Wow! I have to ask myself, "When was the first time did I see Forrest Gump?" Well, the answer is half-obvious: It was not in the theaters because it came out when I was a year and a half. So, when VCR players were around at that time, my father put the movie in the VCR around the late 90s or early 2000s when I was approaching 9 or 10 because he said it was a great movie and while watching the movie, I felt so much emotion wrapped around my head that is filled with joy, humor, horror and sadness because at the time, I felt like I was witnessing history from the point of view of a person with a low intelligence quotient.
Now, as an older person, I am a huge fan of this movie because it is not simply one of Tom Hanks' best performances if not his best performance but also he and director Robert Zemeckis paints a portrait of America that is not exactly perfect because at times, history was changing for the better and for the worse and I will get to that a tad later in the discussion. This movie is basically an inspiration that became a phenomenon because the movie follows an everyman that surpasses the maximum expectation to become the person with the limited abilities he has. Beyond the grand filmmaking, Gump's story is what embodies persistence and inspiration.
The story begins when Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is sitting on a bench waiting for a bus in Savannah, Georgia in 1981. As a customer sits down on the bench next to him, he offers her a box of chocolates and recalls his childhood in Greenbow, Alabama in the 1950s. He, as a young boy, had to wear leg braces because of his stiff back and he is raised by a single mother (Sally Field) because his father is gone on "vacation where he will never come back home". They live in a big house where most of the time, travelers from Mobile, Montgomery or anywhere else occupy the rooms.
His mother insists to his principal to be accepted to school despite his low IQ score but the principal reluctantly accepts him after Mama has sex with the principal. Forrest tries to find a seat on the school bus on his first day of school until Jenny Curran gets his attention. They become the best of friends until high school when Jenny (now, Robin Wright) blossoms into a woman and Forrest into a man. Forrest, earlier in his childhood, runs away from bullies, breaking his leg braces after he finds out that he is very fast. He is discovered and observed from a University of Alabama coach, Bear Bryant, and gets recruited, landing him on a football scholarship, eventually leading him to the All-American Pro Football team. Forrest is able to meet John F. Kennedy at the White House.
After graduation, Forrest enlists in the Army and becomes friends with Benjamin Buford Blue, nicknamed 'Bubba' (Mykelti Williamson). Bubba is aspiring to become a shrimp boating captain after the war is over and wants Forrest to come along with him. They are both sent to Vietnam under Lieutenant Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise). During an ambush, Forrest is able to save some of his injured platoon friends including Lt. Dan, who has his legs being shot off. Unfortunately, Forrest, even though he rescues him before the air strike bombs the Vietnam jungle, cannot save Bubba from his fatal injuries.
The rest of the movie is devoted to Forrest trying to communicate with Jenny or reuniting with Jenny, which he does at an anti-war rally in Washington D.C. after he was being awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Jenny has had a rough time as she was expelled from college because of indecent photos, experimented with drugs and now, she has joined the Hippie movement. They part ways again as Forrest, who is still recovering from injuries, has a knack for ping-pong and travels across the world. He is slowly becoming a national celebrity.
The movie could potentially be hailed as a classic right now but I think of it is an important film surrounding not just one's life as an inspiration to know that anything can be achieved if you are willing to accomplish your task. But, screenwriter Eric Roth has an outlook of two sides of the historical events and controversial periods of America.
From Forrest's perspective, it is a conservative standpoint. He's encountering obstacles that could potentially be improbable, not impossible, for him but he achieves it. Even though he was part of political and historical milestones such as the integration of the University of Alabama regarding the Brown v. Board of Education decision, a catalyst for a push for equal rights, the Vietnam War, the peace rally at Washington D.C. and the Watergate scandal (a very funny moment), Gump is living his American dream.
From Jenny's perspective, it is a liberal standpoint. She is somewhat living her dream but with controversy, promiscuity, drugs and anti-war rallies. She is not happy with her lifestyle in one moment as she contemplates about committing suicide at a hotel balcony. What I liked about Roth's screenplay that even though it is aptly titled Forrest Gump, it is also about Jenny because she connects with him, for example, in a scene, where she comes back to Alabama out of the blue and meets Forrest after years had passed. Even though it is a bittersweet homecoming and reunion, Jenny faces her demons when she sees her childhood home as it reminds her of her troublesome past with her father. But, my point is that both liberal and conservative lifestyles come together as Forrest and Jenny both encountered both the good and dark sides of the American dream and they support each other.
SPOILER ALERT!
In my opinion, the best and most emotional scene in the movie comes towards the end of the movie which Jenny and Forrest meet again in Georgia at her apartment after he comes back after a long run (I mean, a lengthy run). And, he discovers that they have a son named Forrest (played a very young Haley Joel Osment). My eyes got a bit more misty (yes, mistier than the scene with Forrest's monologue at the end of the film) as Forrest questions whether if he is smart or if he has the same qualities as himself but fortunately, Forrest, Jr. is at the top of his class. I will not get into the debate whether or not Jenny was a terrible human being for coming back to Forrest again because she was sick (HIV/AIDS or hepatitis but uninformed at the time). You decide for yourself.
The visual effects are outstanding in this movie as Industrial Light & Magic captured great details of history as Forrest had to shake the "President's hands" as actors had to lip-sync or add dialogue to make the moment humorous like when Forrest had to reply to JFK's question to "How does it feel to be an All-American?" He responds, "I have to pee." Also, Gary Sinise's legs had to be wrapped around with a blue fabric, pretending he had no legs. Sinise embodied a hard-nosed lieutenant in the beginning as he was destined to die in battle like his ancestors but is able to accept God after he thanks Forrest for saving his life. Now, even though it is a visual effect as it is flying around, what does the feather symbolize? In my mind, I think it symbolizes destiny because like the second clip above, Mama says to Forrest's question regarding his destiny that he has to figure out for himself. "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Anybody out there would not know where a feather would land, so, how would you know what your destiny will become if it is unanswered or unperformed? It is up to you to determine your path of life.
But, again, Tom Hanks gives an excellent performance as he perfects the Southern accent but becomes vulnerable in both his flaws and his talents sometimes. I think the reason why everybody is familiar and why everybody likes this character is become he has a rooting factor that can be a person that can drive us to anything. He deserved the Oscar for Best Actor (which was his second in a row after he won for Philadelphia, which is also very good.) However, Zemeckis' magic and Roth's screenplay displays nuances of life that are interesting and a fine narrative that can transfer one's emotion into any range: happiness or sadness. This is nearly epic filmmaking at its grandest and it is an uplifting celebration of one's life.
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