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Plot - Forrest Gump (Hanks) is a simple man with a low IQ, but with a big heart. Sitting at a bus stop he relays his life story to the strangers who happen to be sharing the bench with him. And what a life story it has been! He has been present at some of the most important events that have shaped America and indeed the world from the 50s through to the early 80s, and met some of the men who helped to shape the world. He has met Presidents, fought in wars and and changed the world in which we live in today. And yet the one thing that continued to elude him is th only thing that was truly important to him; the love of his lifelong friend, Jenny (Wright).
Now we come to one of the more seemingly divisive films on the board. It's a common addition on numerous favourite film lists, but at the same time it would probably appear on a few people's least favourite film lists. While I obviously love it I can perhaps understand why some people don't like this film. Quite often it's the type of film I'd probably hate, turned off its manipulative and schmaltzy nature. You just have to go into it without any trace of cynicism or bitterness about you, and you should be able to love it and its saccharine ways. Yes the arguments that its schmaltzy and overly sentimental may hold some water, but for me it all just comes across as a lovely, warm-hearted, whimsical little fable. With Tom Hanks once again providing an incredible performance.
Hanks is right up there amongst my favourite ever actors, and he is fantastic here as the simple-minded titular character. It's performance of great comic timing and a vulnerability which makes the character easy to love. Some people may accuse his performance of simply being a gimmicky showing, composed of nothing but catchphrases. In amongst his utterances of “stupid is as stupid does” and “life is like a box of chocolates” however lie some truly wonderful moments of acting which made his Best Actor Oscar well deserved. My absolute favourite snippet is the point where Forrest learns about his son, and the way that Hanks conveys it. Initially clueless, the knowledge slowly begins to dawn on him and we see a wave of fear and trepidation sweep across his face as he wonders whether his son is 'normal'. And when he learns that he is, the sense of relief and joy that replaces those feelings is heart-warming. A beautiful piece of acting. A real snapshot and showcase of his talents. Hanks really does completely create this character; one of the most iconic characters of 90s cinema. He does such an amazing job that it's all but impossible to imagine anyone else in the role, but that almost was the case. John Travolta was the first choice but turned it down, as did Bill Murray and amazingly Chevy Chase!
While it would be easy to remember the film as a completely one man show, Hanks does have some more than adequate support. This is never more evident than with the contribution from Gary Sinise. He is terrific as Forrest's Commanding Officer in Vietnam, Lieutenant Dan. Vibrant, wild, aggressive and at times downright hilarious his character goes on quite the journey and Sinise's performances ensures that we go right along with him. Sally Field also proves a charming presence as Forrest's mother and in many ways its a shame that her role is so limited. The only performance that I still struggle to really warm to is that of Robin Wright. Though in all fairness to her I believe a lot of that is down to her character. Her Jenny is a very flawed, tragic individual who more often than not just seems to be dragging Forrest down and bringing strife into his life. I understand Jenny has been tremendously damaged by her childhood traumas but Forrest is such a good guy that I just want him to be happy.
I think that even for those people who don't like the film, they will be able to admire how well made the film is in a lot of technical departments. The film spans some thirty or so years, and to bring life to the numerous eras and events featured Forrest Gump is blessed with some beautiful cinematography, great sound design and a tremendous soundtrack that is just overflowing with recognisable and iconic tunes of the times. They all go a long way to immersing us in the world of Forrest and all that it entails. I mentioned the beautiful cinematography and it really does create some gorgeous images throughout, such as the landscape shots of America when Forrest is running across the country. The absolute triumph of the cinematography however would have to be the stretch detailing Forrest's stretch in the Vietnam War. It is beautifully presented and scores higher than many actual war films. It is also during this period that the soundtrack of iconic songs really comes to life. The film also benefits hugely from impeccable visual effects work from Industrial Light & Magic, used not only to digitally place Tom Hanks into archive footage but allowing him to interact with characters and objects within the footage. These scenes are fantastically effective and endearing. It's a trick that was put to similarly positive use in the previous year's In the Line of Fire. The effects are also used to digitally remove Gary Sinise's legs when Lieutenant Dan becomes an amputee. It's a tremendously convincing piece of trickery, so much so that if I didn't know who Sinise was and that he was not actually an amputee I may have wondered if he really was.
Forget about all your comedies and cult flicks, if you're looking for the most quotable film of all time then this one has certainly got to be in contention. Through a combination of the scipt and Hanks' delivery, the film just has so many lines that have permeated into popular culture and remained there. And come on, is there really anyone who's seen this film and not tried to imitate at least one or two of his lines? Surely even the most miserable of us has busted out a “stupid is as stupid does” or a “life is like a box of chocolates” every once in a while. The script also triumphs in an avenue where Rain Man succeeded; it is able to find a large amount of humour in the character without it ever actually being at the character's expense. We are never laughing at him. Yes the laughs come from things that Forrest says or does but we're laughing at the situation and at others reaction to him.
One of my favourite aspects of Forrest Gump is in its connections and allusions to real-life events and slices of popular culture. One of my all-time favourite TV shows is the brilliant Quantum Leap. And that had a very similar concept; something they called 'kisses with history'. It was a term used for when the main character, Sam Beckett, interacted with historical characters (perhaps shaping their future), introduced a piece of popular culture or was present at the birth of something important. In this film, Gump has met numerous historical figures of huge importance and affected so much of the world we live in today. Amongst numerous other events he helped create the icon of Elvis Pressley, gave John Lennon the lyrics for “Imagine”, uncovered the Watergate scandal, gave birth to the phrase 'sh*t happens' and the smiley face icon, was involved in the Vietnam War and met one President after another.
So for all its quirks and its decades-spanning story, what exactly is Forrest Gump all about? I don't know that I'm entirely sure. Is it perhaps saying that for all of the world's kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, more often than not it's the small, everyman that Gump represents who finds themselves changing the world. Or is it understanding that for all the amazing things that happens in his life, the things that are most important to Gump are friends, family and love; as it should be for all of us. Is it merely a fly-by, cliff notes style telling of a tumultuous period in America which did much to shape the country and indeed the world that remains today? Or is the film quite simply just saying that its nice to be nice?
Forrest Gump is a man who has been at the centre of one historical event after another, has captured the hearts and minds of America over and over again, met one President after another and has affected so much of the world we live in today; but all he cares about is a girl. About love. He may not be a smart man but when it comes to priorities in life, he may just be a bit of a god-damned genius!
Conclusion - There have been a few discussions on the board about future classics, and films which will still be watched 60, 70, 80 years from now. Well I think that Forrest Gump is a very strong contender for such a category. As part of my argument I would cite the work of Frank Capra. In terms of films from Hollywood's Golden Age, Capra's efforts remain amongst the most fondly remembered and popular. And I think Forrest Gump shares numerous similarities with his output. There is something of an indefinable magic about it; a sense of wonder. It's old-fashioned, fantastical, whimsical and timeless stuff. A film that truly touches people. Utterly charming.
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Year of release
1994
1994
Directed by
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
Written by
Eric Roth (script)
Winston Groom (novel)
Eric Roth (script)
Winston Groom (novel)
Starring
Tom Hanks
Robin Wright
Gary Sinise
Sally Field
Mykelti Williamson
Tom Hanks
Robin Wright
Gary Sinise
Sally Field
Mykelti Williamson
Forrest Gump
Plot - Forrest Gump (Hanks) is a simple man with a low IQ, but with a big heart. Sitting at a bus stop he relays his life story to the strangers who happen to be sharing the bench with him. And what a life story it has been! He has been present at some of the most important events that have shaped America and indeed the world from the 50s through to the early 80s, and met some of the men who helped to shape the world. He has met Presidents, fought in wars and and changed the world in which we live in today. And yet the one thing that continued to elude him is th only thing that was truly important to him; the love of his lifelong friend, Jenny (Wright).
Now we come to one of the more seemingly divisive films on the board. It's a common addition on numerous favourite film lists, but at the same time it would probably appear on a few people's least favourite film lists. While I obviously love it I can perhaps understand why some people don't like this film. Quite often it's the type of film I'd probably hate, turned off its manipulative and schmaltzy nature. You just have to go into it without any trace of cynicism or bitterness about you, and you should be able to love it and its saccharine ways. Yes the arguments that its schmaltzy and overly sentimental may hold some water, but for me it all just comes across as a lovely, warm-hearted, whimsical little fable. With Tom Hanks once again providing an incredible performance.
Hanks is right up there amongst my favourite ever actors, and he is fantastic here as the simple-minded titular character. It's performance of great comic timing and a vulnerability which makes the character easy to love. Some people may accuse his performance of simply being a gimmicky showing, composed of nothing but catchphrases. In amongst his utterances of “stupid is as stupid does” and “life is like a box of chocolates” however lie some truly wonderful moments of acting which made his Best Actor Oscar well deserved. My absolute favourite snippet is the point where Forrest learns about his son, and the way that Hanks conveys it. Initially clueless, the knowledge slowly begins to dawn on him and we see a wave of fear and trepidation sweep across his face as he wonders whether his son is 'normal'. And when he learns that he is, the sense of relief and joy that replaces those feelings is heart-warming. A beautiful piece of acting. A real snapshot and showcase of his talents. Hanks really does completely create this character; one of the most iconic characters of 90s cinema. He does such an amazing job that it's all but impossible to imagine anyone else in the role, but that almost was the case. John Travolta was the first choice but turned it down, as did Bill Murray and amazingly Chevy Chase!
While it would be easy to remember the film as a completely one man show, Hanks does have some more than adequate support. This is never more evident than with the contribution from Gary Sinise. He is terrific as Forrest's Commanding Officer in Vietnam, Lieutenant Dan. Vibrant, wild, aggressive and at times downright hilarious his character goes on quite the journey and Sinise's performances ensures that we go right along with him. Sally Field also proves a charming presence as Forrest's mother and in many ways its a shame that her role is so limited. The only performance that I still struggle to really warm to is that of Robin Wright. Though in all fairness to her I believe a lot of that is down to her character. Her Jenny is a very flawed, tragic individual who more often than not just seems to be dragging Forrest down and bringing strife into his life. I understand Jenny has been tremendously damaged by her childhood traumas but Forrest is such a good guy that I just want him to be happy.
Film Trivia - Following the film's success, Winston Groom wrote a sequel to his original novel. Titled 'Gump & Co.' it actually referenced the movie as if it had been released in Forrest's world; he mentions that the movie was inaccurate and brought him unwanted press attention. Amongst his new adventures Forrest goes on The David Letterman Show, attends the Oscars and at one point actually meets Tom Hanks. A film version has been mooted for many years but has yet to materialise. A large obstacle to the production was the horrific attacks in New York on 9/11. A finished script was actually delivered the night before that infamous day, but afterwards it was felt that the world had completely changed and it would not now be relevant.
Forget about all your comedies and cult flicks, if you're looking for the most quotable film of all time then this one has certainly got to be in contention. Through a combination of the scipt and Hanks' delivery, the film just has so many lines that have permeated into popular culture and remained there. And come on, is there really anyone who's seen this film and not tried to imitate at least one or two of his lines? Surely even the most miserable of us has busted out a “stupid is as stupid does” or a “life is like a box of chocolates” every once in a while. The script also triumphs in an avenue where Rain Man succeeded; it is able to find a large amount of humour in the character without it ever actually being at the character's expense. We are never laughing at him. Yes the laughs come from things that Forrest says or does but we're laughing at the situation and at others reaction to him.
Film Trivia Snippets - Forrest and Dan's Shrimp Emporium “Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.” is now a theme restaurant with outlets in 40 locations around the world in countries such as America, Japan, China, Mexico and Malaysia. /// Six years previous to Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks and Sally Field co-starred in Punchline. In that film they played love interests, while here Field plays Hanks' mother. /// Inspired by his character in the film, Gary Sinise co-founded a rock and roll cover band called “The Lt. Dan Band.” The band often goes on USO tours to play for military personnel stationed around the world, and also plays various benefits for veteran-related causes. /// Warner Bros. were actually the initial holders of the film's rights but gave them up in 1988 in exchange for Executive Decision. They felt that the project had lost its commercial potential following the release of Rain Man. The film would go on to gross close to $700 million. Oops!
So for all its quirks and its decades-spanning story, what exactly is Forrest Gump all about? I don't know that I'm entirely sure. Is it perhaps saying that for all of the world's kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, more often than not it's the small, everyman that Gump represents who finds themselves changing the world. Or is it understanding that for all the amazing things that happens in his life, the things that are most important to Gump are friends, family and love; as it should be for all of us. Is it merely a fly-by, cliff notes style telling of a tumultuous period in America which did much to shape the country and indeed the world that remains today? Or is the film quite simply just saying that its nice to be nice?
Forrest Gump is a man who has been at the centre of one historical event after another, has captured the hearts and minds of America over and over again, met one President after another and has affected so much of the world we live in today; but all he cares about is a girl. About love. He may not be a smart man but when it comes to priorities in life, he may just be a bit of a god-damned genius!
Conclusion - There have been a few discussions on the board about future classics, and films which will still be watched 60, 70, 80 years from now. Well I think that Forrest Gump is a very strong contender for such a category. As part of my argument I would cite the work of Frank Capra. In terms of films from Hollywood's Golden Age, Capra's efforts remain amongst the most fondly remembered and popular. And I think Forrest Gump shares numerous similarities with his output. There is something of an indefinable magic about it; a sense of wonder. It's old-fashioned, fantastical, whimsical and timeless stuff. A film that truly touches people. Utterly charming.