It pains me to say this....but this story is really bad.

Rating: 2/10 (21 January 2014)

Other than the acting of Tom Hanks, the acting of the co-stars, and the set pieces, this movie is just not worth the hype, and I really hate myself for saying that. Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump, who one day is sitting at a park bench waiting for a bus when he begins telling his life story to a woman sitting next to him. Over the course of a few hours he continues telling his story while different people come and go until his story catches up to the moment where he began sitting at the bus stop. His story involves many different points in his life where he unwittingly becomes involved during several historical events during the 60's and 70's, meets a number celebrities and presidents, influences other people and has a significant impact on society. All while this is going on his one true love Jenny continues to elude him while she lives a traumatic life on the edge from drugs, abuse, and near suicide.
Now here is my problem with this movie...Forrest Gump's life is one big fantasy, a story so outrageous that the movie comes off as more of a comedy than a sappy drama. For one thing the movie is supposed to be about going where the wind takes you, living your life a day at a time, blah blah blah, and yet people seem to forget none of Forrest Gump's life would have happened the way it did had his mother not had sex with the school administrator. If that had not happened he would not have been on that bus, he wouldn't have met Jenny, she wouldn't have inspired him to run, and the rest of his life would have been far different.
Second, it always amazes me how much success Forrest had with everything he did in life. He doesn't just go to college then to Vietnam, he goes to college AND becomes a football star, he goes to Vietnam AND becomes a war hero, he goes into the shrimping business AND becomes a millionaire, he learns to play ping-ping AND becomes an international ping-ping champion. I mean the way things turned out for him he could put his name on the ballot today, and be president of the United States tomorrow. If thats the kind of life you get when the wind blows then I need to go look for a breeze.
Third, all logic in this movie is completely thrown out the window. For instance, during the running across America story, I still laugh at all the people who just quit their daily lives and started running with a complete stranger. Did they just feel it was okay to leave their family and jobs behind? How did they support themselves? How did they eat? Where did they sleep? How did they clean themselves? Where did they get clothing to wear when the seasons changed?
Fourth, in terms of his low I.Q. are we really sure that was even his problem. I mean other than a couple of areas where he tended to stare off into space I never saw any evidence that he was the idiot he was made out to be. Honestly it looked like he was just born with a lack of common sense. I mean he sure as hell doesn't have a problem assembling a rifle together, he takes orders from the military quite well, he can operate a shrimping boat like a champ and playing ping-pong was like riding a bike. For a guy who was supposedly that stupid he seemed to all the things he did far better than the average guy.
Fifth, he tells his life story to several different people and even after he claims to have done all these fantastic things and become an international celebrity....why do none of the people listening to the story RECOGNIZE HIM?!? I'd like to think if I was talking to a guy who was a football star/war hero/business mogul/celebrity at some point I would be going "hey wait you're that Forrest Gump guy!"
All in all the movie had a great concept but the story wasn't thought out in the best way.
By the way folks, I don't care if you are the fastest runner in the world, YOU CANNOT OUTRUN A NAPALM STRIKE!!!