In the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump,” director Robert Zemeckis uses the same creativity, with which he brilliantly directed “Cast Away,” to indulge the viewer in a attention-grabbing 142 minute narrative. In this movie, Tom Hanks plays the main role of Forrest Gump, who is a man with a low IQ. Not only is the character of Forrest well written for, but also Tom Hanks’ acting is outstanding and very much believable. This movie is an excellent depiction of life as a soldier in the Vietnam War, as well as of life as a disadvantaged man who learns to achieve great accomplishments with his heart and his dedication. The movie, as a whole, has some very inspirational and valuable lessons that everyone should learn for living a good life.
Most of the movie is told in the form of a story that Forrest is telling a series of strangers at a bus stop of his many adventures and the people he met throughout his exciting life. The different scenarios that he describes really show the growth of his character and the things he learned from the different people he met along his journey. He starts out by describing his troublesome childhood filled with grief and leg problems. This movie not only has drama and comedy, but also romance by the love between Forrest and Jenny, played by Robin Wright. Although this love is only one-sided for the most part, Forrest’s feelings and love for Jenny are completely genuine. Zemeckis did an amazing job with portraying Forrest Gump as a person who lacks intelligence by making him very innocent, but still very aware of what is going on around him.
When his legs were healed, he learned to run and with that, he was able to go to college on a football scholarship. After he graduates, he is enlisted into the army, in which he becomes very close friends with a man named Bubba. During his time in the army with Forrest, Bubba would tell him his burning desire to go into the shrimping business after he is done with the army. In one humorous exchange, Bubba describes the various uses of shrimp: “You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That-that’s about it”. Although Bubba dies in the war, Forrest makes it his own desire to make Bubba’s dream come true. He eventually does buy a shrimping boat, with Lieutenant Dan, with money he made from his Ping-Pong paddle endorsements (after he realizes that he is a Ping-Pong wizard while he was injured in the army). His business is slow to begin with, but as time goes on, “Bubba Gump Shrimp” becomes one of the biggest shrimp companies. This act of determination by Forrest is uplifting and inspirational for anybody who doubts his or her capabilities. Forrest eventually becoming a billionaire comes to show that anyone can be successful as long as they are optimistic, determined, and will.
After Forrest returns home, he meets with the love of his life, Jenny. Even though she rejects his marriage proposal and leaves him, Forrest does not dread over it, but rather he decides to run instead. Eventually, he winds up running across the country a couple of times over the course of three and a half years, for which he becomes famous and known all over the nation. Although he had no real reason for doing so, Forrest ran because he wanted to. Sometimes, Forrest’s lack of understanding of something actually becomes an advantage because he is able to block out any negatives and not make big deals out of them. This uniqueness in his character accounts for the interesting story that unfolds that constantly keeps the viewer captivated.
When Forrest is finished with his story, he goes on to meet Jenny. Once he gets to her house, he is pleasantly surprised to see that Jenny has a son. After some talking, Forrest learns that he is actually the father of Jenny’s son. He is unable to outwardly show his happiness, but the viewer is able to tell that Forrest is clearly in a joyous mood. Jenny gives him another shock: she is suffering from a virus. They do eventually get married, but soon after, Jenny dies. Robin Wright did a wonderful job in showing the constant change of mind of Jenny in terms of her love for Forrest. This love story completed the big picture of the movie by giving it yet another dilemma. Although the movie ends on a sad note, it is still a very pleasant and light movie.
This movie is serious enough to watch when someone is feeling sad, but also amusing enough to watch when someone is happy. The director has made a movie that can be appreciated by a wide range of viewers in a wide range of moods, which is truly the mark of a good movie. A combination of amazing acting, writing, and directing made this movie the wonder that it clearly turned out to be. “Forrest Gump” not only tells a touching and emotion-filled story, but also provides occasional jokes and funny dialogue. I personally feel that this is one of Tom Hanks’ best films, if not the best, because of the complexity of his character and the brilliant physical, as well as mental, acting.
