What does the world expect of you?
Nothing...
Some movies entertain. Others inspire.
Pay It Forward (2000; available to rent on YouTube & Apple TV) does both. It challenges us to rethink kindness- not as a one-time act but as a chain reaction.
What is it About?
Based on a book of the same name by Catherine Hyde, the movie is about a young boy, Trevor McKinney, who comes up with a simple yet radical idea: help three people in a meaningful way, and instead of paying him back, they must "pay it forward" to three more people.
What starts as a small experiment turns into a chain reaction of kindness, reaching far beyond what Trevor ever imagined.
What’s The Science Behind?
Though the film came out in 2000, its core message is backed by longstanding psychological/evolution theories:
Supports Reciprocal Altruism (Robert Trivers, 1971): Reciprocal altruism explains why humans naturally engage in cycles of goodwill—we help because we subconsciously expect that kindness will come back in some way.
Challenges the Bystander Effect (Latané & Darley, 1968): The film challenges the human tendency to wait for others to take action, showing that one person’s choice to help can create a chain reaction.
Though the "Three Degrees of Influence" rule (Christakis & Fowler, 2007) wasn’t formalised at the time, the film perfectly illustrates its core idea—that kindness spreads far beyond what we can see. Looks like movies can inspire research!
Pay It Forward is PG-13 rated and contains mature themes. You may want to preview the film before watching it with younger kids.
In case you want to watch something snacky together with your kid on the same theme, head to this post by raising2bkind Instagram handle here
Raising K(i)nd isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
Till next time
Gaurav