FORREST GUMP A film by Robert Zemeckis Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field
Midway through FORREST GUMP, I realized how much I loved watching Tom Hanks act. This, for all the dazzling array of special effects (that are starting to look dated every time I watch this), is a movie driven by the wondrous Hanks, who gives perhaps the most indelible American performance in the last 20 years. I honestly don't know if there is a better actor alive than Tom Hanks. Hanks is destined to be mocked more than Marlon Brando's creation of Vito Corleone for THE GODFATHER, because his performance is so good. It is impossible to say what it feels like to watch Tom Hanks on screen, using every bit of his immense talent to bring a character to life, to catch the sympathy of the audience with just one line, one mannerism, one something, to make us feel. As Andrew Beckett in PHILADELPHIA, Jim Lovell in APOLLO 13, and Capt. Miller in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, Hanks was able to do the exact same thing: give commanding performances that dominate the movie.
That said, the movie is a winner by all standards. The plot is relatively simple: an Alabama man named Forrest Gump (Hanks), who has an IQ of 75 (below normal), goes through life, somehow meeting great people, and acheiving great things. The movie is dominated by his love for Jenny (Wright), who takes a different turn than he does, but winds up in the same place. Along the way, he meets lifelong friends that he manages to turn around.
FORREST GUMP was able to acheive all of its magic through great effects, although they are starting to wear thin. What doesn't wear thin are the simply marvelous performances. Gary Sinise, in one of the most beautifully constructed supporting roles in history, gives an astounding, career-making performance as Lt. Dan, one of Forrest's closest friends. Sinise probably has the most difficult role in the film, but manages to make it his own through a powerful performance which contains the frustrations of every veteran on the face of the Earth. Robin Wright, whose role is also more difficult than Hanks', is also great as Jenny, the girl of Forrest's dreams. Her performance is that of lost innocence, of someone who missed the boat early on, and never got back on track until late. Sally Field also shows up for a fine turn as Forrest's mother.
The one immense strength of FORREST GUMP is its inflappable star. I don't understand how Tom Hanks is so good: he just is. Hanks' role is not the most difficult. However, it is a lot harder than it looks. Hanks adds so much more to the character than isn't there. The mannerisms, the certain tendencies, and the flawless portrayal of a man who is so simple than he could be mistaken for dumb. Hanks turns a role that isn't so difficult, and does the absolute best he can with it, turning it into an indelible performance worth seeing time and again. There is no reason why I wouldn't see Tom Hanks act.
FORREST GUMP does fall when it comes to its message. There are moments of absolute hilarity and purely bad filmmaking, at times (when Forrest learns how to run...eegh'). The film also has a tendency to really make fun of the stupid, which is a shame. More enigmatic is the film's political message. A film about so many events must have a message. If there is one, its that goodness will prevail, but much of the film is awfully contrived, like the ridiculous 'running around the country' episode. The film is not for radicalism, but neither for the 50's ideals. It wants to fall in the middle, but it can't.
As a piece of entertainment, however, FORREST GUMP is unbeatable. A mulitple Oscar-winner, it is arguable whether or not is should have beaten PULP FICTION, but no one can deny its emotional thump, especially towards the end. A tour-de-force not for director Zemeckis, who made a great but not superb film, but for Hanks, who delivers the decade's most unforgettable performance. Everything in this movie emanates from Tom Hanks, and there's nothing wrong with that. Hanks' performance and character are so much a part of American film, that FORREST GUMP works better as a cultural phenomenon than as a movie. No matter. It's still a great film, and an opportunity to see this generation's Jimmy Stewart in fine form. One of the essential Tom Hanks movies, and that says a lot.
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