Movies like Pay It Forward

If you like "Pay It Forward" you are looking for touching, inspirational and emotional movies about / with teacher, childhood, single parent, teachers and students, alcoholic, life philosophy and good deed themes of Drama genre shot in USA.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
Pay It Forward (2000)
 7.2
 124K
Pay It Forward (2000)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: 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.
Style: touching, inspirational, emotional, motivational, sentimental, sincere, uplifting, tear jerker, sad, thought provoking ...
Audience: chick flick, kids, teens, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: teacher, childhood, single parent, teachers and students, alcoholic, life philosophy, good deed, disfigurement, death, boy, alcoholism, addiction, youth, society, abusive husband, grief, kindness, bully, single mother, teacher student relationship, heartwarming, school, help, bittersweet, drug addiction ...
Time: year 2000, 90s, 20th century
Place: tibet, usa, nevada, las vegas
Keyword: life lessons, educational film, change, eye candy

Movie in categories

Most similar movies to Pay It Forward

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out touching, realistic, emotional and serious films with plots about coming of age, friendship, family relations, hopes, youth, inspiration and african american mostly in Drama, Biography and Romance genres. Some movies like Pay It Forward: Akeelah and the Bee (2006), The Man Without a Face (1993), Half Nelson (2006), Gifted (2017), Finding Forrester (2000). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Genre: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by ...
Style: touching, uplifting, emotional, realistic, sentimental ...
Audience: family outing, kids, family friendly, toddlers, teens ...
Plot: african american, self esteem, coming of age, child prodigy, hopes, teacher, prodigy, teachers and students, elementary school, mentor, black, culture clash ...
Time: year 2006, 21st century
Place: los angeles, washington d.c., america, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Man Without a Face (1993)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story: The story of a relationship between a teacher and his troubled pupil. Justin McLeod is a former teacher who lives as a recluse on the edge of town. His face is disfigured from an automobile accident and fire ten years before in which a boy was ...
Style: touching, inspirational, sincere, realistic, melancholic ...
Audience: kids
Plot: teacher, friendship, coming of age, mentor, loneliness, injustice, teaching the ways of the world, false accusation, teaching, education, disfigurement, children ...
Time: 60s, year 1993, 20th century
Place: maine, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.1
 91K
Half Nelson (2006)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story: Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a ...
Style: depressing, independent film, talky, emotional, serious ...
Audience: teens, teen drama
Plot: teacher, teachers and students, drug addiction, drug, student, addiction, drug abuse, friendship, ghetto, loneliness, school, existentialism ...
Time: year 2006, 2000s, future, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, brooklyn new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.6
 129K
Gifted (2017)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.
Style: inspirational, touching, emotional, sweet, light ...
Audience: kids, chick flick, teens, family friendly
Plot: mathematics, genius, child prodigy, childhood, school, friendship, happiness, teacher, girl, children, child custody, uncle niece relationship ...
Time: year 2017, 2010s, year 1998
Place: persia, boston, florida
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
Finding Forrester (2000)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 136 min.
Story: Gus van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the Bronx. He accidentally runs into an old writer named Forrester who discovers his passion for writing. With help ...
Style: sentimental, touching, feel good, uplifting, sincere ...
Audience: teens, teen drama
Plot: mentor, friendship, dedicated educator, prejudice, literature, basketball, teacher, african american, prodigy, writers, coming of age, writer's life ...
Time: year 2000, 20th century, 90s
Place: new york, brooklyn new york city, scotland, usa, bronx new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.9
 177K
Wonder (2017)
Genre: Drama, Family
Country: USA, Hong Kong, Canada
Duration: 113 min.
Story: The story of August Pullman – a boy with facial differences – who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
Style: inspirational, uplifting, touching, sincere, thought provoking ...
Audience: kids, family outing, teens, family friendly
Plot: bullying, child, school, middle school, friendship, happy ending, father son relationship, deformity, family relations, fight, hospital, science teacher ...
Time: 2010s, year 2017, 21st century
Place: coney island brooklyn new york city, new york, manhattan new york city, pennsylvania
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Front of the Class (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: "Front of the Class" is based on the true story of Brad Cohen -- played in the movie by Jimmy Wolk -- who, "after being challenged by Tourette's syndrome from a very young age, defies all odds to become a gifted teacher
Style: inspirational, touching, realistic, sentimental, emotional ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: teacher, teachers and students, dedicated educator, tourette's syndrome, school, disability, social misfits, stuttering, honest, friendship, father son relationship, understanding ...
Time: 21st century
Place: louisiana, usa, atlanta georgia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.8
 2.2M
Forrest Gump (1994)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 142 min.
Story: A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events - in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. Yet, despite all the things he has attained, his one true love eludes ...
Style: inspirational, touching, feel good, sentimental, uplifting ...
Audience: date night, kids, chick flick, girls' night, family outing ...
Plot: life & death, philosophy, life philosophy, mentally challenged, destiny, love, rise to the top, human spirit, selflessness, storytelling, life, journey ...
Time: 20th century, 60s, 70s, 50s, 1950s ...
Place: usa, washington d.c., vietnam, china, alabama ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
93%
Movie in collections
The Emperor's Club (2002)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story: William Hundert is a passionate and principled Classics professor who finds his tightly-controlled world shaken and inexorably altered when a new student, Sedgewick Bell, walks into his classroom. What begins as a fierce battle of wills gives way to ...
Style: realistic, touching, inspirational, contemplative, emotional ...
Audience: kids, teens
Plot: teacher, coming of age, dedicated educator, boarding school life, boarding school, youth, teachers and students, hardcase students, school, friendship, mentor, education ...
Time: 20th century, year 2002, 70s, 2000s
Place: washington d.c., pennsylvania
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.6
 358K
The Blind Side (2009)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story: Oversized African-American, Michael Oher, the teen from across the tracks and a broken home, has nowhere to sleep at age 16. Taken in by an affluent Memphis couple, Michael embarks on a remarkable rise to play for the NFL.
Style: inspirational, touching, emotional, sentimental, motivational ...
Audience: family outing, chick flick, teens, kids, family friendly ...
Plot: american football, adoption, life, african american, human spirit, family drama, christian, interracial relations, football, rising to stardom, racism, interracial adoption ...
Time: year 2009, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place: usa, tennessee, america, boston, mississippi ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.1
 490K
The Help (2011)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA, India
Duration: 146 min.
Story: Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's ...
Style: touching, inspirational, thought provoking, uplifting, feel good ...
Audience: girls' night, chick flick, teens, kids, date night ...
Plot: racism, friendship, discrimination, civil rights, writers, women, maid, master and servant, human spirit, life is a bitch, racial segregation, racial issues ...
Time: 60s, 2010s, year 2011, 1900s, 50s ...
Place: mississippi, usa, america, africa, southern usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.6
 314K
Seven Pounds (2008)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.
Style: touching, sad, emotional, depressing, tear jerker ...
Audience: chick flick, teens
Plot: redemption, depression, life philosophy, self sacrifice, life changing experience, true love, existentialism, life & death, suicide, philosophy, sadness, tragic event ...
Time: year 2008, 21st century
Place: usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
A Walk to Remember (2002)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: When the popular, restless Landon Carter is forced to participate in the school drama production he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's minister. Jamie has a "to-do" list for her life and also a very big ...
Style: touching, romantic, inspirational, sad, tear jerker ...
Audience: teens, date night, chick flick, girls' night, kids ...
Plot: cancer, teenager, love story, opposites attract, fall in love, terminal illness, love and romance, love, first love, youth, teen romance, true love ...
Time: year 2002, 1900s, 90s, 2000s, 21st century
Place: north carolina
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story: A year after his father's death, Oskar, a troubled young boy, discovers a mysterious key he believes was left for him by his father and embarks on a scavenger hunt to find the matching lock.
Style: sentimental, touching, poignant, sad, inspirational ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: childhood, 9/11, autism, asperger's syndrome, boy, child protagonist, grief, orphan, disability, acceptance, single mother, children ...
Time: september 11 2001, 2010s, year 2011, year 2001, 2000s ...
Place: new york, manhattan new york city, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Freedom Writers (2007)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.
Style: inspirational, feel good, touching, sentimental, rough ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, teen drama, adult
Plot: high school, teacher, dedicated educator, teachers and students, racism, lifestyle change, teenage life, urban ghetto life, mentor, teenager, strong female lead, idealism ...
Time: year 2007, 20th century, year 1993, year 1994, year 1999 ...
Place: california, los angeles, usa, long beach california
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story: Will Hunting has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves a difficult graduate-level math problem, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential. ...
Style: psychological, emotional, philosophical, sentimental, intellectual ...
Audience: teens, family friendly, chick flick, girls' night, date night ...
Plot: mathematics, professor, genius, prodigy, philosophy, psychology, life philosophy, life, university, psychotherapy, mentor, existentialism ...
Time: 20th century, year 1997, 90s, 2010s
Place: boston, harvard university, massachusetts, america, persia ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
83%
 7.8
 97K
October Sky (1999)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and eventually became a NASA scientist.
Style: inspirational, touching, realistic, feel good, sentimental ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, date night, teen drama
Plot: small town, teacher, follow your dream, teenage life, against the odds, friendship, biopic, generation gap, mathematics, mining, space program, scientist ...
Time: 50s, 1950s, year 1999, 90s, 20th century ...
Place: west virginia, virginia, usa, appalachia, indianapolis indiana
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.7
 257K
Philadelphia (1993)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min.
Story: No one would take his case until one man was willing to take on the system. Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops their courage overcomes the prejudice and ...
Style: touching, sad, tear jerker, sincere, emotional ...
Plot: aids, courtroom drama, lawyer, hiv, gay, lgbt, discrimination, lawsuit, medical, courtroom, trial, judiciary ...
Time: 20th century, 90s, year 1993, 80s
Place: pennsylvania, usa, philadelphia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
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Little Man Tate (1991)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Dede is a sole parent trying to bring up her son Fred. When it is discovered that Fred is a genius, she is determined to ensure that Fred has all the opportunities that he needs, and that he is not taken advantage of by people who forget that his ...
Style: intellectual, inspirational, realistic, psychological, touching ...
Audience: kids, family outing
Plot: prodigy, child prodigy, coming of age, mathematics, genius, autism, single mother, child genius, friendship, psychology, mentor, children ...
Time: year 1991, 20th century, 90s
Place: ohio, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.9
 366K
Boyhood (2014)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 165 min.
Story: The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.
Style: melancholic, independent film, depressing, serious, realistic ...
Audience: teens, kids, girls' night, chick flick, teen drama
Plot: childhood, coming of age, divorced parents, dysfunctional family, family drama, teenager, youth, domestic abuse, adolescence, divorce, brother sister relationship, stepsister stepsister relationship ...
Time: 2010s, year 2014, 90s, near future, 2000s ...
Place: texas, usa, ethiopia, houston texas, austin texas
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.0
 543K
Rain Man (1988)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min.
Story: Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt's father left a fortune to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to Charlie; they travel cross-country.
Style: road movie, sincere, uplifting, touching, inspirational ...
Audience: family friendly
Plot: autism, road trip, redemption, disability, runaway, brother brother relationship, mentally challenged, siblings relations, family relations, casino, mental illness, mathematics ...
Time: 20th century, year 1988, 80s
Place: las vegas, california, ohio, cincinnati ohio, missouri ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
12 and Holding (2005)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Three pre-adolescents with virginal and eager-of-signals naivety, hit headlong against monstrous and inhospitable loneliness, in the incandescent fire among the ashes of their own inocence.
Style: touching, realistic, emotional, heartbreaking, sad ...
Plot: teenager, coming of age, friendship, childhood, children, vengeance, dysfunctional family, family relations, loss of son, family problems, family in crisis, parents and children ...
Time: year 2005
Place: new jersey
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Down in the Delta (1998)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Rosa Lynn sends her druggie daughter Loretta and her children Thomas and Tracy away from the big city to live with their uncle Earl in the ancestral home in rural Mississippi. Earl puts Loretta to work in his restaurant, Just Chicken, while also ...
Style: touching, emotional, independent film, serious, realistic ...
Plot: slavery, black, bittersweet, dysfunctional family, women of color, african american, storytelling, drug addiction, solace, black girl, anti racism, racism ...
Time: year 1998, 20th century, 90s
Place: mississippi, chicago, indiana, usa, atlanta georgia ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
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12375
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 7.8
 67K
The Chorus (2004)
Genre: Drama, Music
Country: France, Switzerland, Germany
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Set in 1940's France, a new teacher at a school for disruptive boys gives hope and inspiration.
Style: touching, inspirational, uplifting, sentimental, feel good ...
Audience: kids, teens, teen drama
Plot: boarding school, teacher, childhood, music, teachers and students, children, boss, boarding school life, musician, friendship, orphan, school ...
Time: 1940s, 20th century, year 2004
Place: france, new york, switzerland, europe
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
 6.7
 30K
Marvin's Room (1996)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: A leukemia patient attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow.
Style: touching, emotional, sentimental, realistic, semi serious ...
Audience: girls' night, teen drama
Plot: terminal illness, dysfunctional family, estrangement, leukemia, family drama, cancer, father daughter relationship, teenage boy, family problems, single parent, siblings relations, sibling relationship ...
Time: 20th century, 90s, year 1996
Place: florida, usa, ohio, orlando florida
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min.
Story: Gilbert has to care for his brother Arnie and his obese mother, which gets in the way when love walks into his life.
Style: melancholic, touching, emotional, depressing, sad ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, teen drama
Plot: dysfunctional family, disability, self discovery, mental illness, small town, mentally challenged, responsibility, life philosophy, brothers, coming of age, family drama, family problems ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1993, 60s, 70s
Place: iowa, texas, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.8
 615K
The Notebook (2004)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: An epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to a woman with Alzheimer's. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately ...
Style: touching, romantic, emotional, sentimental, tear jerker ...
Audience: chick flick, girls' night, date night, teens, adult
Plot: love story, love and romance, love, fall in love, true love, youth, memory loss, love of one's life, power of love, love triangle, young lovers, love affair ...
Time: 1940s, year 2004, 50s, post world war two, 20th century ...
Place: south carolina, north carolina, iran, usa, europe ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story: A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
Style: inspirational, emotional, sentimental, uplifting, motivational ...
Audience: family outing, chick flick, teens, family friendly
Plot: homeless, life, human spirit, life philosophy, family drama, rags to riches, success, rise to the top, single father, against the odds, life is a bitch, down on your luck ...
Time: 80s, year 2006, 2010s, 20th century
Place: usa, san francisco, bay area, california, america
⇓ similarity ⇓
60%
 7.4
 99K
Reign Over Me (2007)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story: A man who lost his family in the September 11 attack on New York City runs into his old college roommate. Rekindling the friendship is the one thing that appears able to help the man recover from his grief.
Style: touching, depressing, sincere, inspirational, heartbreaking ...
Audience: chick flick
Plot: grief, friendship, 9/11, dealing with death, mental illness, friends, tragic event, loss of loved one, loss, alone, mental disorder, buddies ...
Time: september 11 2001, year 2007, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, manhattan new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.3
 23K
Angela's Ashes (1999)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, UK, Ireland
Duration: 145 min.
Story: Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film ...
Style: touching, depressing, sad, compassionate, serious ...
Audience: toddlers, teen drama
Plot: poverty, life is a bitch, ira, injustice, family relations, youth, parents and children, depression, children, society, human nature, childhood ...
Time: 1940s, 1930s, 90s, year 1999, 20th century ...
Place: ireland, new york, brooklyn new york city, usa, europe ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
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