jeff]

Oh god, oh god, make the preaching stop!!!

But seriously, where would we be without the citizens of Hollywood to help us steer a morally and ethically clear course in life. 😉

 

[qjakal]

The peak...

Hey, I thought they should just make Westerns personally...erverything you need to know to live properly is covered in nearly ALL of them! Q

 

[strokeofgenius2]

I liked it or not

Preachy or not, I still say it was nice little fable of a movie. It was a nice change of pace from constant gratuitous violence that every movie seems to have these days.

Besides, what's so bad about a moive that suggests doing good deeds for other people can make the world a better place? Simple and to the point. I like that.

Juz my humble opinion. 🙂

 

[TMF Jeff]

Re: I liked it or not

Besides, what's so bad about a moive that suggests doing good deeds for other people can make the world a better place? Simple and to the point. I like that.

Juz my humble opinion. 🙂

I just felt like through the entire movie the scriptwriter was standing behind the screen, pointing an accusing finger at me. 🙂

Really it should have been called "The Movie Pay it Forward: the Story of a Hollywood Scriptwriter who Changed the World with his Simple and Elegent Idea of how No-one but Herself was Living Properly."

It just reeked of smugness, to me at least. 🙂

 

[strokeofgenius2]

Whatever. Just proves my theory, I guess...that movies are way too subjective, and that movie critics are useless. Anyone with me here? 🙂

 

[Oddjob0226]

What's been bugging me lately is how films have been extrodinarily anti-science and pro "spiritual" mumbo jumbo. Luckily, these movies haven't been too succesfull. Hollow Man. Mimic (some bugs have been genetically altered to fight a disease that kills children. Something like 6 or 7 people die in the film becuase of these bugs. On the other hand, an entire GENERATION of NYC children are saved by their effectiveness against the disease! Yet the scientists are portrayed as bad guys who need to get right with the Catholic Church). Or Deep Blue Sea. Again, genetically altered sharks go on a rampage and maybe ten people die, and the film has a "don't tamper with nature/playing God" theme- so much so that the guys in charge of the genetically altered sharks die, and the born again religious guy (L.L. Cool J) survives. EXCEPT, these scientists were trying, even coming close to, curing Alzheimer's with their experiments! Millions saved a terrible death, vs. ten people dyingby their own negligence - I think the original polio vaccine tests killed more people than ten. Or the smallpox vaccine, or the rabies vaccine, or the diptheria vaccine. But oh, no, science bad, "spirit" good.

 

[JoBelle]

I was so afraid I would open this thread and see a glowing recommendation for everyone to run out and rent it.

WHEW!!!!!!!!!

Not often I watch a whole movie and then sit there stunned trying to figure out how to get my two hours of life back from it! SHEESH...I'm all for being nice to your fellow man, being understanding and such....but c'mon!

I like the happy happy joy joy stuff! I really do! BUT....dont' serve it to me with a does of guilt and shame. I'm here to appreciate the love and the sunsets...not feel bad because not everyone is diggin' it.

Joby

 

[TMF Jeff]

Amen!

I've been mulling this over, trying to figure out what exactly bugged me so much about the movie, and I think in the end it's the fact that somehow they think that saying "Hey everyone, instead of being selfish let's all be nice to each other!" is enough to completely transform the entire world. It trivializes a huge, complex and important issue by reducing it to fairytale simplicity.

 

[strokeofgenius2]

I'm not saying it would magically change the entire world, but it would be a pretty nice first step. I say again, what's so terrible about being nice to one another? There will always be selfish jerks and s.o.b.'s who couldn't give a rat's ass about anyone but themselves, but it would be a very nice thing to reduce their numbers to practically nil.

It's like it's become some sad taboo about being nice in today's world. I feel sorry for people who attack and criticize a guy for being "nice". I know, I know, they must be easy targets, but I mean, really. If you're gonna be crude to people, direct it at real villains, not people who put you ahead of themselves.

Oh, well. And, hey, getting back to movie talk, another reason I liked this flick was the actors involved...Kevin Spacey always does an awesome job, and Haley Joel Osmont impressed me. Granted, the roles weren't wonderfully written, but they did a nice job with what they had.

Also, for the record, if there was one thing I did not like too much in the film, it was Helen Hunt. I'm not her biggest fan, acting-wise. Could be funny on "Mad About You", but otherwise she doesn't do much for me.

🙂

 

[TMF Jeff]

I definitely agree that the acting was first-rate. I'm ambivalent about Helen Hunt, but I thought she did a fine job with the role. And the movie was even competantly executed (directing, photography, etc), they just lost me with the premise.