Introduction
The drama Forrest Gump became a cult phenomenon of cinematography. It had a great success and won a few awards. The movie’s plot is non-trivial: the developmentally disabled person becomes a shrimp magnate, a famous football player, a hero during the war, a co-owner of Steve Jobs’ Apple company, and earns a billion. It is the story of one extraordinary and kind life. The narrative comes on behalf of Forrest Gump (performed by Tom Hanks), a person with poor mental capacities who nevertheless turns out to be smarter than most members of “normal” people’s society.
Forrest
The main character of the film was born in Greenbow, which is located in Alabama (Forrest Gump). Forrest’s childhood was not harmless because the boy was special and stood out from the crowd. It is commonly known that the person, different from the rest, usually do not gain popularity in collectives. However, Forrest’s life path is extremely winding and full of adventures. He goes to school because of his mother’s insistence (his IQ 75, when at least 80 is needed for general education school), goes to University, thanks to his game of American football (he just cannot be caught up). After University, as a good citizen, he goes to the army. Gump is sent to Vietnam like his new friend, Bubba, whom he met on an army bus. It should be noted that the most important meetings for Forrest happen on the bus, and it is while waiting for the bus, the hero tells his story.
In Vietnam, Forrest shows heroism, saves friends and gets shot. The war hero, a shrimp millionaire, for some messiah, a man who has repeatedly been personally rewarded by the president, in all adventures, never forgets the most important person. Jenny is the girl, whom he met on the school bus, who was always the closest person to him after his mother, the girl who would become his son’s mother (Forrest Gump). Forrest is looking forward to the meeting with her while he tells his life story to the continually changing listeners at the bus stop.
The power of the main character lies in the fact that whatever he does – running, playing ping-pong, pulling the wounded friends out of the battlefield, catching shrimp, and even cutting grass, he is completely passionate about this process (Davis). Forrest concentrates on his activity without any side thoughts – he does it because he likes and can do it. This skill is lacking for a lot of people – they tend to do something unpleasant just because they think they must.
Despite the impression of loneliness and exclusion of the main character, everything turns out to be the opposite. After spending his whole life waiting for love, Forrest loses his wife, only to find happiness with her. However, he does not go crazy, and he does not sink into despair. He raises his son and goes to the grave to his wife, talking to her. Through these simple actions, the viewer realizes that at every moment of people’s lives, when they seem to be alone, they are not, dears are near.
Thus, the protagonist is a man with mental features named Forrest Gump. He, like a feather, is carried through the large-scale events of the last half of the 20th (Forrest Gump). In the movie, Forrest meets John Lennon, teaches Elvis Presley to dance, and comes up with a famous slogan. It is not all of his adventures, as there are much more. One may describe the hero as a flat character, features that his mom has raised in him stay during his life. The world around the protagonist changes with crazy speed, but he himself remains the same. His character and soul remain invariably open and straightforward, although some aspects of his life shift seriously – financial condition, marital status.
Forrest’s Mum – Mrs. Gump
Although Jenny – Forrest’s beloved – appears most often throughout the film, his mother is the one who also requires separate attention. She struggles to feed her son and is forced to turn her home into a hotel, to become a servant in it (Forrest Gump). It seems that the problems are about to crush this family. However, Mrs. Gump finds the strength to survive. The main hero forever remembers her simple and large comments and often uses them as direct indications of action. What is important is that maternal love is not blind. She is raising not a disabled person, but an active, self-sufficient citizen (Robles). The central values laid down in the child are patriotism, honesty, hard work, respect for the rights of others, and self-esteem.
The boy’s mother is struggling to be stable and reliable. She believes in her son and tries selflessly to help him. She serves as an interpreter and guide to her only and adored child (Rizki). Mother prides on Forrest’s successes and actively assists him in shaping the foundation of his well-being. Gump remains faithful to her mother forever, and her death is one of the worst blows of his life.
Conclusion
This movie shows a lot – reveals human desires and vices, aspirations, and doubts. The plot is full of contrasts, unexpected turns, and contradictory acts. Among all this, only the main character does not change. Despite the noticeable differences from a healthy person, Gump does what is beyond the control of even genius. The man easily fulfilled the American dream and became famous. Forrest Gump’s story begins at the bus stop and ends there. Only this stop becomes the beginning of another person’s life story. The boy who was named after his father – called Forest Gump.
Works Cited
Davis, Gary E. “Forrest Gump Lives, or How the George Wright Society Helped Me Learn to Overcome Existential Career Adversity.” The George Wright Forum, vol. 35, no. 3. 2018, pp. 289-295.
Forrest Gump. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Perfamces by Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field, et al. Paramount. 1994.
Rizki, Kevin. The Eight Stages Development Analysis Of Forrest Gump In Robert Zemeckis’s Forrest Gump. Dissertation, Diponegoro University, 2019.
Robles, Nadia Alyssa.”Film Analysis of “Forrest Gump”. Angelo State University Social Sciences Research Journal, 2019.