The protagonist is a word I learned early on in English class. Protagonist means leading figure in a work of drama. In many films there is a main character but he is overshadowed by the plot of the film. In this film, Forrest Gump is the film, he makes it all work. This happens with the genius of Tom Hanks who transforms himself into the character of Forrest Gump. He does it so well that we start to feel for Gump as if he were our own child or relative. Its nice to watch a movie where you see yourself rooting for things to go well for the main character. It is only a film yet it was so well made and acted that when something bad happened to Gump, I actually cried, and I was happy when he was happy. Being able to translate the feelings of a character into the minds of the movie viewers is a wonder of the cinema.

Forrest Gump is a fantastic film which tells of a man who unfortunately has a lower IQ than average. We follow him through his life's and all the ups and downs he has to face. Nevertheless, I do not believe this film is really about a below average IQ man. It is more about the innocence in all of us. Forrest represents everyone of us before we were corrupted by the world and turned into cynical and bitter people we are today. He shows us that we need not be that way. Forrest, who because of his low IQ, has remained innocent and naive through most of his life. As we grow many of us fall into the tragedy of what is the real world. In this movie we see the life through the eyes of one of the last innocent men on earth as he goes against the worst tragedies in life such as war, lost loves and death. Through it all, he keeps his good personality and doesn't allow life to corrupt him. We could all learn alot from Forrest Gump.

The film is also fantastic because it keeps you interested, jumping from one episode to the other in Gump's life, never being boring for one second. History is a very exciting thing and being able to relive it all through a character that I feel for is a great thing. Also to the movie's credit, it features good performances all around especially from Gary Sinise as Forrest's officer and my top Actor performance of Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump. It is impossible to miss his amazing performance. He geniously transforms himself into the character of Forrest in every way possible from face gestures to walking and talking. This is a film that will win over our hearts and make us genuinely feel for the character and hope and root for things to turn out well for him. Many of us may see ourselves in the eyes of Forrest, always reaching for love and friendship in a tough world.

This movie is truly something special, not to be missed. Its also one of the few films I feel I can watch over and over again. Each time I watch it my emotions run high even though I know what will happen. Again I should mention Tom Hanks because his performance in the film is in a class above most others. Even the supporting characters are all very good. There is not one bad actor in this film. It is intense, funny, dramatic and adventurous and a true American Classic.

Recommended:
Yes

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