In life we are asked to carry out some majorly important events. We must work, we must procreate, we must adhere to rules and we must strive to get ahead. Through it all, we should not act selfishly, but often do. Through it all, we should not put ourselves first and others last, but often do. Through it all, we should remember that life isn't about what you pass around, but what you leave behind.

And then there's Forrest Gump, a below-average level of intelligence quotient, sweet, devoted and simple man.

Simple being the demonstrative word.

His love interest is Jenny, played by Robin Wright, and she remains his constant vision of what is good and beautiful throughout this journey of life. They meet as children, and Jenny is the only little child who will speak to him, crutch ridden on the aisle of the bus, searching for a seat. All the other children look away or tell Forrest that the seat is taken, except for Jenny. Jenny is a victim of child abuse we find out very early in the film. One particularly touching moment in the film is Jenny and Forrest, running through a tall cornfield, away from her molesting father. Jenny is five years old and Forrest is about seven. She pulls him to the ground on her knees, and tells him "Pray with me, Forrest. Pray that I can be a bird and fly far far away from here, Forrest." The camera pans up far and wide to the sky looking down at the filthy trailer and the long cornfield behind it, as the children remain hidden within a cornrow, praying for Jenny's escape.

Forrest's life is chronicled in such a funny way throughout the fifties and sixties. His mother owns a boarding house, and a very funny scene in the beginning of the movie is Forrest in a room with one of their guests, dancing as the "guest" plays the guitar. All you see is the back of the guest's head initially, which is a tow head of black, curly hair, and you hear that familiar southern sexy drawl and realize that the guest is a young Elvis Presley. Since Forrest has leg crutches for a back that is "crookeder than a politician", his attempt at dancing is thwarted, but he keeps twisting his hips anyway. You hear Elvis saying "hey kid......that's some fancy movies you got there..let me see that again." The next scene shows the young Forrest and his mother, perfectly played by Sally Field, watching a television set outside of a hardware store. There is the young Elvis Presley, with the infamous hip shake that helped make him King, initally shown to him by none other than Forrest Gump himself.

As an adult, played by my favorite actor Tom Hanks, we travel with Forrest to Vietnam. "There was always something to do in Vietnam", claims Forrest, "but it wasn't always such a good time". On the army in general, Forrest claims..
"the army and me fit just like a glove. All you have to do is make your bed very neat, and every time the Drill Sargent asks you a question, just answer "YES Drill Sargent!".

Amazing special effects has Forrest meeting with President John F Kennedy and baring his buttocks (showing his gun wound) to President Johnson as well.

The simplicity of Forrest as portrayed by Hanks throughout the movie is so endearing, so refreshing, and such a lesson for us all in what really matters in life. If life is like a box of chocolates, than the choices are certainly sweet if you have the angelic simplicity of a Forrest Gump, who knows only devotion to his Jenny and a selfless attitude of love.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older