Don't waste your time with this stupid movie.

Rating: 1/10 (28 July 2002)

Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has an IQ of 75 and plays a role in many aspects of American history, everything from Elvis to Watergate to the smiley face to the integration of the University of Alabama. The message of the movie is that if you are stupid and you always do as you are told, then great things will just fall into your lap. The movie is beyond farfetched. The movie is absolutely ridiculous and unbelievable. The basic premise of the movie is ludicrous. There is no way to make it work. This movie is a real insult to the intelligence of the viewer. Tom Hanks is totally obnoxious in this movie. I never liked him anyway.
The movie glorifies stupidity and treats us, the viewers, like we are stupid too. When Forrest's mother says Forrest is named after General Nathan Bedford Forrest, we see a flashback of General Forrest. When Forrest talks about Lieutenant Dan's (Gary Sinise) family, we see flashbacks of Lieutenant Dan's relatives. I understand! You don't have to show me! The movie begins and ends with a feather drifting around, as if we are too stupid to get the message that Forrest drifts through his life aimlessly. I get the point! I don't need to see an actual feather!
The soundtrack is irritating. The songs keep breaking into the movie in a very annoying manner. And they are so literal-minded! When Forrest is running, we get `Running on Empty.' When Forrest goes home, we get `Sweet Home Alabama.' When Jenny (Robin Wright) walks out a door, we get `Don't You Love Her As She's Walking Out the Door.'
Forrest's mother (Sally Field) does something absolutely despicable to keep Forrest in a school for which he is clearly not qualified. Are we supposed to admire Mrs. Gump for her devotion to her son? I do NOT admire her!
The movie never even tries to explain how a person with an IQ of 75 somehow manages to graduate from high school and college and join the military. The movie expects us to simply accept this fact without question. And what happened to Jenny's sisters? The movie mentions them once and then conveniently forgets all about them.
The only good thing about this movie is Gary Sinise. He plays a believable character and gives a good performance.