Forrest Gump

Someone recently said to me that it’s OK to like anything as long as you can justify why you like it – let’s hope this fits the bill.

Someone also once said to me that they could think of one hundred films that were better than Forrest Gump, in fact he actually went to the trouble of compiling a list, and whilst that maybe so I will always feel compelled to defend it.

I defy you not to enjoy it on some level. You are sure to laugh at the, often not-so subtle, ironies that punctuate the movie as it sprints through 30 years of American history; you simply have to appreciate the stunning performances of Hanks and Wright-Penn, not-to-mention Sally Field as the stoic ‘mamma’, but above all you have got to love our eponymous hero - he who possesses an innate freedom that I think we would all secretly love to be privy to – who wouldn’t want, just for one day, to be free of the intricacies of the mind? To be free from some of the everyday woes that trouble us, influence our decisions, define our moods and affect our relationships? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to not have to worry about editing what we say or apologising for our opinions and justifying our decisions, all for the benefit of people we often don’t respect or even care about? Oh to be Forrest Gump! To concentrate simply on the good things in life, to say the exact thing we feel at the exact moment we feel it, toconcentrate purely on those we love and to live in every moment would surely be a joy for any soul, wouldn’t it?

Settings such as war-torn Vietnam, the peace protests in Washington DC and the seedy world of experience, starkly presented through the characters of Jenny and Lieutenant Dan, provide a contrast to the beauty of Gump’s hometown of Greenbough, Alabama and are representative of the difference between the central character and the world that surrounds him. Like Greenbough, Forrest seems oblivious to any political issues or controversies and the social etiquettes and concerns that surround him, presenting an unchanging simplicity that is truly fascinating; the scene where Forrest and his son are sitting at the edge of the lake sums up the peace and harmony of the landscape and encapsulates the appeal of our central character.

As I watch, I am reminded of ‘The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind’ in that here, we are given an insight into what life could be like if we left behind some of those suffocating, all-consuming ‘issues’ that really don’t mean anything and yet take up so much of our time. Who doesn’t dream of living without guilt and social obligation? Forrest’s experiences are comical, tragic, occasionally cringe inducing and often far-fetched, but the point is that through him we are presented with an air of tranquillity that is completely alluring, even beautiful. Once the layers of responsibility, guilt, conscience and consequence are stripped away, we are left with the one thing that truly matters to every single person on the planet – love. Now I know some people will read this and think that my response is emotional, sickly, stereotypical, even slightly sycophantic but a) so what if it is?! and b) no, no and no! All of us have a ‘mamma who always said’, all of us have a ‘best good friend’ with whom we’ve been like peas and carrots, all of us will have met or will meet at some point (I hope) the someone who is ‘just about the most beautiful thang we ever saw’ and all of us have endured the pain of loss; it is this that makes Forrest Gump so wonderful. It’s human, we’re human and there you have it - love it or hate it, this film shows us that life really is “like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get”, so we need to make sure we make the most of it and live for our loves not for our loathes.
…And that is why I like it!!!