A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR, CATHERINE RYAN HYDE, ABOUT THE FILM ADAPTATION OF "PAY IT FORWARD."

THE MOVIE WILL BE RELEASED THIS FALL, DIRECTED BY MIMI LEDER, SCREENPLAY BY LESLIE DIXON, STARRING KEVIN SPACEY, HELEN HUNT, HALEY JOEL OSMENT, JON BON JOVI, JAY MOHR, JIM CAVIEZEL AND ANGIE DICKENSON.

In July of 1998, the unpublished manuscript of my novel Pay It Forward was optioned by Warner Brothers. At the time we didn't even know who would buy the print rights, but five days later we made a deal with Simon & Schuster. This has created a rather unusual (though wonderful) situation. Normally a book comes out, establishes a good audience, then generates film interest, and three or four years later you have a movie. In the case of Pay It Forward., the movie started filming in mid-February, not two weeks after the release of the book. As of this writing (May 2000) the filming is complete, the movie is in post-production, and the scheduled release date is October 2000. Coinciding with that release will be the release of the paperback edition of Pay It Forward, published by the Simon & Schuster-owned Pocket Books.

I've gotten lots of mail from readers (by the way, thank you, and keep it up-I love mail from readers) who ask about the film and my feelings about the film. Why has it changed so much, and how do I feel about the changes? Here are some answers, and if readers still have questions, I still never mind answering them individually.

First I'd like to say that I'm very excited about the movie, and I think it will be a good one. I had no creative control whatsoever, but the people making the movie have been good about keeping me involved. The screenwriter, Leslie Dixon, called me within an hour of getting the job. Over the months the film was being adapted she often shared with me what was changing and why. I was invited to spend a day on the set, and invited to the wrap party. They even made me a special "Pay It Forward" director's chair with my name on the back. The day I visited the set I came away with a great feeling about the quality of the film.

Yes, it's strange to see your work undergo changes. But I like to think of the movie as the same story told a somewhat different way. Much of it is eerily the same, whole scenes taken straight out of the book and transferred to the screen. Much of it is totally new material that may take the reader by surprise. Bear in mind that Leslie Dixon wrote three complete drafts of the work before it was able to find a great director and a great cast. The first draft was much closer to the book. So I have to remind myself to keep it in perspective. Which would I prefer: A faithful adaptation sitting on a shelf somewhere? Or a more creative adaptation in theaters everywhere? I believe in the concept behind Pay It Forward, and I believe that the movie will be true to that concept, and I'm glad for the opportunity to spread the idea all over the world.

The most obvious change, and the one which will raise the most questions, is the casting of Kevin Spacey in the role of Reuben St. Clair. Those who read the book will know that Reuben is an African-American character. That's a big change. Many will object, and I won't say they are wrong to care. Almost nobody wants to see more roles lost for actors of color. But if you ask me why I think this was done, the answer is easy. They cast Kevin Spacey because he's Kevin Spacey. He's a tremendous talent and great box office and will bring a lot to the film. The roles played by Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief and The Bone Collector were originally white characters. The reason they were changed was equally simple: They wanted Denzel Washington. Who wouldn't? A lot of readers have written to me and expressed regret because they feel the book has a strong undertone of racial healing which will be lost in the movie. Personally, I agree. But this is a fact of life in movies. Shadings are lost, subplots deleted. Condensation causes characters and nuances to disappear. The film is always more tightly focused, less detailed. One thing that makes me a little more comfortable with the casting of a white Reuben: he's no longer Reuben. His name has been changed at Kevin Spacey's request, and is now Eugene Simonet. This seemed jarring to me at first, but I quickly grew to like it, because I felt that we were now no longer pretending that this was Reuben St. Clair. I was able to share these thoughts with Kevin Spacey the day I visited the set, and he confirmed that it was indeed one of his reasons for making the change.

That said, other changes are minor in comparison. Eugene is not a Vietnam vet (It's hard to back-date a movie just a few years, so, set in the present, it would have made the character too old). He is scarred, but in a somewhat different way and for a different reason. The film is set not in Atascadero but in the depressed outskirts of Las Vegas. Many characters have been lost to condensation. Some have been consolidated. Leslie Dixon once pointed out to me that the movie (at that stage of its development anyway) had twenty-five speaking parts, which is an awful lot of characters for a movie. Yet that's far fewer than the book. Pay It Forward covers the lives of a lot of different people, more so than would ever work on the screen. Bottom line, a book is not a movie and vice versa. But I have a strong sense that the story and message will remain.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing the finished product. I come into it with excitement and an open mind. I hope readers and fans of the book-even those who hoped it wouldn't change much-will do the same. A major motion picture is a great boon to any book, and if it's a great motion picture, so much the better. This one has the potential. And we will find out very soon.

Thanks again to all the readers who have taken the time to share their thoughts and questions with me.

-Catherine Ryan Hyde