Movie Review #3

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump poster.Source;wikipedia
"The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump"-This was the tagline for the 1994 oscar winning American comedy drama film and surely it will change your life.

Plot and presentation.

image source:ABC news
Forrest Gump is a 1994 movie directed by Robert Zemeckis based on the novel of the same name by Winston Groom.The main protagonist Forrest Gump is played by actor Tom Hanks and won an academy award for his performance.The movie begins as Forrest waits at a bus stop and starts recollecting memories of his life and tells those to random strangers.At the beginning we hear the most famous dialogue of the movie"Life is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you're gonna get".He then starts telling her about his childhood,from his first shoes to his first meeting with Jenny.As time passes by different people come and go but Forrest continues to tell his story.Although the movie is a comedy satire it also projects the darker issues of the society like,child abuse,racism,brutality of war and many more.The entire movie shows the entire journey of Forrest Gump,from a low iq kid to a national level rugby player, a war hero,a national level ping pong player, a shrimp boat captain, founder of a hospital and church and ultimately a loving father.In spite of these achievements Forrest still remains the humble and caring man as he was before.This movie is timeless and a modern masterpiece.

Characterisation  

Forrest Gump: 

Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks is the main character of the movie.Although the movie deals with different issues at different times the main focus is always on Forrest Gump.Born with a low IQ(75) but a heart of gold.He used to get bullied at school by other kids.One day when his childhood sweetheart Jenny told him to run from them he started running like a free man and he never looked back again.His running speed grabs attention of rugby coaches and he proceeds to become a college level and a state level player.He gets to meet three United States presidents.He goes off to battle in Vietnam and receives the Medal of honour for his bravery.He starts playing table tennis and becomes a champion,he becomes successful in his shrimping business and he achieves everything a man can dream of.At the end he still remains the humble and loving guy he was before because all that money and fame matter nothing to him.It was very devastating for the viewers to watch his loved ones die, at first his mom and then Jenny.But at the end he lives happily as a single father with his son and the movie finishes with a heart warming note.

Mrs. Gump:    

Mrs. Gump, played by Sally Field is the mother of  Forrest Gump.From the very beginning she is shown as the loving and caring single mother who wishes to raise her son well.She lives in her ancestral house of Greenbow and let travellers stay in her house.That's how she earned money.She always takes care of his son and the people around her making her a very lovable character of the movie.

Jenny:

Jenny(played by Robin Wright) was Forrest's first friend in school.He first met her in a school bus.Her mother died and she was raised by her stepfather.Jenny was a victim of child abuse from a very young age, which had impact on her mental state.Jenny's character is the only character in the whole movie which has some flaws.Although she was a friend of Forrest she never accepted him as her lover.She got involved with some bad people and started living a like a hippy.She was involved in doing drugs,and was suicidal several times.Fortunately she didn't commit suicide and she was back on right track.But she was suffering from an chronic illness which made her return to Forrest.

Lieutenant Dan:

Lt.Dan played by Gary Sininse was the senior officer of Forrest in Vietnam.This is the one character which goes through huge changes and shows great character development.Officer Dan's family had a history of dying in battlefields.And when he thought he was gonna die too,it was Forrest Gump who saved him and that changed his life.He lost his legs and almost gave up on his life.But later he was happy with he was and became a family man.In Forrest's words "He made peace with God"

Verdict:

1994's Forrest Gump is one of the most important movies ever made in Hollywood.This movie is packed with emotions which will make you laugh,cry and think.This movie has the power to change your life.Forrest Gump has 8.8 IMDB rating which is among the top ten movies of all time.Every actor executed their role with perfection.We give it a 9.8/10.