Forrest Gump

I haven't seen 1994's FORREST GUMP in at least 20 years. Revisiting it this week, its simple heart is still powerful, but I was surprised at many of its darker moments.

Tom Hanks (Best Actor winner for the role) is perfect as Forrest, a simple man who sits down on a park bench and shares his life story with us.

And what a life he's had.

In a continuous series of flashbacks, Forrest narrates his own story, starting in his days as a young boy. His Momma (Sally Field) goes to great lengths to protect her young boy, his Father long gone and never seen. In a more traditional screenplay, the boarding house that Mrs. Gump runs would provide a never ending supply of characters to populate the story. Eric Roth's Oscar winning writing only allows one legendary guest to enter the story, but he's the first famous person whose life will become intertwined in the fabric of Forrest's tale.

Robert Zemeckis (Death Becomes Her, The Walk) won Best Director for his brilliant visual story telling, dropping Forrest into one important historical event after another. He manages to land on nearly every pivotal cultural moment of the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's.

I remember seeing the film on the big screen in a sneak preview before its release and being blown away by the special effects and the unexpected events depicted. Those early effects inserting Forrest in history might not "wow" quite like they did at the time, but in 1994, they were a huge jump forward from the similar, clever Woody Allen film "Zelig" released the previous year.

The film's structure is prime, episodic story telling.

The entire Vietnam sequence is flawless, from Gump's description of why the military is his perfect fit, to Zemeckis' beautifully staged, grand scale, wartime action scenes in the jungles.

The stable of friends and life partners that Forrest builds are a grand lot.

Gary Sinise won an Oscar as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, a gruff squad leader with a big heart. Sinise is fantastic throughout the film, which is at its best anytime he's on screen. He's the heart of the film and the realistic core that grounds everything around him. Great performance.

Mykelti Williamson (Heat) is great as Bubba Blue, whose dreams of running a shrimp boat back home inspire Forrest and build a lifelong legacy between the two soldiers.

Robin Wright stars as Jenny, Forrest's lifelong best friend/love whose life path is the polar opposite of Forrest's. Her character drives me mad for the entire center of the film, before settling in with some emotional resonance in the final act.

Classic film moments abound from start to finish, accompanied by a standout collection of hit songs from every era. Music always conjures up a time in your being, pulling you back to where/when you first heard it. Zemeckis and team deftly weave those songs into every scene, combining those flash memories with great visuals to let you stand next to Gump throughout history.

Paramount executives pressed Zemeckis to cut $10 million out of the budget before filming started and told him to cut all the Vietnam scenes. How the hell could the film have worked without them? Zemeckis and Hanks believed in the film and waved most of their standard salaries in exchange for shares of any profit made. The final budget was $55 million and the film soared at the box office, earning $678 million! Hanks earned over $70 million for his role, thanks to his faith in himself and Zemeckis' vision.

In the past ten years or so, as tastes have changed and more cynicism has crept into modern (younger?) audiences, the film has experienced some backlash, saying it was too simple to be nominated for 13 Oscars and win 6, including Best Picture. That buzz made me want to watch the film again.

Like Peter Sellers/Hal Ashby's 1979 film, "Being There", FORREST GUMP has a lot to say, in simple words that carry a lot of weight. The emotions and motivations that drive Forrest forward are the same ones that propel us all through each day of our lives.

Zemeckis and Hanks pull you through a funny, emotional adventure that ends up right where it starts, with Alan Silvestri's beautiful music rising up, that feather floating on to its next destination and your heart tugged in all the right ways.

FORREST GUMP still gets an A.

Run Forrest Run!