FORREST GUMP
A film review by Scott Renshaw
Copyright 1994 Scott Renshaw
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson,
Sally Field.
Screenplay: Eric Roth.
Director: Robert Zemeckis.
Since I began reviewing films, no film has left me as stumped as
FORREST GUMP. While I was watching, I was carried away, delighted by
an original and stunningly executed experience. But almost as soon as
the closing credits started to roll, I began to feel that something
just wasn't working. FORREST GUMP is, by turns, hilarious, overly
precious, touching and disturbingly simplistic. So the question
becomes, which FORREST GUMP do I review: the in-the-theater
experience, or the in-the-car experience? The undeniably entertaining
crowd-pleaser or the pre-digested primer in pop philosophy? Naturally,
I found my answer somewhere in the middle.
Tom Hanks plays the title character, an Alabama naif with an IQ of
75 but a heart of gold. His mother (Sally Field) makes sure he
maintains his dignity by going to school with the other kids, but it is
soon clear that Forrest is not like everyone else in more ways than
one. His amazing speed lands him a scholarship at the University of
Alabama, where he is an All-American kick returner. He joins the Army,
befriends a fellow enlisted man (Mykelti Williamson), and becomes a war
hero in Vietnam for saving his platoon leader (Gary Sinise). And just
to top things off, he becomes an international ping-pong sensation.
Yet through all Forrest's experiences, one thing remains foremost in
his mind: his love for childhood sweetheart Jenny Curran (Robin
Wright).
There is little question that the craft of FORREST GUMP is a
wonder to behold. The digital wizards at ILM have triumphed again with
the sequences placing Forrest in footage with Presidents Kennedy,
Johnson and Nixon, as well as George Wallace and John Lennon. Perhaps
even more impressive are the shots in which Gary Sinise is made to
appear a double amputee. Yet for all the notice- grabbing visuals, it
was the sound that blew me away. One Vietnam battle scene will shock
you out of your seat, and the sound of a hurricane is equally
stunning. This is not say that director Robert Zemeckis rests on his
technical support. Several of his shots are truly beautiful: a
wedding overlooking water; a mountain reflected in a lake; and my
favorite, a subtle moment when Jenny tells Forrest "You don't know what
love is," as the neon sign of a strip club called "Love's" appears
slightly out-of-focus in the background. FORREST GUMP never fails to
be a feast for the senses.
It's also frequently a feast for the funny bone, but unfortunately
Zemeckis succumbs to the same tendency that sometimes hampered WHO
FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, namely a desire to throw in too many winking
cultural asides. The biggest laughs are purely character moments, such
as Forrest discovering his speed while blowing apart his leg braces, or
the rambling shrimp-based menu delivered by Forrest's Army buddy
Bubba. But Zemeckis and scripter Eric Roth feel the need to make
Forrest responsible for Elvis Presley's pelvic gyrations, the Watergate
bust and the "Have a Nice Day" smiley face. At a certain point, it's
just overkill, and it detracts from the whimsical tone with its
heavy-elbowed nudges.
Tom Hanks' performance as Forrest is problematic. While he avoids
most of the one-note traps of Dustin Hoffman in RAIN MAN, he is still
far too mannered, particularly when compared to the dynamic
naturalistic performances of co-stars Robin Wright and Gary Sinise.
Wright delivers a wrenching performance worthy of high praise, and
Sinise may have found the role which makes him a household name (if THE
STAND didn't already do so). Hanks may garner yet another Academy
Award nomination, but he was better in a comparable role in BIG, and
for my money even better in his much criticized performance in
PHILADELPHIA.
My biggest problem with FORREST GUMP is that in its attempt to
re-construct America's turbulent last thirty years, it has created a
philosphical monster. GUMP has most often been compared to 1979's
BEING THERE, but there is a critical difference. Jerzy Kozinski
created a biting satire of how the platitudes of a dim-witted man
became wisdom in a sound-bite society. There is no such distance in
FORREST GUMP; Forrest's bon mots *are* the film's philosophy, and as
such they seem like Truth McNuggets. GUMP may be a paean to an
innocence lost, but it is also troublingly anti-intellectual, history
filtered through Robert Fulghum. These will not be the concerns of the
average movie-goer, I'm certain. They will be more interested in the
pure entertainment value of Forrest Gump's picaresque journey through
life, and the film's emotion. GUMP will be many things to many
people. To me, it was just another good but flawed movie.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 enchanted Forrests: 7.
--
Scott Renshaw
Stanford University
Office of the General Counsel
Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: I really enjoyed Forrest Gump and think Tom Hanks did a marvelous job as well. Forrest Gump is a charming, funny, and touching movie that will make you laugh and cry. It was great watching Forrest grow up and partake in all those historical moments in him acting as innocent as a child and not having a care in the world. Hanks is surrounded by some good co-stars in the likes of Gary Sinese, Robin Wright, Sally Field, and Mykelti Williamson as the shrimp lovin' Bubba. This film swept the oscars in 1994 collecting best picture, best director (Robert Zemekis) and best actor (Tom Hanks), along with some other awards too. I liked it the first time I saw it and always will.
I give Forrest Gump 4.5 out of 5 stars
Review written August 6, 1999
