Ahh, once in a while a great film like this comes along.

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2002)

FORREST GUMP was the best movie of 1994. Tom Hanks is completely endearing as Forrest, a simple guy shortchanged in the IQ department, who proves that brains aren't the only things needed to succeed in this world. The movie, beautifully directed by Robert Zemeckis, has a nostalgic sweep that will carry you away. The opening shot of a feather on its way to earth is enough to make you gasp aloud, and the movie is just barely underway. Forrest Gump is also a wonder of special effects, but the less said about them, the better. The trailer and promotional pieces gave away much too much of the story. Admittedly, this movie has more than its share of plot, as it covers the decades of the '50s through the '90s. It also makes numerous pit stops along the way to encompass the momentous events that molded the times.

The Gump saga begins back in the 1950s under the cloud known as polio. Throughout the years that follow, Forrest must contend with his score of 75 on an IQ test, but the braces on his legs don't hold him back for long. Forrest, who sometimes brings to mind the innocent simpleton hero Charlie Babbit, manages to make quite a few surprising contributions to society without even trying. Sure, some of the movie is sappy, but it is served up with consummate skill and a loving heart. The supporting cast is cannily chosen. Sally ("You like me, you really like me") Fields, who plays Forrest's mother, may hereafter be known as Sally ("Life is like a box of chocolates") Fields. You never know what you're gonna get.