WHERE'S JIMMY?

Rating: Null/10 (16 April 2000)

'Forrest Gump' was an inoffensive and entertaining enough movie without being spectacular cinema. However, my comments concern one (possibly two) odd aspects of the movie
President Jimmy Carter was NOT featured in the film. All the others except Ford (his omission is perhaps understandable) were featured. In fact, it turns out Forrest's actions were pivotal in the downfall of Nixon.
There's another odd aspect about Jimmy Carter. Not long after Forrest is depicted watching American bi-centennial celebrations (July 4 1976, presumably) he starts running from sea to shining sea 'for no particular reason'. Furthermore, he stops running just prior to the depiction of the assassination attempt on Reagan, from memory. This means that Forrest was running (remember, 'for no particular reason') for just about exactly the duration of the Carter administration. I guess this explains why Forrest never met President Carter. Is this some sort of comment on the Carter administration (perhaps that America lost it's way under Carter - a dubious proposition at best) or simply co-incidence? I wonder!
Also, the landscape at the spot where Forrest stops running is the same landscape featured on the Eagles Greatest Hits album. I don't think there's any sub text here, except that it's quite a remarkable landscape