Beautiful and Inspiring...

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2008)

Forrest Gump is full of triumph and heroism, that it is rightfully placed with the classics. From overcoming his inability to walk, to succeeding in life while playing with the cards he was dealt. This is truly one beautiful and inspiring film.
The acting, all around, is great. Tom Hanks's performance is one of the top-5 of the decade (1990-1999), and Gary Sinise plays Lt. Dan with such empowerment, sometimes we are conflicted on who to root for in the long-run. Sally Field does a nice job as Forrest's mother, and Mykelti Williamson (had to look his name up on IMDb) is very good as Bubba.
The story is hilarious, endearing, inspiring, and a near-epic at times. The laughs mainly come from Gump's incidents and dialogue, as well as historical moments seen on the television or milestones in each decade the film takes place. The moments in Vietnam are when the film reaches near-epic status, as Zemeckis has us wandering around the jungles listening to Gump's narration, when suddenly his troops come under-fire. The scenes of war are shot tremendously well, especially when Forrest shows his heroic side. As the story progresses, we see him get reality check after reality check, developing his overall character to the point where he still has a mentally-challenged mind, but with experience and understanding many folk cannot come near to.
Alan Silvestri's score is uplifting and very engaging. Quite arguably, this is possibly Silvestri's best ever. I highly recommend this to any one who likes orchestral music -- especially film scores.
The writing by Eric Roth is spot-on; completely deserving of an applause. Zemeckis's direction is grand, and this is the best film he's ever done; far more depth and love than anything else, this film has a lot of heart.
Overall, this is the best picture of 1994, and will go down cinematic history as a classic. I highly recommend Forrest Gump to fans of Tom Hanks, people looking for an inspiring and hopeful film, and any one who is just looking for a good time.