Forrest Gump is a heartwarming classic that appeals to people with different movie tastes. It has implied sex, a little profanity and brief nudity but besides that, makes for great family viewing.
Born with more love than IQ, Forrest Gump is seemingly greatly disadvantaged when he is born. In addition to this, his first few years of life are spent with his legs in braces and this makes it impossible to make friends – until he meets and befriends Jenny, a little girl who has been so far disadvantaged in a different way.
Being friends with Jenny attracts attention from bullies who taunt him, Forrest is left with no choice but to run, breaking free of his braces and becoming better at running than most people. This, together with his sincerity and charm (all of which he is completely oblivious to) lead to him becoming football star, a war hero, a successful businessman with shares in Apple and an international Ping-Pong champion. Despite this success, Forrest continues to go through life with endearing naivety, effortless hope and forgiveness. He finds himself constantly trying to save people but it seems not to work with his childhood friend and girl of his dreams, Jenny, who has ruined her life.
Forrest Gump is one of those rare movies that cater to all different types of movie-lovers. Whether you are a Star Wars or Legally Blonde person, you will find something in it for you and will very likely find yourself rooting for him. It is beautifully strange and holds your attention the whole time.
The casting is impossible to fault. With a storyline such as this it would have been easy for a lesser actor to go the cutesy, too-good-to-be-true route. However, Hanks plays the role of Forrest in the most sincere, uncondescending way possible and continues to prove himself as one of the best actors in the land. In his rare expressions of emotion, it is raw and precious. One could go as far as saying that he made the movie.
The rest of the cast manages to hold their own: Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan) portrays the bitter cynic that we can all relate to, Robin Wright plays the troubled beauty perfectly and adequately without exaggerating her own importance in the story and one cannot help but adore Sally Fields’ (Forrest Gump) Southern Genteel ways. Mykelti Williamson is a perfect friend match to Hank’s character.
Only the absolute biggest cynics might not see the appeal in this creation but should you be interested in a movie that makes you feel good without trying to patronize you, this is a definite must-see.
