A great American film about destiny

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2009)

Everything about this film works! The acting. The visuals. The story. Everything is strewn together in a story of one's mans life and his journey to understand love, friendship, and destiny, leaving us with a film unlike any other that cannot be imitated.
Tom Hanks's performance as the main character will be the one that defines his career. He makes his character believable yet different from any other movie character ever created. Watching him grow up and learn more about the world is already well done, but what is amazing is that even though his world changes around him, he does not. As a result, he learns more about life, love, destiny, and how they all work together.
Gary Sinise's character, Lt. Dan, is one of my favorites in this movie. Just like Forrest, he learns about destiny and life. But unlike Forrest, he already had his own belief about destiny, and how he was destined to be a certain thing. But life got in the way, and he felt "cheated" out of his destiny growing depressed and alcoholic. It is not until a life-threatening situation that he comes at peace with his life and the fact that it took a road different from his destiny.
The way that director Robert Zemeckis uses both human emotion and creative special effects to tell such a story is ingenious. Everything flows together, creating an unforgettable story that faces issues like destiny and fate, American society and history, and love and friendship. Add that to great performances, especially from Hanks and Sinise, and what comes out is a great story that will be around and highly admired for years to come. 10 out of 10!