Forrest Gump

 4/4

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field

Rated PG-13 for Drug Content, Some Sensuality and War Violence

Occasionally, my dad will say that "Casablanca" is a "uniquely American movie."  I find it impossible to argue with him, but a case could also be made for "Forrest Gump."  Sure, it's American in superficial ways as the story deals with everything from the Vietnam War and the hippie movement, football and the Kennedys.  But more than that, it's the spirit of "Forrest Gump" that is as American as apple pie.  It's a testament to the undying belief that no matter how hard things are, good times are just around the corner.  And that through hard work, determination and a bit of luck, even the most unlikely of people can have tremendous success.

"Forrest Gump" is a reminder of the kind of move magic that Hollywood can make when they concentrate on making a good movie first as opposed to worrying about marketing, the shareholders, world audiences or fan service.  It tells the story of Forrest Gump (Hanks), a man with the IQ of 75 and an inability to conceive of guile and deceit.  His single-minded outlook on life leads him on countless adventures, including Watergate, Apple computers and a shrimping business.  Through it all though, he is driven by one thing: his love of his childhood friend, Jenny (Wright).

One thing I've noticed is that the best way to encompass a huge amount of time or a complex conflict is o view it through the eyes of a smaller, personal story.  "Schindler's List" saw the Holocaust through a intellectual duel between a con man and a psychopath.  "Gangs of New York" saw the explosive turmoil of the New York City Draft Riots through a personal story of revenge.  "Forrest Gump" takes a trip through fifty years of American history and it spans the globe.  Yet the reason why it works is because no matter what he does or what is happening around him, Forrest has one goal in his mind: to be with Jenny.  That goal, whether actively or passively, drives everything he does.

Tom Hanks is the only actor who could have played this role.  The only one.  So it's unthinkable that he wasn't the first and only choice for the character.  Bill Murray, John Travolta and Chevy Chase refused the role.  Director Robert Zemekis wanted Bill Paxton while author Winston Groom (upon which the film is based) envisioned John Goodman in the role.  But watching Hanks in the role makes it clear that not only would any other actor pale in comparison, it is quite likely that the film wouldn't have worked at all without him.

Forrest Gump is a role that would have been easy to ridicule or do badly.  But Hanks plays him without a hint of irony or exploitation.  By playing the character absolutely straight, we see him as a man who is not so much disabled, but free from the scars that come from thinking too much about the problems that we can't control.  In Vietnam, Forrest isn't thinking about the danger, he's thinking about doing what he is supposed to.  He doesn't consider how difficult it would be to run a shrimping business.  He's fulfilling a promise to a friend.  Because Hanks and Zemekis see him in that light, the film works.

Hanks is surrounded by a gifted supporting cast, but all the other actors recognize that this is his movie.  Robin Wright plays a woman who genuinely loves Forrest, but is too ground down by her own personal hurts to appreciate what he can offer her.  Sally Field plays Mrs. Gump as a woman whose fierce love prepares her son for all the challenges of the world.  When people call him stupid, she replies: "Stupid is as stupid does" before impressing on him that he is no different from anyone else.  The film's best, and most insightful, line ("Life's a box of chocolates/. You never know what you're gonna get.") is her lesson to him.  Gary Sinise got an Oscar nomination for playing the embittered, almost deranged Lieutenant Dan.  His wounds have driven him to madness, but Forrest's unflinching optimism and honesty have helped heal him.

As the film is directed by Robert Zemekis, there are a lot of special effects here.  For the most part, they're subtle (having Forrest interact with JFK or be present at George Wallace's infamous Stand in the Schoolhouse Door), and while there is a war scene, it's not an orgy of pyrotechnics worthy of a Michael Bay film.  What earned Zemekis the Oscar is how carefully he constructed the story.  There is a lot going on, but he had the wisdom to keep the focus on Forrest and Jenny.  Their lives have taken them to extraordinary places, but that love story is the beating heart of the film.

"Forrest Gump" is a wonderful concoction.  An inspirational, feel good extravaganza that has terrific performances, pointed humor and the perfect emotional temperature.  It's just as good as the day it came out nearly 30 years ago.  It's a masterpiece.  A uniquely American masterpiece.

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