Forrest Gump

Plot synopsis:
In 1982, Forrest Gump recounts his life story to strangers who sit next to him on a bench in Savannah, Georgia.
On his first day of school, in Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest meets a girl named Jenny Curran. Despite his low intelligence quotient, his running ability wins him a football scholarship. After his college graduation, he enlists in the army, where he befriends a fellow soldier named Bubba, who convinces Gump to go into the shrimping business with him when the war is over. They are sent to Vietnam, and during an ambush, Bubba is killed in action. Gump saves many of his platoon, including his Lieutenant, Dan Taylor, who loses both his legs. Gump is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.
While Gump is in recovery for a shot to his buttocks, he discovers a talent for ping pong. He becomes a ping pong celebrity and plays competitively against Chinese teams in ping pong diplomacy. At an anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., Gump reunites with Curran, who has been living a hippie lifestyle.
Returning home, Gump endorses a company that makes ping pong paddles. He uses the earnings to buy a shrimping boat, fulfilling his promise to Bubba. Dan joins Gump, and although they initially have little success, after their boat becomes the only one to survive Hurricane Carmen, they pull in huge amounts of shrimp. They use their income to buy a fleet of shrimp boats. Dan invests the money in Apple Computer (which Gump naively thinks is a fruit company) and Gump is financially secure for the rest of his life. He returns home to see his mother's last days.
Jenny returns to visit Gump and he proposes to her. She declines, but feels obliged to prove her love to him by having sex with him. She leaves early the next morning. On a whim, Gump elects to go for a run. He decides to keep running across the country several times, over three and a half years, becoming famous in the process.
In the present, Gump reveals that he is waiting at the bus stop because he received a letter from Jenny who, having seen him run on television, asked him to visit her. Reunited with Jenny, she introduces him to his son, also named Forrest. Jenny tells Gump she is sick. The three move back to Greenbow, Alabama. Jenny and Gump finally marry but she dies soon afterward. Forrest and his son await the school bus on Forrest Jr's first day of school.

Tags: comedy, psychological, stupid, whimsical, dramatic, cult, cute, clever, flashback, historical fiction, psychedelic, humor, action, feel-good, melodrama, inspiring, romantic, historical, entertaining, sentimental

Review:
Jennys' tenderness and pain are palpable as exhibited by Wright.I feel that much of Gumps' appeal is his downright sense of doing the right thing regardless of the people and situations around him and we see that in this film.
They are too numerous to say at this point.One of the toppers for me in the movie is when Forrest is in a quandary about life and wondering as Lt.Dan said we all have a destiny and his Mom says it is where we are all just floating around like a feather in the wind.
I should read the novel to get the author's intention (I remember some people preferring the book and complaining that no one at the Academy Awards gave him any credit.) But rather than an implication that you should do what you're supposed to do and believe in God and you'll win in the end, I see it as zen-like, i.e., living in the moment and not having expectations or particular cravings (other than his loving Jenny.) So he ends up just stumbling into all the major historical events of the time.
"I've made about 20 films and 5 of them are pretty good"-Tom Hanks."Forrest Gump" is one of the best movies of all time, guaranteed.
Forrest meets many celebrities from his life that just happened to be there: Elvis Presley visited his house before hitting it big, President Kennedy honored him with a all American football award, President Johnson who honored him with a medal of honor for his actions in Vietnam, President Nixon(in which Forrest happens to discover a problem in the Water Gate Hotel because some people seem to be flashing lights around), and John Lennon through a talk show to talk about his medal of honor.Forrest meets some interesting people along the way too that are even better than these celebrities combined; Bubba his Vietnam war friend who dreams of owning a shrimp boat one day and was born with big gums.
I have seen this movie easily a half a dozen times, and I find that the beauty of the film is how Forrest Gump not only shares his innocence and purity with others, including the audience, he also manages to retain that innocence and purity through some very difficult times.
He may have been good in Philadelphia but be is excellent in Forrest Gump.Tom Hanks delivers another great performance in his career by portraying the lovable,king yet not so intelligent character Forrest Gump.It is also Tom Hanks' second straight win for the Best Actor Oscar which he becomes the second man to do said accomplishment after Spencer Tracy.Whilst not as dramatic as Philadelphia,Tom Hanks' performance is just as great in this movie and this movie could possibly be the film of Tom Hanks' career as he used to be a comedy guy who turned to drama in a way which would paved for future stars such as Jim Carrey(The Truman Show),Reese Witherspoon(Walk the Line) and Will Ferrell(Stranger Than Fiction) to name a few.Also staring in this great movie classic are Robin Wright-Penn who plays Jenny,Gary Sinise who was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Lieutenant Dan Taylor,Mykelti Williamson as Forrest's best friend and shrimper Benjamin Buford"Bubba" Blue and Sally Field as Mrs.Gump.This film was nominated for a total of thirteen Academy Awards but won six of them which include Best Film Editing,Best Visual Effects,Best Adapted Screenplay,Best Picture,Best Director-Robert Zemeckis and Best Actor-Tom Hanks.This is one masterpiece of a movie that will not be forgotten about in a long time.Bravo!.
I've seen most of the top-voted 30 or 40 movies here at IMDb, and Forrest Gump probably wins my vote for the single best movie ever made.This is not a conclusion I came to the first time I saw this film, or the second.
Even After Twenty Years the Film Still Holds Up. Forrest Gump (1994) **** (out of 4) Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a slow but simple man from Alabama takes us through decades of his life, which includes various historical settings but all the while his heart is on Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), a childhood friend.FORREST GUMP was released and quickly became a huge hit and ended up winning many Oscars.
Then there's FORREST GUMP that takes a beating because it beat out PULP FICTION or THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION.As far as the film itself goes I think this is a great one.
To me Gump goes through all these historic things yet it's always his love for Jenny that is the heart of the picture.I thought the story itself was quite great and especially how we take a look at American history through the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Robin Wright Penn is the perfect opposite to Hank's character and Sally Field is good as well.No matter what people say, FORREST GUMP is still a wonderful little gem that has a lot of great things in it..
And leading the film in this odyssey of American life is Tom Hanks playing Gump (he won his second Oscar for his portrayal) in a film that shows one man who goes through many events in history to find the one he loves.
He served in Vietnam with Forrest and was also a hero, protecting his men and fighting for his country.All in all this is a must-see movie for everyone, specially for non-Americans, so we can enjoy American culture and icons, as well as learn some American history, which is very useful..
Even if I am her mother.Forest Gump: Movie review by JosephineSo, it's about this really stupid grown-up and there's blood and stuff and it's not appropriate for anyone else in my class, probably, but, you know, you guys let me watch stuff like this.
Forrest Gump has always been one of my favorite movies, and it remains a classic of American films.
Kennedy, serves with honor in Vietnam, meets Lyndon Johnson, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, hangs out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tennis, meets Richard Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Computers, and decides to run back and forth across the country for several years.Meanwhile, as the remarkable parade of his life goes by, Forrest never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy, who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon.
Featured alongside Tom Hanks are Sally Field as Forrest's mother; Gary Sinise as his commanding officer in Vietnam; Mykelti Williamson as his ill-fated Army buddy who is familiar with every recipe that involves shrimp; and the special effects artists whose digital magic place Forrest during a remarkable array of historical events and people.In fact, nothing is quite pursued to its logical conclusion, which makes the film more a triumph of style than content.
Forrest Gump 1994 ‧ Drama film/Comedy-drama ‧ 2h 25m 8.8/10 IMDb 72% Rotten Tomatoes 82% Metacritic Slow-witted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (Sally Field), he leads anything but a restricted life.
Director: Robert Zemeckis Screenplay: Eric Roth Featured songs: Running on Empty, Free Bird, more Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, more Critic reviews Forrest Gump is a movie heart-breaker of oddball wit and startling grace.
Winner of 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture in the year that had heavyweights such as Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption & Disney's The Lion King, Forrest Gump isn't as impressive as the above-mentioned classics but its optimistic take on the unpredictability of life, stability between its genre elements, and a charismatic performance from Tom Hanks turns it into a cinema that's as heartwarming as it is amusing.Based on the novel of the same name, Forrest Gump tells the story of its titular character, a simple-minded, kind-hearted & good-natured guy from Alabama whose life turns out to be a wicked blend of luck & destiny as he steers through as well as influences some of the historic moments of the second half of 20th century America.
However, despite accomplishing great things in life, what he covets most is the love of the woman he grew up with, who never reciprocates his feelings.Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump is a series of brief episodes stitched into one wonderfully layered tapestry and is expertly narrated from start to finish.
Editing fails to give it a tightly- knitted structure, while the background score & incorporated songs are in sync with the unfolding events & depicted timeline.Coming to the performances, Forrest Gump features a dependable cast in Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson & Sally Field, and although everyone does well in their given roles, the film is powered by Hanks' outstanding performance.
And he's well supported by Sinise & Field who play Forrest's platoon leader & mother respectively while Wright ably portrays the self-destructive life of his love interest, Jenny.On an overall scale, Forrest Gump often gets a lot of flak for stripping both Pulp Fiction & The Shawshank Redemption off their deserving accolades but it does have a heart & identity of its own.
A delightful comedy, an emotionally resonant drama & nicely covering the themes of love, loss, redemption & stupidity, Forrest Gump is one of the best films of its year.
Classic movie is a Must See. Forrest Gump is a great tale of a unintelligent man.
LiterallyI feel like there is too many things in this world I cannot solve...And to silly, stupid Forrest everything is simple and he don't want to solve.Love, integrity, courage and what all qualities a person can possibly have comes out of a silly person named Forrest Gump.I don't know how to rate this movie, it would be a sin if I compare this Forrest Gump with any other, and it sure touches my heart, I never experienced this way before.Thank you Robert Zemeckis.
This movie uses all the sappy, sentimental tricks in the book to sucker the audience into believing in poor, disadvantaged Forrest Gump: the sick mother, the bad legs, the innocence of incomplete mental capacity, the bullies, the girlfriend, etc.If that's as far as it went, however, I wouldn't be writing this.
Because the filmmakers have succeeded in getting the viewer to pull so strongly for Gump, they can then pass off their revisionist version of the past few decades with little objection from the viewer.Yes, it's just a movie, but images like these shape the way people think.
Forrest Gump is a classic example of the sanctimonious garbage that people are willing to swallow simply because Tom Hanks is involved.
While people were going ga-ga at the way Forrest floats through life like a feather (a pathetic symbol that is ridiculously used in the film), i was seriously being sick.The central performance of Hanks is one that is truly embarrassing he is stiff, lifeless and codescending.
Overall the film Forrest Gump is a great movie.
Not to mention that the Academy is such an airhead that Frank Darabont the director of The Shawshank Redemption wasn't even nominated!!!!!!Let's consider MANY important factors for this movie to be loved blindly, without a true sense of reflection and observation.Number 1: I have to much time on my hands,Number 2: It stars Tom Hanks who undoubtedly represents the white, flawless way of American Life.
His star power more than his ability as an actor helped this movie to get sold and appreciated.Number 3: Stories about characters with disabilities always, and I mean always sell in Hollywood (Rainman, I am Sam, Nell, My Left Foot, Awakenings, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) not that I am saying that these great films compare to Forrest Gump, but the idea itself whether good or bad sells.Number 4: The history of the United States is taken rather lightly in this movie, all the events that take place around the character happen without his knowledge in the most unconvincing of methods.
Zemeckis has decided to ignore all these factors and still believe that his adored character could even be immune to a experience like Vietnam (in every aspect possible).To conclude please do not let yourself be manipulated, not just because Forrest Gump won the oscar for Best Picture makes it one of the best films of the 90's.
In 20 years who will remember Forrest Gump, and more importantly who will remember that film when The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction are still in people's memories for real reasons.
I've seen "Forrest Gump" about seven or eight times altogether, and these last few viewing experiences left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.A few years ago I praised this film for being delightful, warm, inspiring, epic, etc.
She's a bit like the mother in "Bubble Boy," except in this films she's presented as a hero.And finally we come to Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump.
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.
And Forrest with the hand of an unseen providence comes out a lot better than some of the clever people he meets in life.Watching the film once again it occurred to me that Mark Twain if he couldn't have written this himself would have loved the way Zemeckis handled the character of Forrest Gump.
Hanks fascinates us and guides us through this film and when we're done we've seen something very special.If you don't believe me about how good Forrest Gump is, then watch it for a few minutes and see if you're not sucked in.
Robin Wright Penn is heartbreaking as Forrest's free-spirited but deeply troubled true love whose life takes a very different route to Forrest's, and Mykelti Williamson also gives a very touching turn as Bubba, the African-American young man with a heart of gold who becomes Forrest's best friend in Vietnam.But at the risk of sounding like a hyperbolic and dangerously obsessed fanboy, I daresay the acting masterclass Tom Hanks puts forth here is the finest display of acting I have ever witnessed.
In the whole film, particularly the grave scene towards the end, you look into his eyes and you don't see Tom Hanks, you see Forrest Gump.
The unconventional methods Zemeckis uses in telling Forrest's story enhance this – in his narration he discusses things that are yet to happen and the placing of Tom Hanks into old footage of the real-life events gives the movie a revisionist historical feel.Another huge plus is the soundtrack, containing most of the greatest artists from the '50s to the early '80s.Forrest Gump's charm and appeal is timeless, and its artistic craft is even better.
Its main gimmick is cute the first time you see the movie, but after one viewing the entire facade comes crashing down to reveal a redundant plot, mediocre acting (Hanks is an Oscar-caliber actor, but not for this dreck; he was better in both "Cast Away" and "Saving Private Ryan") and inept editing.In my opinion, this stands as the least deserving of all Best Picture Oscar winners.Rating: 2/10.
IT'S NOT GOOD!If I never hear another "Life is like a box of chocolates" or "Run, Forrest, Run" or see a Bubba-Gump Shrimp place, it will be too soon..
Sorry let me rephrase and apologize to right-wing people, who are entitled to their political views: this movie is (bordering on) fascist propaganda.There is so much to love about America, "Forrest Gump" brings out the worst in it.
This is one of the most ridiculous and over-hyped movies of all time, and the sole reason I stopped liking Tom Hanks as an actor.
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a simple man with a sweet heart.
There are also several lines in this movie that are classics- in particular the "Life is like a box of chocolates" line.I don't think it's a particularly deep film for the most part at first, because the story is quite simple.
Tom Hanks gave a great, if not his best performance in Forrest Gump (it's either this, 'Saving Private Ryan', or 'Big').
FORREST GUMP may be the worst movie ever to win a Best Picture Oscar.
After I watched it for the second time now after 11 years, I felt quite moved by almost all the elements this movie carries, the story, quotes, special effect, Tom Hank's perfect portray of Forrest Gump and most importantly, Forrest's deepest innate world.
Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks may have fooled us in 1994, but it's 7 years later, and still people don't see this movie for what it is..
The film takes you by the hand, and shows Gumps life and experiences, both good and bad, in his own words from childhood to adulthood.At the same time you get a basic look at modern U.S. history.
Robert Zemeckis directed this movie, Forrest Gump, in 1994.
In my opinion, starting the movie by grown Forrest Gump talking about his childhood from the present time on the bench is a good idea.
It can be movie about American History at galnce, Vietnam or about not too bright guy named Forrest Gump who gets lucky.
I havent' seen anyone who would define a film storyline as a lovestory, not as american history at glance with offensive characters painted by stupid Forrest Gump and his black best friend, who is not so bright too and speak about his shrimp business all the time.
Watch this film and ask yourself "What is Robert Zemeckis saying about what makes a good American?" Forrest seems to have made the "right" choices and been at the "right place at the right time" for the last 45 years.
I simply don't have words to describe the role of Tom Hanks who is awarded with a Osacar.I would like to thank Robert Zemickis for making such a lovely movie......