Tom Hanks is the star of the motion picture, starring as Forrest Gump, a man with a two digit IQ but a heart which digits can’t describe.
His intelligence may be lower than average, but that doesn’t bother Gump, or his amiable mother (played by Sally Field), or his best and only friend Jenny (Robin Wright).
Because of this, you get to see a completely new innocent look on life, “through the eyes of Forrest Gump”.
After becoming an all-star American football player, Gump enlists in the army; where he meets Bubba (Mykelti Williamson) who runs a shrimping business, and turns out to be an invaluable friend.
A true example of the simple, yet incredible nature of Gump, and this movie, is this next quote: “We took long walks and were always looking for this guy named Charlie.”
Throughout the motion picture, through becoming a football player, war hero, businessman, and something of an icon, there was only one person he could think about: Jenny.
Robin Wright plays a prodigious role as Jenny, who first encountered Gump on the school bus as a child, as she was the only person who would let him sit next to her. And even through drugs, the ‘hippie scene’ and depression, Jenny always found her way back to Gump.
Another amazing feature of this film is the special effects, such as the white feather, which finds its way through an astonishing ‘CGI’ cut scene, to Gump’s feet. And then falls out of his childhood story book, near the end of the film. In addition is Lieutenant Dan, (who is Gump’s officer in the Viétnamese war) has his legs ‘shot off’, and the sheer realism of the effect of having no legs is unbelievable.
Another unrivalled effect is the placement of Forrest Gump in famous and historical events and encounters, such as his meeting with President John F. Kennedy, as an all-star football player.
This is epic scene even involves Gump shaking J.F.K’s hand and announcing that he ‘has to pee’.
And this being just one of the amazing events, as over the course of the film, Gump meets a selection of famous people, such as: George Wallace, Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and John Lennon.
This groundbreaking visual effect which place Gump into archive footage really makes this a movie to remember for years to come.
Forrest Gump has several morals and messages, but the most frequent and important is that you shouldn’t give up on life.
By comparing Forrest’s life with those of the people around him, and how time brings solace and peace to all who seek it, the motion picture highlights this point.
The verdict? this film really gives you a sense of where you are in the world; and how innocence can give a whole new look on life, running in at 4 out of 5 - this will pull your heart-strings on a whole new level!.
