Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.
Acting
Osment carries the whole thing on tiny shoulders.
Writing
That ending. Still controversial. Still devastating.
Director
Mimi Leder
Kevin Spacey
Eugene Simonet
Helen Hunt
Arlene McKinney
Angie Dickinson
Grace
Haley Joel Osment
Trevor McKinney
Jay Mohr
Chris Chandler
Jim Caviezel
Jerry
Jon Bon Jovi
Ricky McKinney
David Ramsey
Sidney Parker
Gary Werntz
Mr. Thorsen
Colleen Flynn
Woman on Bridge
Marc Donato
Adam
Kathleen Wilhoite
Bonnie
Liza Snyder
Michelle
Jeannetta Arnette
Nurse
Hannah Leder
Thorsen's Daughter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'pay it forward' concept existed before the film, but this movie permanently embedded it in popular vocabulary — the phrase spiked in charitable campaigns and even became an official day in some states.
The Las Vegas candlelight vigil scene used thousands of actual extras, not CGI — director Mimi Leder wanted real faces reacting to real emotion, which explains why it still hits harder than it should.
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