Special Review
This review is a special request from Patreon supporter Kevin Glauber. If you'd like to support me on Patreon, click the button below. Visit PatreonIn 1986, novelist and non-fiction writer Winston Groom wrote the novel Forrest Gump about a savant’s life and upbringing. While not a huge hit, selling 30,000 copies, the book caught the attention of producers Wendy Finerman and Steve Tisch. After a bidding war, Warner Bros. acquired the rights and paid Groom $500,000 to write the script. Unfortunately, the release of 1989’s Rain Man made Warner Bros. reconsider and let the rights relapse while the producers scrambled. They contacted Columbia Pictures, who rejected it, but after a rewrite by Eric Roth, Paramount Pictures bought the rights instead. After numerous directors and actors were considered, Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks were chosen, and filming started in August 1993. Made on a budget of $55 million, filming lasted for four months before ILM handled the post-production. After years of development, Forrest Gump finally hit theaters in July 1994.
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Rating
Synopsis
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a dimwitted yet well-meaning person, tells his life story while waiting for a bus. He talks about growing up with his single mother (Sally Field), who wanted him to live an everyday life. While everyone else made fun of him, he took solace in his friendship with Jenny Curran (Robin Wright). Through a series of events, he gets a football scholarship and then enlists in the army after graduating. He befriends shrimping enthusiast Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue (Mykelti Williamson) and catches the ire of Lt. Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise). While Bubba dies, Dan survives, though he loses his legs, and Forrest acquires a knack for ping pong. He carries on Bubba’s legacy by becoming a shrimp boat captain, making millions through a stroke of luck. Despite the progression of time, only one thing keeps Forrest awake at night: his girl, Jenny.
Review
Almost thirty years after its release, Forrest Gump has been examined, deconstructed, and evaluated by critics and scholars several times. Honestly, there’s not much I can say about the film that everyone and their grandma haven’t already said. So, all I can offer is my honest opinion, discuss what works and doesn’t, and leave the rest to you. First, the cast is terrific, with everyone delivering, from Tom Hanks and Robin Wright to Gary Sinise and Sally Field. Hanks plays the part with a somewhat child-like innocence as he navigates the world during history’s most significant moments. Despite everything around him, he remains optimistic, hopeful, and determined even when everyone says no. Robin Wright also does a great job as Jenny, who looks innocent but has a tragic arc throughout the film. She has excellent chemistry with Hanks, and it’s genuinely heartwarming seeing her pick herself back up.
Gary Sinise steals the show as Lt. Dan Taylor, who initially comes off mean but softens up. His is another interesting character arc, from needing to carry on a family legacy to accepting what he’s been given. While her screen time is limited, Sally Field also does an excellent job as Forrest’s well-meaning mother. Robert Zemeckis does a great job as director, filming some dynamic shots to make the action feel much more extensive. The effects used to place Tom Hanks in stock footage of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon are also impressive. Admittedly, the noticeable lip movements to match the dialogue and some weird composites break the illusion. On the flip side, the effects of removing Gary Sinise’s legs are so amazing that they look natural. Granted, it helps that Sinise put in the performance needed to make the effects look convincing.
While I think this is a good movie and understand why it’s beloved, I have some issues with it. It can be hard to follow the story since a new plot starts every 15 minutes. For instance, writing the synopsis was hard since so much happens in the movie that it’s hard to condense. Also, at just under two and a half hours, the film feels long, not helped by some slower filler scenes. But my biggest issue with the movie is that it feels overly sentimental, like a sanitized version of American history. It doesn’t help that Forrest gets out of every bad situation relatively unscathed and with a smile on his face. Still, despite my complaints, I can’t discredit this movie’s impact, and I can appreciate it for what it is. Overall, Forrest Gump may be slightly overrated, but it’s still a powerful film worth watching.
Buy Forrest Gump from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Lp7qKA.
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