Personal Response
What a wonderful movie. It was so lovely and definitely worth the hype. Many scenes affected me deeply, but the one that touched me the most was when Forrest asked Jenny about their son and said, “Is he smart?” Because he had been called stupid his entire life, he was terrified that his child might go through the same thing, or that he may have passed down bad genes. It was such a vulnerable and heartbreaking moment.
I loved seeing how Forrest became very successful and wealthy without even realizing it. He did everything from the bottom of his heart, and life simply worked out in his favor. He never chased success; he just followed what he enjoyed, and success found him. His naivety was adorable in so many ways. For example, when Jenny was singing naked with a guitar, he genuinely believed she was pursuing her dreams.
I think my favorite character development was Lieutenant Dan’s. He went from hating being alive, to being homeless and miserable, to becoming a man with purpose. By the end, he had a fiancée, and he had forgiven Forrest and even forgiven God. His transformation was incredibly powerful.
Finally, the movie offered very clever criticism of the U.S. gun policy. It highlighted how many politicians were shot or targeted, but it did so in a subtle and smart way, just brief mentions, nothing dramatic. It leaves the viewer to interpret those moments and draw their own conclusions.