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Not that
I would ever want to leave you with a less than favourable impression
of any particular Haley Film that may or may not have been favourably
received... because in the end, it still is a Haley Film... and that means
a great many positives are always worth noting. How about that, this sampling
from the critics seemed to agree...
| Osment,
once again proving himself the equal of adult actors in the
complexity and depth of his performance.
Roger
Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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| Surpassing
even these Oscar winners, though, is Osment, the young Sixth
Sense star who displays even more emotional range. I usually
suspect that great youth performances are the result of careful
casting and manipulative direction. Haley, though, is already
a superb actor. We're carried through "Pay It Forward"
by the boy's emotional development, his concern for people and
his innate goodness and growing courage. We believe his every
gesture, statement, action and reaction.
Jack
Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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| Osment,
conveying sad wisdom beyond his years, proves that last year's
turn in "The Sixth Sense" was no fluke.
David
Germain
Associated Press
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| You
witness the first, testing, tension-packed conversation between
Spacey and Osment, as pregnant in its silences as in its words,
and you are ready to go wherever this movie leads you. Nonetheless,
none of that prepares the viewer for the shocking twist near
the end of the film that comes out of the blue.
Susan
Stark
Detroit News
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| Undeniably
one of the best, if not the best, child actors working today,
Haley Joel Osment proves here that his performance in "The
Sixth Sense" was no fluke. Although his character is occasionally
subjected to those same melodramatic moments befalling his costars,
Osment sidesteps falling into their trappings. What ultimately
saves the film are the performances from its Oscar winning trio
of thespians who embody the story's emotionally injured characters.
ScreenIt.com
|
| Osment
continues the naturalistic simplicity of his Sixth Sense performance.
At one point his character runs away to a bus station, to escape
his messed-up home life, and is caught there by his mom and
the teacher. Osment looks like a gust of wind could knock him
over, but at this moment his grown-up sense of despair and disgust
are shocking.
Robert
Horton
Film.com
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| Worth
going to see, mainly for Osment's superb thespian abilities.
Alli
Joseph
TNT'S Rough Cut
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| Haley
Joel Osment proves that his intuitive Oscar effort in "The
Sixth Sense" was no fluke. "Pay It Forward's"
cornball concept scores a direct hit to the reflexes. I was
glad I grabbed a handful of concession napkins. Judging by the
chorus of sniffles, I wasn't alone.
Susan
Wloszczyna
USA Today
|
| There's
something that gets to you about the gravity with which Osment
wearily takes his mom's latest bottle of vodka from its latest
hiding place and pours it down the sink. No less than the weight
of sadness his haunted kid in ''The Sixth Sense'' bore, his
face on this occasion speaks of a weight of responsibility he
resents bearing when the parent-child roles are reversed in
his broken family. "Pay It Forward" is carried to
an amazing degree by its performances. It's the kind of film
you've got to admire simply for the way it squares its shoulders
and plunges into a message of unfashionable idealism.
Jay
Carr
Boston Globe
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| Good
acting by Osment, Spacey and Hunt combined with the audience's
desire to see good done is enough to warrant a recommendation
for "Pay It Forward."
Brian
McTavish
Kansas City Star
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| Osment
truly is as good as it gets where kid thesps are concerned.
Endearing but never cloying as a boy resigned to picking up
his passed-out mom's vodka bottles late at night but not to
growing up without a father in the house. He brings the requisite
brightness, determination, hurt and optimism to a multifaceted
role.
Todd
McCarthy
Variety, Inc.
|
| Spacey,
Hunt and Haley "I See Dead People" Osment brought
a positive feeling home with strong, credible performances (Was
there ever a doubt?). Osment, a charmer of a child, makes the
perfect center of the movie. Looking at his face, you can really
believe he'd have the confidence and kid power to change the
world.
Desson
Howe
Washington Post
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| Haley
Joel Osment is even more extraordinary here than he was in "The
Sixth Sense." He's that rare child star who transcends
the curse of being a child star.
Eugene
Novikov
Ultimate Movies
|
| The
performances gradually won me over -- and this is due less to
the adult cast than to Osment, who is riveting and completely
believable, and definitely proves that "The Sixth Sense"
was no fluke. Haley Joel Osment does a very good deed for upbeat
"Pay It Forward." He displays an intensity and authority
that I can't ever remember seeing in a child actor.
William
Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
|
| As
the de facto adult in his family, Trevor has a steeliness and
a fierce determination that Osment is completely comfortable
with. The substance and strength he brings to the part, his
ability to match intensity with both Spacey and Hunt, show,
in case anyone had any doubts, that Osment's performance in
"The Sixth Sense" was hardly a fluke. Young as he
is, this is quite an actor. The combination of restrained writing
and direction top-of-the-line acting is enough to make even
confirmed agnostics want to believe in this unashamed fairy
tale
Kenneth
Turan
Los Angeles Times
|
| Osment
excels in another tricky role in the film, managing to be cute
without being cutesy. "Pay It Forward" works beautifully
as a figment of idealism and goodwill and you'll believe this
little pipe dreamer who takes it on himself to be guardian angel
to the world.
Joe
Baltake
Sacramento Bee
|
| Osment
easily lives up to the acclaim he garnered for "The Sixth
Sense." His work as a messiah of altruism is imbued with
layers of subtlety and detail.
Philip
Booth
Orlando Weekly
|
| The
idea is simple, sweet and catchy, like a pop song, and "Pay
It Forward" is almost as irresistible as Haley's idea.
Terry
Lawson
Detroit Free Press
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| Osment,
who doesn't get as teary eyed as the commercial would lead you
to think, confirms that his talent is real. "Pat It Forward"
is intelligent in script and execution, well performed and very
touching.
Chuck
Schwartz,
Cranky Critic.com
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| Haley
Joel Osment proves that he is not a one shot wonder for his
performance in "The Sixth Sense." In his portrayal
of the right-minded Trevor the inherent intelligence and dedication
of the boy is a significant force in the development of the
story and Osment meets the need with a professionalism that
belies his years. "Pay It Forward" is an odd mix of
good acting talent and an under-achieving script that hampers
the overall effort.
Robin
Clifford
Reeling Reviews
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| Haley
Joel Osment is the best.
Fair
kidactors.com/haley
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