Review of Forrest Gump (1994) by Mrmoviebuff — 02 Nov 2017

'Forrest Gump' at times, can be seen as overly sentimental, and often too sweet in its storytelling. The movie focuses on one man's journey throughout many of the most iconic moments in American history.

Forrest (Tom Hanks) sits on a bench with a box of chocolates on his lap, waiting for somebody, as he waits, some strangers, waiting for other people or transport, sit alongside him. He proceeds to tell them stories, whether they wish to hear it or not, about how he managed to get to where he currently is in life.

We see a young Forrest living quietly with his mother (Sally Field), as she tries her best to raise him, since his father is nowhere around. He does his best at school, despite some of the other kids often making fun of how simply "stupid" he is.

He wears leg braces as he wasn't fully able to properly function his legs. Growing up, Forrest befriends a girl named Jenny (Robin Wright), who has been kind to him, despite his lack of knowledge. There seems to be some kind of spark between the two of them, but they often go their separate ways after school.

We see that Forrest joins the army and meets a man named Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) who often struggles to keep his patience with Forrest. Forrest ends up becoming an iconic ping pong player, often playing really fast, and he meets President Kennedy, John Lennon etc.

all with the power of special effects to make it look as if Hanks' character actually met these people. 'Forrest Gump', directed by Robert Zemeckis (who also directed 'Back to the Future'), is a powerful movie, and tells a story of a kind man and how he remained humble throughout, what looked like, a difficult journey.

The acting is solid, the story is engaging, and it is a movie with a warm heart. Maybe too warm for some, but all in all, this is a story that needs to be shared to everyone.