Magical!

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2002)

Forrest Gump (1994) Rating: 10/10
Tom Hanks is undeniably an incredibly gifted actor, and this is his best performance. In Forrest Gump, he creates an unforgettable character, arguably the most memorable of the 90s. Forrest, Forrest Gump is a good natured guy who only has one weakness: he's a little slower than average. But in many ways, he's superior to most so-called "normal" people. You rarely see a man with so much enthusiasm and good will! His great personality added to the undying love of his mother (Sally Field at her best) helped to give him an unbelievable life, filled with memories. And as the film begins, Gump, sitting on his bench with a box of chocolates, tells strangers his fascinating story. The film's ingenious script has him involved in every major American event from the 50s to the 80s. He meets everyone from Elvis to John Lennon, from Kennedy to Nixon. Star quarterback in college and world champion Ping-Pong player some years later, he even finds the time to go fight for his country in Vietnam. Perfect example of the American Dream, the simple little boy who even achieves to become godzillionaire!
Just then, director Robert Zemeckis and Hanks would have accomplish a great task, namely telling their country's recent history through the eyes of a simple man, putting everything under a new, uncynical light. But the film also contains one of the most touching of love stories between Forrest and his lifelong love Jenny. She might have been a "normal" kid, but she didn't have it as easy as her buddy. After a traumatizing childhood thanks to an abusive father, Jenny goes through all the downsides and fake hopes of that same Dream, from strip clubs to thankless waitress jobs. And in the midst of that, she follows the traces of Timothy Leary and gets into San Francisco's acid culture, go hippie and protest war and even end up snorting coke in 70s discos. But Forrest still looks after her, and they have the sweetest moments together...
Zemeckis sure can be proud of his Oscar-winning work. While telling a deeply involving story that walks the thin line between drama and comedy, he shoots countless references to events and people. Even though none of them lasts much more than 15 minutes or so, each of Gump's "adventures" feels like a movie of its own. Just take the riveting war sequences, or the man's 3 year-long run. Zemeckis directs his cast perfectly. Besides Tom "two-Oscars-in-a-row" Hanks, there's the talented Robin Wright as the lovable if flawed Jenny (who I can't believe wasn't even nominated for an Oscar), Gary Sinise as the intense Lieutenant Dan and Mykelti Williamson (whoever that is) as Forrest's shrimp-lovin' war buddy Bubba. The soundtrack by itself is incredible, covering pretty much all the important music over 30 years, and Alan Silvestri's score is restrained but efficient at underlining the film's emotional core. There's only one word to truly describe Forrest Gump: magical.