Forrest Gump (1994)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright

The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, Vietnam, Watergate, and other history unfold through the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75.

This was an interesting trip through the eyes of an idiot, as he is referred to by most in the film. I loved the music during the particular events, as well. Yes, this was an excellent film and yes, Tom Hanks is brilliant. The film is ultimately a talkie, though, and I’m not into talkies. I also found the film overlong with possibly too much information crammed into it. The visual effects were very good, especially the war scenes. The film does teach us a few lessons, e.g. never to judge a person by appearance, and never going back on promises made, and probably also not to give up on your dreams.

The film was a huge success, grossing $677 million on a $55 million budget. It also won numerous awards, including 6 Oscars. It won a further 45 awards, and another 66 nominations. ‘Forrest Gump’ is currently rated the 12th best films of all time according to a poll (not according to box office takings).