FORREST GUMP
A film review by Steven H. Hildebrand
Copyright 1994 Steven H. Hildebrand
Rated PG-13 Running Time: 2:20
"Life is like a box of choc-o-lates ... you never know what you'll get" says Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) in the movie by the same name, and that simple philosophy is just one of many messages of this film. Gump is a simpleton with an IQ of 75--not quite retarded, but definitely not a rocket scientist either--and an unforgettable character in an unforgettable story about life, love, friendship, destiny--and dogged persistence.
As a child with a dull mind, crooked back and braces on his legs, Gump suffers indignities at the hands of other children, and his mother (Sally Field) also suffers a few indignities of her own in the process of looking after him. Gump is befriended by a girl named Jenny (Robin Wright) who becomes his best friend and lifelong love. He spends much of the movie protecting Jenny in one misguided way or another, and trying to get her to marry him; she spends most of the movie running from Gump and looking for something outside herself to make her happy--men, drugs, political causes. A victim of incest, her head is like a bowl of spaghetti and she has obviously never heard the saying, "Happiness is an inside job."
In a key scene early on, Gump is attacked by a gang of boys pelting him with rocks. As he tries to run away from them, hobbling with great effort, his leg braces literally fly apart and he discovers that after years of wearing those braces, he can run like a gazelle. This scene sets the stage for the rest of the movie, as Gump's life becomes a miraculous comedy of errors in which running is a recurring theme.
In the process of running away from another gang of punks when he is older, he runs across a football field during a game, attracting the attention of several scouts with his blinding speed ... and Gump goes off to college on a football scholarship, becoming a football hero for Alabama's "Crimson Tide," despite having great difficulty understanding that he's supposed to stop running after the end zone.
Following graduation, he enlists in the Army where he fits in perfectly, following orders without question. He becomes a war hero in Vietnam, winning the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving his platoon during an ambush, including his platoon leader, Lt. Dan Taylor (Gary Sinese in an excellent supporting role). Lt. Dan survives the war as a legless, embittered veteran who is angry at God and Gump for saving his life, believing it was his "destiny" to die on the battlefield like many of his ancestors had. Forrest, through his natural optimism and persistence, helps Lt. Dan to make peace with God, with Gump, and himself.
Gump shakes hands with several Presidents, inspires Elvis and John Lennon (watch the movie), becomes a world ping-pong champion, foils the Watergate break-in, and eventually winds up a millionaire, a husband and a father. It is a wonderful movie full of strange miracles and poignant kindnesses. Though some call him "retard," his so-called handicap actually works in his favor and allows him to walk through life comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable without a trace of guile or meanness. They say that God works thru people, and we can see this clearly as Gump touches many lives and heals a few broken people with his selflessness and unconditional love.
I just can't say enough about this film ... the acting, the directing, the script--it is all so very good. It had me alternately laughing and crying, and in one scene, doing both simultaneously. This is Hanks' finest performance ever, one to rival his role in the award-winning "Philadelphia," and look for this movie to be a major contender for multiple Oscars. Tall kudos also to the supporting cast, and especially to director Robert Zemeckis. On the 10 scale, I'll give this one an 11 and urge everyone to see it on the big screen--definitely the movie of the Summer.
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