Endurance of His Love for Jenny

Rating: 9/10 (8 February 2015)

Forrest Gump is a film that portrays the life of Forrest Gump through flashbacks and voice over narration. We meet Forrest Gump, a slow man perfectly portrayed by Tom Hanks, at the beginning of the film when he introduces himself to the first person who sits next to him on a bench at a bus stop. It is from this point that we begin the journey of his life starting with his "philosophical" mother Mrs. Gump played by Sally Fields and his unfortunate need for leg braces. From here Forrest takes the bus to school for the first time and we are introduced to his childhood friend and love at first sight, Jenny Curran played by Robin Wright. In college, Jenny and Forrest go their separate ways. Throughout Forrest Gump's life he experiences and causes many historical moments such as inspiring Elvis Presley's dance moves, meeting multiple presidents, and uncovering the Watergate Scandal. Although, these are monumental experiences, it seems he is somehow always drawn back to Jenny. In the film, they are brought back together several times. A significant time being when Forrest loses his mother and Jenny stays with him. The morning after their night together, she once again leaves him. In the end, we are brought back to Forrest Gump, the narrator, in present day looking for Jenny in response to a letter she sent him. The result of their one night together, left them with a son, Forrest played by Haley Joel Osment. Jenny and Forrest Gump are finally united and get married before she dies of an unknown virus. The film ends perfectly on a scene much like the one where Forrest first met Jenny, but with Little Forrest getting on the bus for school for his very first time.
The theme of this film seems to be torn between drama and comedy. However, the main focus is the endurance and true love that Forrest has for Jenny. Although, he is always there for her when she needs him, she always ends up leaving him and going her own way. This fact does not seem to deter his love for her and every time she comes back into his life, he embraces it.
A scene that reinforces this unbreakable love that Forrest has for Jenny is when they are reunited again in Washington. They are having a conversation before Jenny leaves him once again, which she has done multiple times before this scene. Even though she is preparing to leave him again, Forrest gives her his medal of honor and tells her that the reason he is good to her is because she is his girl. And then she was gone from his life again.
Another film that is quite a different story but relates to the endurance of true love is The Notebook. In this film a young man tries his hardest to be with a young woman, before they are separated. Years later they are brought back together, but she is with another man. When they finally end up with one another she ends up with Alzheimer's. He spends the remaining days of their lives together reading to her and trying to bring her back to him.
Music has a way of affecting our emotional response to a film. In Forrest Gump the use of music is very effective especially when changing scenes. When Jenny hitches a ride with a stranger instead of staying with Forrest, the musical score is soft and almost sad. However, the musical score playing when they see each other again in Washington is blissful and romantic. Another technique used in this film is voice-over narration. This narration done by Forrest emphasizes his thoughts and feelings of Jenny even though she is absent from a majority of the film. The use of this narration conveys his slow point of view on his life and the things that happened in it, but also speeds the passage of time along. The film itself is already a little longer than necessary, so voice-over used for narration is important in moving the film along at a good pace but creating an impact on his way of thinking.
Overall, this film holds your interest in its creativity and alterations of historical events. The intermittent connection of Forrest and Jenny's lives surpasses decades. In the end, even though Jenny has an unknown virus, Forrest marries her and takes care of her until death do they part. This ultimately paints the picture of the true love that Forrest had for Jenny and how it endured the test of time.