Life is full of the choices we make...

Rating: 9/10 (12 September 2001)

Although this movie is one of those "love it or hate it" movies, it still proves to be captivating and breathtaking. First and foremost, Tom Hanks is once again brilliant, and should have won Best Actor. Second, he and Zemeckis once again pair up for a brilliant director-actor tandem. I love the way Zemeckis pays attention to particular details (i.e. the ocean, the night sky, like in "Contact"). I also think the end of this movie is unbelievable. I'm kind of gullible and I usually don't get hidden messages, but this one was loud and clear: he reaches a crossroads in his life, and can do whatever he wants. The two best parts of this movie are the ending and the music, majestically conducted by Alan Silvestri, who typically works with Zemeckis. The music is beautiful and accentuates the action of the movie. This may be the "Tom Hanks Show" for a good solid 2 hours, but it still conveys a powerful message: people may love, and lose, but they are still free to make independent choices.