Forrest Gump

Rating: Null/10 (9 July 2013)

Forrest Gump Forrest Gump has to be one of the greatest stories ever written. Not only does it have a great plot and love story, but lots of historical context throughout. . It covers, wars, influential people at the time, famous people who have passed away, and how they impacted the world can be tied to the movie It starts' out in the late 50's and moves on through the late 80's, covering most major historical events. The movie starts out by an older Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) sitting at Savannah, GA bus stop telling his life story to the fellow bus riders. Some are very attentive, some indifferent and some are simply in disbelief listening to the stranger tell them of his accomplishments, even though he doesn't view them that way. Forrest, a kind and faithful soul, grew up in Greenbow, Alabama in the early 60's, he has a low I.Q., which leaves him very prejudiced with the schools and other residents of his town. Along with the low I.Q., he has leg braces for most of his early childhood leaving people to believe he was going to be crippled for life.
His mother( Sally Field) teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to create his own destiny, despite the challenges she knew he would face because of his mentally capacity. He doesn't have any friends except a young girl named Jenny Curran (Robin Wright), whom he loves from the second he lays eyes on her. Forrest and Jenny get into a altercation with a group of older boys from their school, and he breaks free of legs braces only to reveal that he is lightning fast, which leads to a college scholarship. Forrest and Jenny were inseparable until Jenny decides to run away from her abusive father and go travel the United States with a band of hippies.
After Jenny left their home town, Forrest enlists in the United States Army, only to be drafted to Vietnam. There he makes friends with a black man named Bubba, and LT. Dan. After many weeks together, Bubba convinces Forrest to open up a shrimping company once they are discharged from the army. Later on the platoon is attacked and Forrest has to run back into the chaos to rescue his fellow friends, Bubba dies from his wounds, and LT. Dan lost his legs, but survives thanks to Forrest. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor from the President. Forrest then goes on to be a famous ping pong champion and ends up winning thousands of dollars to help in invest in his and Bubba's Shrimp Company, Bubba Gump, which then becomes a giant multi-million dollar company.
Forrest is asked to speak at the Washington Monument about his life in Vietnam, since he was awarded the Medal of Honor and Jenny happens to be there protesting against the war. They end up going back to Savannah, GA because Forrest's mother is dying of cancer, and she was like the mother Jenny never had. Along his travels Forrest meets, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, John F Kennedy and many more. This movie is very rich historical context, it also is showing the audience that no matter where you started in life, you can always be the best you can be if you just try your hardest. I think this movie should be seen by every generation of young adults, because it's so rich a full of the past that is captured so well in the movie. The historical context just translate so much better than reading it out of a book, because of how the main character and his fellow friends have to deal with the problems of the world. I really loved how even though Forrest is so innocent, you really get a feel of how people in the 60's and 70's felt about segregation, their government, about the Vietnam War, and how the government evolves from the 50's all the way to the 80's. The movie has Forrest walk through the first desegregated school and help a young African-American Woman as she is walking almost what seems like hell on earth for her with screaming white protesters. Forrest also stumbles upon the Watergate scandal and actually calls the police on them. If you get the chance, watch the movie, if you have already seen it, go see it again