A triumph of hype over content

Rating: 1/10 (4 August 1998)

Surely Forrest Gump must rate as one of the biggest dupes of all time. Quite how the marketeers managed to pass this off as a great film is beyond my powers of reason. Tom Hanks plays the intellectually challenged Gump and picked up his second consecutive Oscar for his over the top portrayal. A spectacular job considering the Academy do not normally fall for the same ploys as the movie going public. Even more spectacular when you consider that Morgan Freeman was nominated for The Shawshank Redemption. Gump was the Best Film winner as well, even though Pulp Fiction AND The Shawshank Redemption were nominated. I would put this film into the same sort of class as the Wonder Years or Dazed and Confused, nice but nothing special. It's little more than a period piece chronicalling American Life across three decades and how it affected one man, namely Mr Gump. The cast is good with Gary Sinise very good as Gump's Vietnam Sergeant. Sally Field is well cast as Gump's mother, beyond that there is not much to redeem Gump, the effects are very nicely added if nothing new and the soundtrack is predictably well chosen given the period of time it covers. For the most part it's too mushy, way too sentimental and just not much above mediocre. In years to come the Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction will be looked upon much more favourably than the over-awarded Forrest Gump.