So I finally got to watch Forrest Gump from front to back without interruption and it was...pretty freaking amazing! Honestly, what else would someone be able to say about this movie? It is a movie that almost everyone will be able to appreciate, from its cultural references to the complex characters we can't help but root for the entire time.
The story is exactly what it says on the poster: this is the tale of one simple, American man's life (or at least, most of it anyway). It follows Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, a friendly but incredibly naïve boy from Alabama who must walk with leg braces and bear the unfortunate circumstance of everyone believing he will never amount to much. But by a stroke of luck, he meets a young girl named Jenny on one of his first days of school and they become instant friends; their relationship is only strengthened when he learns to break free from his leg braces, and he therefore gains the ability to run "faster than the wind" as he puts it. With his friendship with Jenny carrying into high school, Forrest gains the attention of the football team, then colleges, and finally the military. While he is deployed in Vietnam, he finds a new ally in Bubba and manages to save a few men in his platoon, including his not-so-grateful captain. He eventually makes it to Washington DC to receive a few honors, where he finally meets up with Jenny, who has since become a hippie but is also in a relationship with an abusive boyfriend. As Forrest finds himself in some of the most significant events of the 60's and 70's, he encounters several presidents, a handful of famous musicians, starts a shrimp company, and helps create the trademark Smiley Face. And though Jenny begins to fall down a slippery slope of bad company, drugs, and depression, she consistently battles her true feelings for Forrest, who of course will always be waiting for her to show up again.
This movie is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made, and rightfully so. Forrest Gump is a heartfelt slice of Americana, an emotional roller coaster that will have you wanting to cry and laugh consistently throughout the entire story. The cultural atmosphere is so entertaining to watch that it almost seems you were there when the hippies stormed the Washington Monument or when Nixon resigned (and maybe you were; if so, comment below!). Although it has probably been said before, one thing is for sure: Forrest Gump will steal your heart and most definitely run with it.
Overall Rating: 10/10
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