  My wife hates me. She added this one to the top of our NetFlix queue - just to spite me. Here's the deal: A school social studies assignment leads to social changes that spread from city-to-city. Assigned to come up with some idea that will improve mankind, a young boy ( urlLink Haley Joel Osment ) decides that if he can do three good deeds for someone and they in turn can "pay it forward" and so forth, positive changes can occur. What appears to initially be a failure, is indeed a success that is not immediately known but is traced backwards by a reporter who is a benefactor. The initial recipients of the boy are a drug addict ( urlLink James Cavaziel ), his badly scarred school teacher ( urlLink Kevin Spacey ), and his alcoholic mother ( urlLink Helen Hunt ). While physically and mentally scarred by past events, the teacher is not the only one bearing scars. The young boy fears his mother's fate, particularly at his brutal, alcoholic father's ( urlLink Jon Bon Jovi ) hands.
The mother also bears scars from her childhood with a homeless, alcoholic mother ( urlLink Angie Dickinson ). Yes, the movie had a decent story line - but Helen Hunt's only saving grace are her looks, she certainly can't act. Although she certainly did a decent job looking like she was enjoying the little lap dance she did! Kevin Spacey plays a decent role - only slightly less gay than he's played in the past. I think Keven's best character was in The Usual Suspects.
Haley - well, it's Haley. He plays the little do-gooder that I love to hate. In all, this one gets a **. Legend: ***** Helen Hunt and Natalie Portman doing a lesbo scene. **** Helen Hunt doing a lap dance for you. *** Helen Hunt naked. ** Kevin Spacey naked. * Kevin Spacey and Jay Mohr doing a gay scene. Thanks, guys. That's a piece of my brain I'll never get back. 
