There aren’t many films that are as celebrated as Forrest Gump is. The incredibly odd journey of a simple-minded man, spreading across the suburban life of a small town in America, thrilling adventures within the U.S Military during the Vietnam War, starting a shrimping empire, and becoming one of the most reputable and rich business owners in the country. Forrest Gump would seem like an autobiography if it wasn’t a story so overly absurd. Let’s take a look at one of the most popular films to ever release!
How to Stream or Download Forrest Gump Full Movie Online
To stream or to download the film from a digital store of your choice, click on the Download button at the end of the review. And if you like Tom Hanks, check him out also in his most recent films such as News of the World, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again or Sully.
The Movie Review
Starting off in the small town of Greenbow, Alabama; Forrest Gump is born with a crooked back that means he has an inability to walk properly. He’s given leg joints to move around properly, and he makes friends with young Jenny. Forrest doesn’t really have any ideas or ambitions of what he wants, however, the only thing that we can tell is that he cares deeply about Jenny. Jenny, on the other hand, aspires to make it big as a singer, and leave her small town for bigger pursuits.
Forrest miraculously manages to gain the ability to run, and during his running gains a college scholarship to play football while Jenny doesn’t do so well academically. With time, however, they end up going their separate ways with Jenny moving away and Forrest joining the army.
After a life-changing experience during the Vietnam War, Forrest returns to a broken world and decides to open up a shrimping business. He soon turns into one of the richest shrimping tycoons in the country.
Without giving away much about the story, Forrest Gump is a physical and psychological journey. It takes you through many different eras and time periods of the United States and shows you how people changed and lived their lives in different parts of the country and the world. Forrest Gump’s IQ might be 75, but his willpower and loyalty scores were through the roof.
Tom Hanks’ incredibly heartfelt portrayal of the character brings Forrest’s character to life. Playing the part with somber warmth and a deep understanding; Hanks’ portrayal of the character made the audience heavily empathize with him and grow a fondness of his character.
Robin Wright also played the character of Jenny with a wit to her. Showcasing how Jenny somewhat manipulated Forrest, despite being in love with him. There’s also the highly comedic yet depressing portrayal of Lieutenant Dan Taylor by none other than Gary Sinise, which brings a dark contrast to the bright tone of Forrest’s character.
Now, we can’t talk about how good Forrest Gump is as a film without mentioning how incredibly good Robert Zemeckis’ direction is. The pacing that he lays out within this two-and-a-half-hour film, takes us through so much that happens within Forrest’s life, yet none of it feels too long or too quick.
This is also in part due to the screenplay by Eric Roth, who has adapted the Winston Groom book with tenacity, by recreating these characters with an aura of extreme realism. While the events in the film are shown as absurd, they never feel out of place due to the film being mainly from the point of view of a man with a low IQ.
The cinematography isn’t anything special though, most of the shots that I remember from the film are due to the dialogue and the acting rather than the shots themselves. Some shots, such as the bench shot from the start of the film and the iconic shot where Forrest jumps into the river were well done, while most of the cinematography falls flat.
The score, on the other hand, was really beautiful. It felt like the kind of music you would hear in a fantastical film, and while this wasn’t exactly that; Forrest Gump’s absurdity sure made it out to be one of the more magical films I’d seen.
The Bottom Line
So, in conclusion, Forrest Gump is the kind of film you would watch when you want to either feel really good or really bad. Emotions run high as the film goes on, and every moment will captivate you. The absurd situations that Forrest finds himself in, combined with the excellent writing, performances, and music make Forrest Gump an absolute classic.
