Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump (1994)

10/10

Starring

Tom Hanks

Robin Wright

Gary Sinise

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." – Forrest Gump.

Forrest Gump is not just a movie; it is art that bounces around in comedy, romance, and drama. The naïve life of an individual who touches lives and influences his nation as a whole. Robert Zemeckis balances this movie in such a way that when you think you're getting swayed in the comic area, he moves to romance. The moment you start to smile at blind love, he switches to drama/intrigue, which captivates you.

This movie has everything for everybody, and its delivery is such that you remember the movie more for the adventures of Gump than for his effects on America’s history. Many visual effects were used in the movie to incorporate Gump with historical American footage, like when he met President Kennedy.

The movie is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The book and the movie have some similarities and differences. The movie itself is based on the first 11 chapters of the book, then skips to the end. Some of the other occupations that Gump was involved in were omitted. Some parts that were not in the book were also added, like his need for leg braces. Also, his autistic level in the book is more pronounced than what we see in the movie.

The film is about an overly naïve autistic man named Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), whose life, between his birth and the time he found out about his son, Forrest Jr., runs through American history, touching lives and influencing others.

The most interesting thing to me is that Forrest Gump was the man responsible for revealing the Watergate scandal during Nixon’s regime (this is bogus, mind you).

Winning six out of the thirteen Academy Award nominations, among the six awards, Forrest Gump won Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Hanks), and Best Director (Robert Zemeckis). The movie also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama Picture, Best Actor (Hanks), and Best Director (Zemeckis).

Forrest Gump was a financial success, recouping more than 10 times its $55 million production cost. This movie has stood the test of time as a classic that all should have on their shelves. It is also recognized by the American Film Institute. The film ranks 37th on their 100 Years...100 Cheers and 76th on their 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition).