"forest Gump" Teaches Many Lessons, and Tom Hanks Earns Best Actor Oscar

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagleyimpossible to understand. All that is good and
Forrest Gump - 4 Stars (Excellent)much that is bad is covered in the film.
"Forrest Gump" begins with a feather being liftedTo appreciate where Forrest Gump is coming
through the air by a breeze that brings it to thefrom, learn from these memorable lines in the
feet of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), who is sittingfilm:
at a bus stop in Savannah (GA). Gump picks it up1) Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: "Have you found Jesus
and puts it in a "Curious George" children's book.yet, Gump?" Forrest Gump: "I didn't know I was
He then begins to tell the story of his life to thesupposed to be looking for him, sir."
first of several people who are waiting with him2) Forrrest Gump: (describing Vietnam) "We was
for the next bus.always taking long walks, and we was always
Some of the people are great listeners andlooking for a guy named Charlie."
others are not, but make no mistake about it,3) Jenny Curran: "Have you ever been with a girl,
Gump is a master storyteller. He is simple,Forrest?" Forrest Gump: (nervously) "I sit next to
unpretentious, honest, not bright and full ofthem in my Home Economics class . . ."
integrity. For such a humble person, his story is4) Jenny Curran: "His name's Forrest." Forrest
almost unbelievable.Gump: "Like me." Jenny Curran: "I named him
Forrest wears braces on his legs to walk inafter his daddy." Forrest Gump: "He got a daddy
childhood, eludes the bullies who taunt him, makesnamed Forrest, too?" Jenny Curran: "You're his
friends with Jenny (Robin Wright Penn) who he willdaddy, Forrest."
pursue his entire life, meets Elvis Presley, meets5) Jenny Curran: "Do you ever dream, Forrest,
three Presidents—John Fitzgerald Kennedy,about who you're gonna be?" Forrest Gump:
Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, and receives"Who I'm gonna be?" Jenny Curran: "Yeah."
the Congressional Medal of Honor for service inForrest Gump: "Aren't—aren't I going to be
Vietnam, where he saves Lieutenant Dan (Garyme?"
Sinise) and loses his friend, Private "Bubba"6) Forrest Gump: "I'm not a smart man . . . but I
(Mykelti Williamson).know what love is."
At an anti-war rally in Washington, DC he briefly7) Forrest Gump: "Mama always said life is like a
reunites with Jenny, whose life is a mess afterbox of chocolates. You never know what you're
searching for fame and pursuing a hippie lifestyle.gonna get." This line was voted 40th among the
Forrest starts a table tennis craze and becomes aTop 100 Movie Quotes by the American Film
nationally-known ping-pong whiz, using the moneyInstitute. In 2007, The AFI rated Forrest Gump
he earns to start a very successful shrimp boatas the 76th Greatest Movie of All Time.
business with Lt. Dan, who invests their money in8) Forrest Gump: "Stupid is as stupid does."
Apple stock and both become wealthy in theTom Hanks patterned his accent after young
process.Forrest (Michael Conner Humphreys, who actually
He then inspires people to jog, helps antalked that way).
entrepreneur create the smiley face stickers, andForrest Gump was an immensely successful film,
faces the loss of his mother (Sally Field), who tellswith a production cost of $55 million and a
him he must work out his own destiny. Through itworldwide gross of $677+ million. After its release
all, Jenny and love eludes him. Forrest lived inin 1994, it became the fastest grossing
turbulent times.Paramount film to reach the $100 million, $150
If you are dizzy just imagining all of this, so was I.million and $200 million marks, and passed $250
After seeing Forrest Gump the first time I wasmillion in 66 days.
appreciative of the film's merit, but overwhelmedEven more important, Forrest Gump won 6
by how one person could accomplish so much andOscars at the Academy Awards—for Best
be around so many famous people. AfterPicture, Tom Hanks for Best Actor, Robert
watching Forrest Gump 3 more times, I got overZemeckis for Best Director, Eric Roth for Best
it and now only sing its praises.Screenplay based on Winston Groom's novel,
Eventually Jenny sees Forrest running on televisionArthur Schmidt for Best Film Editing, and Ken
and writes him a letter to come see her. WhenRalston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum and
he does, he discovers that Jenny has a son and isAllen Hall for Best Visual Effects.
very sick. She asks Forrest to marry her, andForrest Gump also picked up another 7 Oscar
soon after he does, she dies. He learns that he isnominations for Best Supporting Actor (Gary
the father of her child, and commits to raising him.Sinise), Best Original Musical Score (Alan Silvestri),
When young Forrest gets on the bus for his firstBest Set Decoration, Best Cinematography (Don
day of school, the white feather falls from theBurgess), Best Makeup, Best Sound, and Best
Curious George book he is carrying, is caught inSound Effects Editing.
the breeze and drifts skyward.Among its other 32 wins and 38 nominations
If you are wondering about the feather, it waswere 7 Golden Globe nominations and wins for
real, but its performance in the movie wasBest Actor, Best Director and Best Picture.
computer-based. The feather is importantAs is true with just about any other
because it raises the question of whether we areaward-winning production, many famous
all floating around accidental-like on a breeze, or ifprofessionals passed on the opportunity to be
we each actually have a destiny. Forrest surmisespart of the success. Terry Gilliam and Barry
that perhaps it is both.Sonnenfeld were offered the chance to direct the
Everything that happens to Forrest Gump isfilm. Bill Murray was considered for the role of
worth seeing, and much of what happens teachesForrest, Chevy Chase turned down the role of
us important lessons in life. This is a love story, aForrest, and three others turned down the role of
story of relationships and the story of one personBubba—David Alan Grier, Dave Chappelle
in a very big world that is sometimes almostand Ice Cube.