Seven Pounds (2008)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A man seeking redemption for a tragic accident attempts to save the lives of seven people through a series of anonymous acts.
The story
After a tragic car accident caused by his own negligence results in the deaths of six strangers and his fiancée, Tim Thomas is consumed by overwhelming guilt. To find a sense of redemption, he embarks on a clandestine mission to save the lives of seven people. The film follows his journey as he identifies candidates for organ donations and performs various acts of service, all while keeping his true identity and ultimate motives hidden from the people he is trying to help. As his actions become increasingly complex, the narrative explores the weight of his sacrifice and the moral ambiguity of his quest for atonement.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following a fatal car crash caused by his distracted driving, Tim Thomas feels he must atone for the deaths of six strangers and his fiancée. He begins a multi-year process of donating organs to others: a lung to his brother Ben, a portion of his liver to a social worker named Holly, a kidney to a hockey coach named George, and bone marrow to a young boy named Nicholas. He also provides a home for a woman named Connie and her children. To complete his final acts, he identifies a blind pianist, Ezra, and a woman with a heart condition, Emily. Tim eventually falls in love with Emily while preparing for his final sacrifice. In the end, Tim intentionally ends his life to ensure his remaining organs—his heart for Emily and his corneas for Ezra—can be donated. The film concludes with Emily and Ezra meeting at a concert and beginning to speak.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gabriele Muccino
- Writers
- Grant Nieporte · writer
- Cast and characters
- Will Smith · Tim Thomas; Michael Ealy · Ben Thomas; Rosario Dawson; Woody Harrelson; Barry Pepper
- Genres
- psychological thriller; drama
- Themes
- atonement; sacrifice; redemption
- Tone and mood
- grim; morose; sentimental
- Premise and plot tags
- organ transplantation; suicide; mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- script written by Grant Nieporte
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics but was a box-office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 26% · review count: 191; Metacritic · score: 36 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Production trivia
- The title is a reference to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.; Will Smith handpicked Michael Ealy for the role of the brother.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…