Forrest Gump: The Simple Man

I believe that we can all agree that the movie Forrest Gump is an American classic. So what’s so special about Forrest Gump? A good starting point is to look at Forrest Gump, the character, instead of the movie as a whole. To just say "he's simple," is an understatement. Forrest is a man who has mighty morals, firm loyalty, and an amazing heart. What is intriguing about Forrest is how he is free of prejudice and judgment of those close to him. He accepts Jenny for who she is regardless of the situation she is in. He simply sees past it. Likewise, his admiration and respect for Lieutenant Dan doesn't change after he becomes disabled. The film displays many issues of race, but with Forrest and his friend Bubba, it’s a nonfactor. So much so that when Lieutenant Dan asks them, "Are you twins?" -- Forrest's "We are not relations, Sir" is said so matter of fact. To Forrest, it's obvious they're not brothers because they're not related, not because one is black and the other is white.

Diversity is a major theme throughout the film. Not only with race, of disability too, both mentality and physically. Lieutenant Dan is often upset at Forrest, but not because of his IQ. One of the greatest moments of the film is when Dan and Forrest take two girls up to their room and Lieutenant Dan kicks the girls out when they begin to call Forrest "stupid." It's important because, we understand, the beef that the Lieutenant has with his friend is not because of his simplicity or any other character flaws. It was because Dan felt cheated of his destiny to die in battle when Forrest he saved him. Thus, leaving him crippled.

I have heard opinions on the film where people have talked about how Forrest reaches opportunities in life through sheer luck. This i...

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...t of us keep watching them. You can't write these moments, you can't even really direct them and you can't purposefully act them. They just have to come to the actor, and he or she will then act upon them.

Back to my original question - why is Forrest Gump such a special film? The film carries the audience through some of the most historic moments of American and World history, and grazes issues such as race, war, sexual abuse and a wide variety of prejudices. If the film teaches us anything it's perhaps that history is not a static thing. We learn from the film that history isn’t as straightforward as we think. It depends on whose eyes we are seeing it from. And looking at Forrest Gump’s incredible journey, it reminds us that we are here in the world, and we can make a difference. And maybe courage, kindness, simplicity, and love are the important things after all.