2000, Rated PG-13.�Dir: Mimi Leder. Cast: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, James Caviezel, Angie Dickinson, Jay Mohr, Jon Bon Jovi.

I had a chance this week to catch what we were told was an unfinished print of Pay It Forward, a film that desperately wants all three stars to get nominated for Oscars, and one or two may certainly get some nods during awards season. Director Mimi Leder (Deep Impact) has a quiet gem for the audience.

While it was supposedly unfinished, most of the editing looked pretty much complete, and only the music needs to be added. That is, unless Thomas Newman is channeling American Beauty.

Hunt may surprise some in her role as the recovering alcoholic mother to Osment, who dresses like Erin Brockovich and the entire movie her eyes look like a raccoon's. I'm not a Hunt fan, but I really liked her in Pay It Forward.

Spacey, as usual, delivers an Oscar-merited performance as the disfigured seventh-grade teacher who encourages his students to realize their potential to change the world. Typical "teachery" demeanor, kind, encouraging, wears suits with tennis shoes, a la Ben Stein. The world's "going to hit you right in the face. Believe me," he tells his students, who obviously do, judging by the looks of him. Spacey seeks to inspire his charges, giving them a yearlong project, "Think of an idea to change your world - and put it into ACTION." When his students act cynical, as he expects, he tells them not to think of it as difficult, but think of it as "possible."

Haley Joel Osment is once again impressive, and is the best of the three leads. He follows his turn in The Sixth Sense with an equal performance, though some may subtract equal emotions and facial expressions used in both films, as well as situations. Early on he comes out of his room in the middle of the night, and I was amusingly expecting to see his breath and have the old lady walk by. Osment's Trevor is headstrong and independent, having to take care of his mother just as much as she does for him. You care about his life, and Osment draws emotion from the audience in both good and bad situations, and I'm really beginning to believe that Osment can have any movie he wants now.

Trevor comes up with the idea of "Pay It Forward," which is basically like "Pass It On" only using more fancy-shmancy wording. The idea is to do a good deed for three people (not just any deed, a big one, one that couldn't do on their own), who in turn do good for three people, etc. Getting Spacey and Hunt together is Osment's second idea (no spoiler, it's all in the advanced press briefings). Spacey and Hunt really are cute together, not so much physically but . . . .

Reliable Jay Mohr also delivers in a supporting role as the ethically-challenged reporter out to get the story about Paying it Forward, hopeful it will rescue his career and get him another gig, having been recently fired. James Caviezel (The Thin Red Line) is dirtied up for his turn as a homeless man whose life is ruined by his constant need of a fix of drugs, and Osment's first project. In another quiet role is Angie Dickinson, as the homeless alcoholic mother of Hunt.

The best character, though, may be Sid, the eccentric lifelong criminal who Pays It Forward to prove a woman wrong, that he wouldn't do it because he's a punk. He's got spunk, and can even make a worthless crook worthwhile.

But, having three powerful stars and a solid supporting cast only accentuates how bad an actor Jon Bon Jovi is. His performance was simply lame and he didn't convey any believability in his role.

Besides Bon Jovi, I have reservations about the ending. I won't spoil it, only say that it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the film. It's hard when a movie tries to be uplifting and a tear-jerker at the same time.

Overall, though, Pay It Forward does a fine job representing our complicated world with a compelling story that combines utopian ideals with harsh realism, and will gets its just due come October.