Forrest has few friends through the years. The very best friend that Forrest had was Jenny; when no one would let Forrest sit next to them, the only person that did let him sit down was Jenny. Jenny and Forrest were meeting up more often, so they were best friends. Forrest described their relationship as Peas and Carrots. Forrest sometimes took their relationship to far and thought it was his duty to protect her. An example of this is at the girl’s college and Jenny is in the car with another man kissing, and Forrest runs over to the car and punches the man in the face, Jenny gets out of the car and isn’t best pleased with Forrest. Another incident is at the bar, when Jenny is singing naked with her guitar, and the drunken mob start getting ‘touchy feely’ with her and Forrest goes to her rescue, but Jenny isn’t happy with Forrest about it, because Jenny says that she can look after herself. Throughout the film Jenny keeps running away from Forrest, she runs away when Forrest enrolls in the Army, when Forrest is sent to Vietnam, Jenny then runs away with the hippies. Forrest doesn’t mind that Jenny keeps running away from him or he doesn’t realize that she is actually running away from him. Forrest writes letters to Jenny every day in Vietnam but he does not get 1 reply from Jenny but Forrest doesn’t think anything of this. The audience feels sympathy for Forrest at this point because Forrest thinks that Jenny is still his best friend, but the reality of it is that they have never been further apart. Forrest is all own his own so the audience sympathy for Forrest because Forrest best friend in the whole world doesn’t even want to keep in touch. Forrest has found a new friend by joining the Army, a black African American named Bubba. By finding a new friend may stop Forrest thinking about Jenny all the time show he doesn’t show his emotion.
Another friend of Forrest’s was Lt. Dan; however their friendship was not always plain sailing, Lt. Dan started off as Forrest’s and Bubba’s superior Officer. Lt. Dan did not have any friendship among other soldiers, but one thing he did have was plenty of comradeship. Forrest saves Lt. Dan from the jungle even when Lt. Dan wanted to be left behind, and die with his men. In result of saving Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan lost both of his legs from the knee down, and from then on Lt. Dan had never forgiven him for that. When Forrest receives the Congressional Medal of Honour, well that was like rubbing salt into a wound for Lt. Dan. When Lt. Dan is waiting outside after Forrest received his medal, and Lt. Dan says, “They gave you the Congressional Medal of Honour. They gave you the Congressional Medal of Honour.” Lt. Dan says this as if he is in disbelief. Lt. Dan sticks up for Forrest when the two women call Forrest stupid, Lt. Dan chucks to two women out of his apartment. From then on their relationship grows. Lt. Dan promised that he would help on Forrest shrimp boat if he ever owned a boat. Long after they both left the Army, Forrest still calls Lt. Dan, Lt. Dan out of a mark of respect. The audience feels sorry for Forrest and a certain amount of anger toward Lt. Dan because he acts selfish after Forrest just rescued him from certain death. Another time in the film when the audience feel sorry for Forrest as he goes back a forth to the jungle when it is about to be blown and it is covered in ‘Charlie’ (Vietnamese Army.) Every time Forrest goes back into the jungle the audience wonder if he is going to come back out. When Forrest carries out Bubba from the jungle the audience audience feel relieved, as Bubba and Forrest are safe. But the emotion is suddenly turned to sympathy again as Forrest ‘best good friend’ dies in his arms.
After viewing the film Forrest Gump. I think there are a few key points. There are points in the film when you feel sympathetic towards Forrest. First, when Forrest is sitting outside the principal’s office and his mum is talking to the principal, and Forrest can hear all the bad things that the principal says about his low IQ. As a member of the audience I remember feeling sorry for Forrest and thinking how hurting and down heartening for Forrest that must have been. Secondly, when Forrest gets on the school bus for the firs time, and no one would let Forrest sit next to him. But one person did, that one person was Jenny, for Forrest this must have been confusing and an inbarising moment. Forrest must have been thinking why won’t anyone let me sit next to them? Why am I different? This would have been inbarising to have to walk down the length of the bus and people saying that you can’t sit here. This engages the sympathy of the audience. Forrest always seems to be dressed smartly. This is due to his upbringing that Forrest has received from his mum. From the time he was a child to an adult he always seemed to wear trousers and a cheque, pressed short sleeved shirt.
Forrest in the end becomes a millionaire and a celebrity; the way that he does this is a series of mistakes and luck. When Forrest buys his shrimp boat he called it ‘Jenny’. The audience feels sympathy for Forrest because he is showing his affection to Jenny in such an inoscent way.
When Forrest’s mother is on her deathbed and Forrest goes to visit her. When Forrest sits beside his mother he doesn’t know what to do say. Forrest’s mother is also simple minded the way we know this is because what she say’s just before she dies, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” This isn’t most common thing that is said on some ones deathbed. Forrest doesn’t know how he is meant to feel and react to his mother’s death, so he hides his emotion and bottles it up. When Forrest’s mother dies the audience feel sympathy for the loss of Forrest’s mother and the reaction of Forrest is minimal and that is not normal.
Jenny sent an invitation asking if Forrest would like to go round to Jenny’s house. Jenny told Forrest that he has a son. Jenny’s son name was called Forrest, and Jenny said that her son was named after his father. Forrest didn’t think about what this meant and his first reaction was, “He has a farther called Forrest to.” After Forrest thought about it for a second and some prompting from Jenny, he realised that Forrest Jr. was actually his son, so he went and sat next to his son and watched cartoons with him. When Forrest realises that he has a son the frustration on his face says more than words, you can tell that he doesn’t know what to do next, he doesn’t know how to be a farther. The audience feels sympathy because Forrest is terrified, and doesn’t know what to
In conclusion Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump engages the emotion and sympathy of the audience by getting in to situation and having very little or no reaction to the situation, this is what engages the sympathy of the audience, e.g. the death of Bubba. Forrest doesn’t react to the death the same way has a normal person would. Forrest bottles up his emotions rather that letting them out in the open, and that is why he audience feels sympathy for Forrest. Tom Hanks acting in this film is amazing, the hardest of acting is a character that is simpleminded because you can’t just act normally. You’ve got to imagine that you are that person, and you are acting like you normally would. The film ‘Forrest Gump’ is the main reason why I think Tom Hanks is one of the worlds best actors.
