The hoodlum character Sidney G. is given ridiculously clich d gangster rap dialogue, a parody, whether or not intended, that provides white suburban adults with comic relief. His paying forward scene makes no sense at all, as he fires a gun inside a hospital to insist a nurse help a certain patient, though it, as well as his dialogue, elicited hearty guffaws from the white suburban crowd. One of the links of the Pay It Forward chain is conveniently a relation, becoming an opportunity to create more heart-wrenching drama and intimate talk in the magical glow of a bonfire. Reuben's wounds in the book are from Vietnam. But the film creates a different reason to again rend your heart and reflect on a character's present dilemma, which is solved much more easily in the book by a simple conversation with a friend.
Emotional turmoil is employed solely for turmoil's sake.
The acting is without question impeccable, all three major actors providing outstanding performances, but they become false when stretched to merely impact the audience. What could have been a stirring, touching drama, like The Sixth Sense or Magnolia , unfortunately becomes soap opera mush. Tom isn't a very good student at school. He usually receives D's. He drives a big car to school, lives in a big house and has big parties to which he invites girls with big tits.