4-6-07 Why Forrest Gump is one of My Favorite Movies

I watched Forrest Gump today. It was made in 1994, and I think I've seen it at least 20 times. For some it’s a love story – Forrest and Jenny’s story; for others it’s a peek into thirty tumultuous years of American history from Vietnam to Kennedy to Elvis; and for many it’s a truly motivational story about a simple and straightforward human being. It’s a wonderful mix of all…for all. It’s no wonder that the movie had so many Academy Award nominations, and won so many, six I believe. There are several reasons I love this movie.

It's a story about Love:

Forrest does everything for his one true love, the experimental, sad, and ultimately broken Jenny Curran. He starts with saying "I'll never forget the sweetest voice I've ever heard" and it was the voice of Jenny his first day of school offering him a seat on the bus when everyone else was mean to him. They developed a life long friendship and he loved her for many many years; no other woman ever entered his mind even when she was away for years at a time. He prevailed in the end when he married her and took care of her until she died.

It's a story about Friendship:

Bubba and Forest meet on the bus (once again a friendship starting on a bus) to Marine boot camp. I dont' think they had a long friendship, but it was a good one and you see that Gump has a genuine and heartfelt realtionship with Bubba. If you remember, after he made his money in the shripmping business, he delivered a large check to Bubba's mother, out of respect and obligation (in his own mind).

After being sent to Saigon during the Vietnam war, he met and served under Lt. Dan Taylor. At one point during the movie, Forrest saves Lt. Dan's live. Lt. Dan lives, but without his legs and blames Forrest for taking away his destiny. Later on in the movie, Forrest goes into the shrimping business and Lt. Dan joins him as his first mate. They are unsuccessful until "God showed up". Lt. Dan and Forrest become great friends and millionares together.

Jenny's death causes Forrest to question the nature of life. "Jenny, I don't know if Mama was right or whether it was Lieutenant Dan. I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I think, maybe it's both. Maybe both are happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny." A tearful Forrest concludes with "If there's anything you need, I won't be far away". As he walks away, a flock of birds fly past, presumably signifying Jenny's prayer as a child to be turned into a bird.

This movie always puts me into a "deep thinking" mode. The funny thing is, I did not even watch this movie until about 2 years after it was released...and I hated it the first time I saw it. I just thought it was "look what I did" "look what else I did" ....it was not until the second time I really watched it that I was drawn to it. Maybe it's because I can relate to Jenny on some level....maybe it's because his innocent and pure love for her is so captivating. Maybe it's because Forrest so innocent, pure and unassuming...I can't really put my finger on it.