Forrest gump

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(Comedy/Drama) (1994)
© 1999 by Raymond Weschler

Forrest Gump

"Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you're going to get." Major Characters Forrest Gump..........Tom Hanks A somewhat slow (not smart) person, who happens to be incredibly kind, decent, and over the course of his life, quite lucky. Jenny..........................Robin Wright Forrest's most importantfriend from early childhood, who remains his friend for over 35 years despite the very different lives that they will lead. Mama Gump............Sally Field Forrest's loving mother who will do all she can to give Forrest a good life despite his lack of intelligence. Lieutenant Dan........Gary Siniese An army officer that Forrest meets while serving in the Vietnam war, who eventually becomes a loyalfriend of Forrest (A "Lieutenant" is a mid-level rank in the army). Bubba.........................Mykelti Williamson A poor black solider, and another friend that Forrest makes in Vietnam. Plot Summary Forrest Gump is the story of an incredibly kind and gentle person who is also what some people might call "mildly retarded." It's true that he is not too smart, but he is very fortunate, because he hasa mother and friend who love him dearly. Forrest is born and raised in rural Alabama, in the Southern United States. He grows up with his mother, who rents out rooms in the family house to people traveling through the area. Despite his lack of sophistication, and the fact that he was raised far from any major cities, Forrest manages to become personally involved in most of the critical eventsthat take place in American History from the late 1950s until the early 1980s. This includes the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal, the Civil Rights and Anti-Vietnam War protest movements, and the Computer

2 Revolution. Forrest even meets three American Presidents as well as Elvis Presley and John Lennon. In a way, this movie is a look at a period of American history through the eyes of a gentlesoul who lacks cynicism, but simply accepts things for what they are. Ultimately, it is about the relationships that Forrest develops through his life. With his mother, who will do anything for him, with his two best friends from his days in the army, Bubba and Lieutenant Dan, and most of all, with Jenny, his true childhood sweetheart. Jenny experiences the changes in American culture from atotally different perspective than Forrest, eventually joining the various protest movements and subcultures of the 1960s and 70s. But in the end, she is faithful to her childhood friend, whose sincerity, kindness and loyalty she would find in no other person. A special note on language usage: Since much of the movie is narrated by Forrest, you should be careful to not internalize the ungrammaticalaspects of his personal way of speaking. Aside from the obvious use of "doublenegatives," Forrest also tends to conjugate the past tense of "to be" incorrectly, saying "we was" instead of "we were." Words and Expressions that You may not Know Forrest Arrives in town to see Jenny, and soon tells he story of his early life to anyone who happens to be on the bus stop bench...

I'll bet you can walkall day in shoes like that and never feel anything. A common way to say "I'm sure that..." His back is as crooked as a politician. A good play on words: "Crooked" can mean marked by bends or curves, but it also means corrupt and dishonest. They were in the Ku Klux Klan . They dressed up like a bunch of ghosts or spooks or something. The "KKK" is an infamous group of violent racists that has existedin the United States since the 1860s. A "Spook" is a ghost. What are you all staring at? In the Southern United States, "you all" operates as a form of "you," but note that it is always pronounced "ya'all." He has braces on his legs. A clamp or brace that hold two or more pieces together.

3 Green Bough, Alabama The County and State where Forrest grew up. States are divided into counties,...