Living Outside The Lines: Pay It Forward

By, Becky J Miller

Released in 2000, Pay It Forward Starring Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey, “met with mixed reviews. Most critics praised the acting while criticizing the story and its overuse of emotional manipulation.” Following its release, however, the film developed a cult following, which for me is not surprising (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_It_Forward_(film)).

Sixteen years after it’s release, I can no longer recall if I viewed the movie in the theater or rented it on VHS. Remember, Blockbuster? Video cassettes were still popular in the early 2000’s. What I do recall was the film’s impact on my life. I was so inspired that I published an article encouraging others to “pay it forward” before it was even a thing. 

Sadly, my beautifully written (emphasis inserted by author) call to action is archived in a place that I have yet to discover, so I’m starting fresh. Despite the lost papers, my desire to share Pay It Forward with my readers was so strong, that I found the movie on Netflix a few weeks ago, watched it again and TOOK NOTES! We writers do sometimes go to unusual extremes for a story. 

For the purpose of this column, we shall proceed as if no one else on the planet has ever watched the movie. Mr. Simonette (Spacey), a social studies teacher new to the school begins the first day by challenging his 7th-grade students with the question, “What does the world mean to you?”  He follows with an assignment, “Think of an idea to change the world and put it into action today.” Can you imagine? These are 11 & 12-year-olds, not even close to being global thinkers, but something about the assignment gets Trevor’s (Osment) attention.

On the way home from school Trevor spots a group of homeless people hanging out at the city dump, and with childlike innocence, invites one of them to his house to eat, shower and take shelter in the garage. His mom, Arlene (Hunt) a single parent working two jobs is rarely home. Trevor’s benevolence does not end there; he gives Jerry (Jim Caviezel) the money from his savings account to buy clothes for a job interview. 

Trevor and his classmates present their plans to change the world. Trevor’s plan is simple, he intends to impact the lives of three people who in turn influence three more and so on, ultimately creating a ripple effect that continues to grow. Mr. Simonette is impressed. Trevor’s plan genuinely grasps the intent of the assignment. His classmates, however are certain the plan is doomed to fail because well, human nature. 

As often goes, even with the best of plans, circumstances do not always work out how we intend. Jerry blows off the job interview and ends up crashing into a crack house.  Trevor’s disappointment over his perceived failure is crushing.  

Herein lies the beauty of paying it forward. Often it seems our good deeds go unrewarded, but the most times, the truth is not that we failed, it’s simply that we don’t get to see the waves we create. What no one witnesses is Jerry talking a suicidal woman down off a bridge where she intended to jump. Aha!  Perhaps, just maybe, despite the fact that life for Jerry didn’t turn around the way Trevor intended, his gesture of kindness to Jerry saved a woman’s life. Without Trevor’s intervention, Jerry might never have stopped for that woman.

Caution! Spoiler alert!! If you have not watched the movie, what follows gives away the ending. Trevor’s classmate, Adam is a target for the school bullies. Trevor strongly desires to intervene on Adam’s behalf, but he is scared. Ashamed of himself for ignoring an opportunity to help, Trevor determines not to miss another chance.

Ultimately, Trevor lays down his life for Adam, dying from a knife wound inflicted while protecting his friend. Watching that scene always brings to mind the Bible verse, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” 

In his short life, Trevor managed to create a legacy that stretched from his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, to Los Angeles, California, to San Francisco, California and finally to Phoenix, Arizona. By his own confession, Trevor declared, “I don’t care about the grade, I just wanted to see if the world would really change.” Well, I believe it’s safe to say that even in his death, Trevor saw the world change.

Paying it forward doesn’t require much of us, a little thought for our fellow man, and perhaps some minor discomfort and sacrifice, but I am just naïve enough to believe that the ripple effect created could change the world around us. To quote Mr. Simonette, “The realm of possibility exists in each of you. So, you can do it. You can surprise us. Or, you can just sit back and let it atrophy.”

Which will you choose?

Until Next Time,

Becky J Miller

“Warrior Princess”