Did Forrest Gump and his son both have AIDS??

→ in
Tools    
Page 3 of 7
« First234Last »




honeykid's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
MoFo Whisperer
08-01-12
Originally Posted by will.15
Being There has a much more uplifting message,

It is the next President of the United States could be a retard.
Surely you mean "last" and "was."
__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.



Powderfinger's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
BANNED
08-01-12
Actually, you shouldn't say retard no more....something like mentally challenged.



WinterSky's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Registered User
08-01-12
Originally Posted by Holden Pike
Yeah, Jenny really isn't much of a character to like. Other than her "Run, Forrest! Run!" when they're kids and the natural sympathy you have for her with the implication of her Hellish childhood in her home, afterwards when she is grown she really is a bit of a ditz who unintentionally but also unfeelingly treats Forrest like *****, that is until she hits the end of her road and finally realizes what a swell fella he is and oh by the way has no more options left.

But my biggest problem with Forrest Gump isn't really the Jenny character, though she is poorly written. No, it's the betrayal of the central message of the film at the end there when he actually meets Forrest Jr. The throughline of the movie is, "Stupid is as stupid does" and his Momma's dogged and sometimes fierce defense of Forrest as no worse than anybody else on the planet just because his I.Q. is lower than normal. There's more to the story, of course, but in regards to Forrest's character and what it is able to get away with the central point is that a "slow" boy or man is no less human and in this case a damn sight less cruel and judgmental than so many of the "normal" people he encounters. But then comes the moment when he goes back to Jenny's apartment and she makes him realize that her son is their son. What is Forrest's reaction, and a move that is supposed to illicit tears for the audience? He gets all choked up and asks...

FORREST
He's the most beautiful thing I've
ever seen. But...is, is he smart,
or is he...

JENNY
He's very smart. He's one of the
smartest in his class.

Yippee! A happy ending after all! Seems even Forrest himself hasn't learned that it doesn't matter a lick if that boy is dumb as a bag of hammers or a genius, that it is his humanity that matters most and for always. I hate the way that moment is played. Well thank goodness the boy ain't a 'tard too, we know what a horrible burden that is. Oh, wait, the whole film has just been telling us it was a blessing for Forrest Sr., why should we treat Jr. any different?


I don't hate Forrest Gump, though I do despise that cheap and contradictory sentiment that's thrown in there at the end. I don't think it's one of the best movies ever made, or of the 1990s, or an especially worthy Best Picture winner. But as an entertainment it has some nice comedy layered in, some dark edges, good performances, Bob Zemeckis is a terrific cinematic craftsman, and for being 142 minutes long it breezes through most of them.
I think....the movie has just been ruined for me forever. Well, at least i can say i agree with your main point about the gnashing of the central point of the film. I don't think anyone really caught it though.



will.15's Avatar
Semper Fooey
08-02-12
I don't take her word that is his son. They only had sex once and she was pretty loose.

How did he get in the army anyway? You don't have to be too bright, but they don't accept the mentally challenged.
__________________
It reminds me of a toilet paper on the trees
- Paula



Powderfinger's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
BANNED
08-03-12
Originally Posted by will.15
How did he get in the army anyway? You don't have to be too bright,
lol!



street sweeper's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
08-03-12
i think its safe to say that it is a large assumption that forest jr is actually his son also one could argue that its an assumption that she died of aids. Personally i felt it was pretty much spelled out that she did contract hiv from her "disco days". this being true it is possible that neither forest or his son got it, but its not something i would like to try myself.



gandalf26's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
We've gone on holiday by mistake
08-03-12
EVERYONE HAS AIDS!!




Watcher545's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Registered User
08-03-12
What an interesting discussion. Now I need to watch this great film again!

I think that if the boy was Forest's or not it does not matter. Forest would most likley give him unconditional love because he was Jenny's.

Given the amount of Luck Forest had in the film and the way he was able to fumble through life and have success after success, his luck would have continued and he would not have contracted AIDS.

To me he finally achieves one of his life goals in the end. To gain a piece of Jenny.



JetFan1983's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Msg
Registered User
09-09-12
I'm watching Forrest Gump right now, searched this question and found this thread and website.

I apologize in advance if I use inappropriate language since I don't know what the kosher levels are here yet.

But here's my thinking on this. The highest probability is that the virus is HIV/AIDS. Let's assume that it is since the movie attempts to touch on the really seminal events of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

It's also the most likely that Jenny contracted HIV prior to her first return to Alabama when Forrest was a humble landscaper. It seems as if she had put her wild days behind her at that point, but still felt compelled to forge her own path and support herself, rather than living off Forrest's money.

Whether or not the kid is Forrest's, who really knows. Knowing Jenny, she could have struck up other relationships in this last chapter of her lost years. She finds out she's dying and realizes quickly that handing her son off to Forrest, his kindness and his wealth -- rather than child services or an orphanage for example --is a pretty good way to make sure her son is taken care of in her absence. But I'd still say there's a decent chance that it is his son.

In regards to the original AIDS question however, as others have said, mothers with HIV don't always pass the disease to their infants. I think that's what has happened here or else the kid would be living most of his life in a hospital. He looks healthy as a horse to me. So I can pretty confidently say the son does not have the disease.

As for Forrest, if anyone is going to get away with having sex with an HIV positive person, it's him. As was already established earlier in the movie, Forrest is a premature ejaculator and likely busted his nut after only a pump or two. That's a short enough time to keep the probability high that he did not contract the virus through repeated chafing, a cut or whatever else.

Call me an optimist, but I think both he and the kid (his son or not, who knows) lucked out and are HIV free at the conclusion of the movie.



Black Rawkus's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
03-21-13
the she's even a more terrible person for taking advantage of a slow person



DeeVeeDee's Avatar
Not Enough Time
03-21-13
It's funny because I'm thinking about the AIDS thing all logically and true to life, and yet the question of the boy being his real son I think about in such a romantic unrealistic way.

I would say that, it's hard to say whether he or her son had HIV, Forrest less likely because it's really hard to pass from female to male. But her son very well may have had it. The boy was what, 5, when he met Forrest? That's plenty of time to live with HIV and not have it become AIDS where he would appear sick. I don't think Forrest had it though, if I were to guess.

But I find it obvious the boy would be his son, because it's meant to be because they are true loves!! Even if Jenny is all messed up emotionally and can't give her love to Forrest, they're still true loves, you could even say soulmates. So to me, a romantic, it would make sense that they make a baby after one night together. It's a movie!!
__________________
"so i turned away, because i didn't want to see. just like everybody else."

"If dreams are like movies then memories are films about ghosts"



Black Rawkus's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Registered User
03-21-13
Forrest Gump-Life is like a box of chocolates? Mutha****er there's a paper in the box that tells you what's in each piece.



hapax_legomena's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
piss on it
03-21-13
Originally Posted by Black Rawkus
Forrest Gump-Life is like a box of chocolates? Mutha****er there's a paper in the box that tells you what's in each piece.
forrest can't read he's retarded



DeeVeeDee's Avatar
Not Enough Time
03-21-13
Also, now reading early posts, I have to defend Jenny! True, she didn't neccesarily treat Forrest as good as she could've, but she didn't treat him that horribly, and she's not any worse than what can be expected. She was his friend when no one else was and defended him. So because he's a complete niave sweetheart she's supposed to be okay with his actions and faults? She's just that type of emotionally derranged girl/woman who is not attracted to, or sees a life working with, a guy like Forrest, a dumb but sweet and loyal person. And yes, when she's older and has delt with guys she's attracted to but are the worst kind of guys, she can appreciate him.

This is the way many many young women are for many years. I don't think she's a bad person. And I certainly don't think she intended on giving anyone AIDS and if she had known would not have done certain things. This was before even the concept of AIDS was thought about.



hapax_legomena's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
piss on it
03-22-13
Toys with a retarded person's heart/emotions.
Is a bitch to a retarded person.
Gives a retarded person HIV by selfishly having sex and then leaving.
Births a bastard AIDS Haley Joel Osment.
Leaves said AIDS bastard in the care of a retarded person.
Not fair for the retarded person or AIDS Haley Joel Osment.
But Jenny was a saint.



Yoda's Avatar
Profile
Posts
Message
Administrator
07-31-13
Wow, really? Is there any clue otherwise?

The "feel" of the movie is certainly that it's his, in that it's a clear emotional payoff with no music or editing or any beat that I can think of that would undermine the claim.

Page 3 of 7
« First234Last »