Commerating the 10th Anniversary of an American classic

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2004)

Wow,it has been ten years ago........
By the time "Forrest Gump" swept most of the major 1994 Academy Awards,it had already become the third-highest grossing film of all time,as well as a genuine pop phenomenon embracing best selling books,gnomic catch phrases,and reams of commentary on the editorial pages of magazines and newspapers throughout the world. It has already broken box office records worldwide and stands behind great cinema classics like "Raiders Of The Lost Ark","E.T.","Titanic","The Lion King",and so many more. Even through its distribution of its market through DVD and video,it has grossed even more domestic wealth and still holds that mark as of today,even after its release more than ten years ago. Clearly,a great event,FORREST GUMP,is a great film and a great piece of cinematic magic within itself. It has the form of an epic that goes within the boundaries of depth and resonance;the trappings of satire without a coherent attitude,and the semblance of historical revisionism without a critical sensibility. To paraphrase the screenplay,FORREST GUMP,may not be a smart film,but it knows what love is-its dim-witted protagonist,as expertly portrayed by Tom Hanks,has captured the love of millions,which by the way made Tom Hanks,the Jimmy Stewart of our generation.
Despite its limitations,FORREST GUMP has charm to spare,thanks to an enduring central performance by Tom Hanks,as well as a series of irresistibly playful historical tableau's achieved with unprecedented verisimilitude by the computer-savvy artists at George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. Although fictional protagonists have been made to interact with historical figures in CITIZEN KANE and ZELIG,FORREST GUMP represents a technological breakthrough. Unfortunably it is also far less thoughtful than these illustrious processors,and at times seems nearly as simple minded as its protagonist. While FORREST GUMP stands out as a break taking cinematic masterpiece,it is a remarkably brilliant one through various scenes as it follows the character through three decades of turmoil which begins with his upbringing in rural Greenbow,Alabama through various events that featuring computerized images of Governor George Wallace,President Kennedy at the White House,and his meeting with President Johnson as Forrest receives the Medal Of Honor for bravery during his turmoil in Vietnam and that continues throughout as he joins a ping-pong team that takes a tour of China and his meeting with President Nixon,and accidentally uncovers the Watergate break-in of the 1970's. However,its vision of the Vietnam War,for example,is constructed not from historical memory,but by means of a deft deployment of clichÃ©s drawn from the most prominent movies that display the Vietnam War in general(examples from such films as Apocalypse Now,The Deer Hunter,Coming Home,Platoon,and Born On The Fourth Of July).
Indeed,director Robert Zemeckis's period recreations depend more on the music of that period than any other visual sense of time and place:once the wall to wall soundtrack of the period kicks in which contains hits from various groups from the 1960's and early 1970's. The characters here are very well supportive with outstanding performances from actresses Sally Field,and Robin Wright-Penn to actor Gary Sinise's portrayal of Lt. Dan,who does a fair impression of Willem Dafoe from two Oliver Stone films;PLATOON(with legs)and BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (without as a paraplegic)to a supportive acting from Mykelti Williamson as Forrest's best friend Bubba. Although Winston Groom's original novel contains some astringent satire,the film's version settles for gentle jabs at racism and the military. Unusually vague it is attitude towards the events and its depicts,FORREST GUMP went on the sweep the Oscars for Best Picture,Best Director(Robert Zemeckis),Best Actor(Tom Hanks), Best Adapted Screenplay(Eric Roth),and Best Supportive Actor(Gary Sinise),and still went on the become one of the biggest moneymaking films of 1994.
Even after ten years,it is still embraced by several national figures as a celebration of traditional values and a condemnation of the 1960's counterculture. In many ways,the film still represents old-fashioned Hollywood liberalism where racists are wrong,war is hell,assassinations are bad,and it's good to be nice--even if the world is different from various places. Still,the films a lot of heart and a lot of guts and brains to make it possible. Congradulations on your 10th Anniversary-- FORREST GUMP.