In 1994, the iconic movie ‘Forrest Gump’, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was released. This movie gave life to one of today’s more inspirational movie characters, Forrest Gump. The movie ‘Forrest Gump’ is about a simple, seemingly uneducated man’s journey through a string of complicated times and nonetheless coming out on top. At the start of the movie, we learn Gump has an IQ of 75 which is significantly lower than average, but it does not seem to stop Forrest. We learn however that despite the lower IQ Forrest does have some essential qualities that seem to separate himself from others. Those qualities include; honesty, integrity, compassion, and loyalty. Those qualities are highlighted throughout the movie and when put together those qualities seem to make true happiness just a little bit easier to attain.
Forrest symbolizes the ideal way one would strive to handle the problems that come up throughout our lives. Without hesitation, he tries many different activities throughout the movie and does not give much thought into whether he should do them or not, he just simply does them based on his goals and loves. At the beginning of the movie, he broke free of his leg brace trying to run away from bullies and that was the start of a chain reaction in Gump’s life. In high school, he tried out for the football team and quickly became a football star even landing himself a college scholarship. Then, after joining the army and becoming wounded he became a well-known ping-pong champion through picking it up in an army rehabilitation camp. Throughout the film, we see many examples of Forrest trying new things just because he wants to, and them having an amazing outcome. This teaches us that with trying something new and not backing down, we always have the ability to achieve greatness.
'Greatness' in terms of friendship, is never easy, but per usual Forrest finds a way to make it seem so simple. Forrest’s relationship with Jenny, Lt. Dan, and Bubba are examples of this. Even though Jenny seemed to come and go throughout his life, Forrest never lost his love for her. When Jenny was at her lowest points, he always tried to lift her spirits, and never wanted to see her get hurt. His best friend Bubba and he share a strong bond based on loyalty and compassion. Also, when Forrest Gump was in the army and was under attack, his goal was to save as many people as he could, including his friend Lt. Dan. However, Dan wanted to die in battle, so he held a grudge against Forrest for the majority of the film. So, then why would Forrest Gump help out Lt. Dan, who had nothing but hate towards him? Because Forrest felt he had a debt to repay to Lt. Dan and he was committed to keeping his friend happy, no matter what he had to do. Forrest teaches us that friendship is simple: show loyalty and compassion, and the rest will fall into place.
Throughout the movie, Gump seemed to always be able to find some joy in doing the things he loved. For example, even after becoming very wealthy he still mowed his lawn rather than paying someone else to do it, because it brought him joy. Whenever he felt like doing something, he simply did it. Like when he ran for many months straight? All he was doing was some self-reflection. With Gump living his life this way it shows us that the smallest actions in our day to day lives really do have the ability to make us happier and keep us feeling balanced.
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In addition to being able to do what you love, in life we face the obstacle of being positive and focused on the things we have to do here in the present. When Lt. Dan suffered a terrible setback of no longer having his legs, Gump made sure to remind him that he was still the same man on the inside and that he could still do whatever he wanted to do and still achieve the goals he was after.
One of the more memorable moments in the film was when Forrest’s positivity is truly shown when he gives a significant portion of his money to Bubba’s family and community. He reasons as follows: “There’s only so much fortune a man really needs and the rest is just for showing off” (Forrest Gump). It is an elementary idea that no one needs so much, and feeling comfortable is already enough. So, if you make more money than you need, why not give it to someone else who needs it more?
One of the most famous lines in the film is, “Momma always said: life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna get” (Forrest Gump).
By all means, the film is full of surprises dropped in Forrest’s life that very much comprise a succession of unexpected events. In a way, you can say this is an accurate depiction of life. Our plans are often thwarted. We would like it to go our way, but often, they do not. Gump seems to accept these changes without a flinch and keeps a positive attitude throughout all of his obstacles. To this day ‘Forrest Gump’ is considered an iconic movie. Why do you ask? Well, it showcases this lovable and relatable protagonist that, through anything life throws at him, all the ups and downs, still manages to become successful despite his mental impairment. Gump’s ability and willingness to try anything without a blink of an eye, the open heart to be a loyal friend, to courage to do what he loves to do, and to remain positive and focused, generous, and to be open to the unexpected made him that much more of a hero by the end of the movie.
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