Forrest Gump

When I first heard of the concept of this movie, I have to admit that I scoffed. I was offended by the fact that the film purported to be history when it was not. But, as I watched it, I realize that Forrest Gump was a metaphor for all that is good in America, and showed some of the processes that this country has gone through in the last 40 years. So history was told, in a way. The JFK assassination, Vietnam, etc., were shown through the eyes of Forrest, the main character. I suppose that anything that teaches our children something about history is good.

I love Forrest's character, because he is not very bright, yet he is never cruel or dissatisfied with life. As he plainly states, with his platitudes, a person must just take life as it comes. The honesty and personal integrity of his character are a lesson to those of us who have been gifted with more intelligence than him. This movie shows, once again, that Hollywood can write a deep, intelligent movie, at least when they want to do so.