Majin Planet

Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump was released on July 7th, 1994 and was that year’s number one summer movie. The movie is about the life of a man name Forrest Gump, he sits at a bus top and retells his life story to those around him, and as we learn later, it’s a story within a story. Starting Tom Hanks who does a great job in this film. I really enjoy watching this film, its a good 2 hours long. Even though 2 hours and 22 min’s doesn’t seem like that long, the movie is very slow and only is fast at a few parts. But the story tells it all and that is what makes a great film, the story. In today’s hollywood, a movie such as this is rare to see. Forrest Gump is from a simpler time, which just goes to show you that life really is like a box of chocolates.. you never know what your gonna get.

Starting Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field and Director Robert Zemeckis have given us one of the best love stories ever. Yes a love story, as far as some of you may think that is. The story is about two people and how they met, then grow apart and life different lives and then to once again cross paths and for the most part live happy ever after. I think the story was the best ever and Tom Hanks really pull it off. I’ve seen him in loads of films and this one is by far his best one. Tom Hanks won a Academy Award for Philadelphia, however his performance here is more impressive. The real scene-stealer, however, is Gary Sinise. A renowned director and theatrical actor, Sinise is probably best known to film-goers for his portrayal of George in 1992’s Of Mice and Men (which he also directed). In this movie, his role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor is riveting. The passion and pain he brings to the middle portions of Forrest Gump hold together some of the film’s weaker moments.

When in the start of the film Forrest meets his fair share of famous people - George Wallace, Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and John Lennon. While mixing the real footage of these notables with new images featuring Hanks is not a seamless process, the result is nevertheless effective. But you must taken into effect this was 1994, which was over 10 years ago and things have change a lot form that time. The battle sense where Forrest saves everyone he can is really good, and we get to see what becomes future roles for Tom Hanks, which are also some good films.

The mother of all scripts here, this one really hits you at the heart. Forrest Gump (Hanks), named after a civil war hero, grows up in Greenbow, Alabama, where his mother (Sally Field) runs a boarding house. Although Forrest is a little slow (his IQ is 75, 5 below the state’s definition of ), his mental impairment doesn’t seem to bother him, his mother, or his best (and only) friend, Jenny Curran (played as an adult by Robin Wright). In fact, the naivety that comes through a limited understanding of the world around him gives Forrest a unique, positive perspective of life. During the next thirty years, Forrest becomes a star football player, a war hero, a successful businessman, and something of a pop icon. Through it all, however, there is one defining element in his life: his love for Jenny. She is never far from his thoughts, no matter what he’s doing or where he is.

Forrest Gump has several messages, some of which are less obvious than others. The most frequently recurring theme is an admonition not to give up on life. Why surrender when you don’t know what lies ahead? By contrasting Forrest’s life with the lives of those around him, and by showing how the passage of time brings solace to even the most embittered hearts, the movie underlines this point. One of the biggest moments for me that really hit home was the Vietnam scene. I thought they really did it justice and I know all the Vietnam veterans out there where overall happy with it.

The film hits you where you feel the most and that is what matter when it comes to good story telling, movies like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Batman Begins. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Robert Zemeckis) and Best Actor (Tom Hanks). So for me I know the fans took this film very well.

To sum up, the film it had it fair share of drama, love and a message that hits you where it counts. Forrest Gump became a phenomenon and has touch the life’s of so many people all around the world. Ever find the grind of life getting you down? Is the day-to-day struggle threatening to drag you under? Questions I ask myself all the time, watching this film give me the energy and refresh my outlook on life. Not to many films can do that for a person. If this movie is not in your collection, it should be. The two disk DVD was release a while back and has some good special features anyone would enjoy. This movie is a total buy for anyone.