A Great Document of the Second Half of the Century

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2003)

This film is such a great document of many events that happened during my lifetime. Forrest reminds me a little bit of the childlike innocence set against the backdrop of the turmoil and cynicism that permeated the country during the latter half of the 20th century. He was a simple man that was thrown into extraordinary circumstances and faced them with an innocence that many people no longer have. However, while Forrest represented the innocence of that era, Jenny represented the harsh reality. Jenny's character was pretty much shaped by the sexual, physical and mental abuse she suffered as a child. We see her move from relationship to relationship and become involved in drugs, all the time growing up a very lonely person. All this comes to a head as she contracts the black plague of the last 20 years, AIDS. This film is a very touching document of the second half of the 20th century and rightly deserves to be praised not just for the technical achievements, but for the wonderful and heartwarming story it is.