Loosely based on the story of Carl Brashear's life, Men of Honor overshoots its mark, working harder than it needs in making a point of Brashear's tireless diligence and sense of honor. Much of the dramatic impact that drives the film is due to director of photography Anthony Richmond's work. Both DeNiro and Gooding are intensely captivating in the way they use their bodies as thinking extensions of Navy men, completely focused on opposing goals. A well-rounded family film. See full review.
Hunt plays the hard-ridden, recovering alcoholic, single mom with grit and heart.
And given Spacey's compelling performance, their dance of romance is genuinely moving. But instead of ending as a love story with a social message, Pay It Forward succumbs to grandiosity, insisting on becoming a forced religious allegory. Any power that the film built up with its lovely characterizations and charming story is quickly released like a gush of air from a balloon. This is a classic example of a very good movie ruined by the director's ambitions for a blockbuster ending. See full review.