The Importance of a Shoe

Rating: 9/10 (22 February 2013)

I'm reading a lot of reviews. There's a lot that say that this is a great movie, and most I see say this because it is very sentimental, and there are a few that say this is an annoying and poor movie, because of what they see from it. Both may be right, I don't pretend to be the know all of answers. I just have my opinion. To those who love this movie because it is sentimental and powerfully overwhelming, it's true. First time I saw this movie a fear tears leaked out here and there, but I think there's a lot more under the surface here. More depth than just a sentimental movie. If you think about it, shoes make many appearances in this movie. In the very beginning Gump talks about his very first pair of shoes, ones that limited his mobility and left him vulnerable. As those broke away (albeit in a very cheesy way) he got new shoes, ones that allowed him to run away from danger and run to success, in the form of football. This allows him to graduate from University, which, one might say, is part of the American dream. But that is a whole other side to the movie. He joins the war, and while he's there he runs from danger, acting the hero by saving lives. When he leaves, he runs into a man who has no shoes, mainly because he has no legs. Lieutenant Dan, now a cripple, is bitter and angry because he cannot walk, and he is limited both in his ability to move and go places as well as limited in his ability to see beyond anything in life other than when he should have died. When Gump and Dan start the fishing company, Lieutenant Dan realizes the importance of life, (once again, cheesy) and he swims off. We don't see him for a while. Annndd Gump gets bored. So he runs, all across America (part of American dream, to travel?...) He returns home, Jenny comes back, random scenes occur blah blah blah and we come back to Gump's wedding. Lieutenant Dan comes back! He has legs, even! And with his legs he has a beautiful fiancée. I'll skip the rest. Yes there are random side stories of his life that are cheesy or don't contribute to the movie, but those are fun and lively, if a little unrealistic. Ping-pong? Hah! This is only one part of the numerous layers that make up this movie. A satire of the American dream, viewing American history through innocent and unbiased eyes, a description of life even! This movie is powerful in its complexity, and intricate in its depth. And yes, it is sentimental and fun to watch as well. To those who critique it for the "ignorance is bliss" view, perhaps look a little closer. This movie is not saying that one can succeed by doing nothing but being lucky, (though that is the end result, so I see how you can believe that) but is looking back through all the things I mentioned just before in a unique and entertaining way. Gump views the world as he walks through it, wearing whatever pair of shoes, doing whatever it is he's doing. He watches events as they occur, and he participates in them in his own way. He shows, through his simple-minded example, that you do not need to be brilliant or manipulative, or even fully functional in order to succeed.