By: Jessica Strimpel and Alaysia Curry
April 24, 2020
“Stupid is as stupid does” is what Forrest Gump hears throughout his less-than-picturesque childhood.
As a child, Gump (played by Tom Hanks) was taught by his mother (played by Sally Field) the ways of life and to choose his own destiny. Gump wore braces on his legs as a child and also had a below average IQ, but this never stopped him from achieving his goals.
When exposed to the real world, a series of unfortunate events happen to Gump, but he always finds a way to turn it around and find the good in every situation; his optimism helped him through his struggles knowing that his goals were still within reach.
While overcoming most of his setbacks in life, there was one he still wanted to accomplish. Gump grew up with a girl named Jenny Curran (adult character played by Robin Wright), who he loved very much and wanted to be with for the rest of his life.
Although the two grew up together and were very close as children, they grew apart as their lives continued. Gump always thought of Jenny when he achieved a goal of his (joining the Army, winning medals, creating a shrimp-fishing fleet, etc.) and always thought back to how important she was to him.
Jenny visits Gump one day, and all of his feelings rush back to him, so much so that he proposes to her. She declined the proposal but stays with him until the next morning when she unexpectedly leaves.
Later on in the movie, Jenny returns with an all-consuming illness and a small boy who is Gump’s child. Jenny then passes away from the disease, but before she does, she returns with a question (asking Gump to marry her). He then raises the boy on his own and carries Jenny’s legacy forward.
The plot closes with Gump and his son waiting for a school bus on his first day of school.
This movie shows heartbreak and loss through the death of many characters, while also showing the love that we should all have for one another. This is shown when Gump joins the army and becomes friends with Bubba (played by Mykelti Williamson), who unfortunately dies during the Vietnam War.
The color of one’s skin or background did not matter to Gump, and this is a lesson that many should take from his character. He treated everyone equally and accepted people for who they were: HUMAN BEINGS!
We are all capable of loving one another and creating a society where no matter the trials and tribulations that people face, we are all accepted.
Forrest Gump is highly recommended in our view because it is such a genuinely-humanizing film that shows life, loss, and happiness. The viewer is shown events that happen in real life and how people still continue to fight through a life of pain and suffering while always thinking that “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 