Gary Sinise, Michael Conner Humphreys, Mykelti Williamson

The story of a man who, over the course of three decades and despite having an IQ of only 75, leads a most extraordinary life.

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93% liked it

1,011,918 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

50 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 20 min.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Release Date: July 6, 1994

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DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (86,023)


  • October 10, 2006
    It inspires everyone who sees it over and over again.
  • September 24, 2009
    A very sweet film but come on, Hanks had an easy role to play, I don?t think he or the film are as good as the hype suggests!
  • August 4, 2009
    Brilliant movie about the impact one man has thru life
  • January 2, 2009
    Directed by: Robert Zemeckis.
    Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson.

    << "My momma always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they go, where they've been. I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I...( read more) think about it real hard I can remember my first pair of shoes." >>

    1994 was one of two years in the 90's that created some of the greatest modern films of our time. 1994 consisted of Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption, both up for the Best Picture category, along with other categories at the Academy Awards. One film had to win and it went to Forrest Gump...and for good reason.

    The story follows a simple man named Forrest Gump. A very lanky man with such a small IQ, over a span of three decades, we are shown the extraordinary life of this simple man and the historic, American events he has encountered...or stumbled through.

    The opening sequence sets the perfect tone and angle for the film; we are shown our title character, Forrest Gump on a park bench, with muddy shoes that tell a little bit about what he has done, where he has been, and with a short cropped haircut, distant eyes and a book in an out of place suitcase on Curious George, simplicity at arms length.

    We are never introduced to the man to laugh at him for the way he is, instead, Robert Zemeckis shows the film through the eyes of Forrest himself, he is the most likable and decent character to ever grace the screen and we laugh right alongside him at his perspective on life.

    I could sit here and state how far fetched and very fictional the film is, but you should already know that, but the fact that we fall in love with this character so much, every implausible point is so easy to look past.

    The screenplay by Eric Roth is magic, like a modern fable. Based on the novel by Winston Groom, I cannot judge how it was adapted, that's not what I am here for. He has built up such a simple character with such a complex and epic life that the film as a whole falls right into the latter. His dialogue is cheeky and as you would expect with most of the dialogue and the voice-overs coming from the main characters mouth and narratively brilliant and thoughtful. The humor is built up on his views on things and the way he explains it all...it's brilliantly comical and witty, in it's oddball way (and the fact that Forrest helped create the song 'Imagine', gave Elvis his moves, was there at the Black Panther rally and alerted people of the Watergate Scandal is classic). The structure is so skillfully weaved, it may contain many sentimental setups in its messages, but the weaving of historic events with this brilliant character makes it all the more enjoyable and meaningful and the fact that it still remains to be one of the few films to make me cry purely, shows its stance over cinematic sentimentality.

    The score is perfect. Like the tone of the film, its simple, yet so poetically rich and powerfully moving and remains memorable to this day.

    Robert Zemeckis is only one of two perfect choices for this film. At the time of release I probably couldn't say that with his track record then, but looking back now, it's easy to say. He is himself here of course, aiming for the heart where he can and including his typical shots of vast scenery and having a lot going on in any one scene with a lot of attention to detail, but it shows amazing control and works very well, especially during the few war sequences.

    Visually, the film is quite unexpectedly groundbreaking. The many visual effects of this film that received the Academy Award showed a jump in its time with it's merging of Forrest with old footage. It is impressive and if you have the DVD then certainly watch the 'Making Of' to see how it is all done.

    Tom Hanks = Forrest Gump, simple as that. If anyone can sit there and say someone else better suited for the role than I would love to hear it...but I never will. He was no A-List star at the time but had won 'big' with his comedic performances in such films as Big, but this was and still remains his defining role. Not only are his characteristics so unique and spot on, his charm is captivating and he delivers one of the deepest and most emotionally rich roles of his career, it really is a masterwork and an unforgettable performance.

    Forrest Gump is one of the most inspirational and genuinely emotional films of the 90's and is still unbeatable. A film that has spanned generations in such a short amount of time...and it's a film to teach them. A turning point in our characters continuing understanding of his differences in relation to someone close to him still brings tears to my eyes. Forrest Gump remains in my top 20 films of all time and will do for a long time...and it remains a masterpiece.

    92/100

    << "My momma always said, Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." >>

  • December 21, 2008
    "Life is like a box of chocolates, You never know what your goanna get"

    Thats the line that makes you think how amazing this movie is. Thats the line that made this movie huge, we'll at least thats one of the reasons this is one of thee best movies ever. This is the movie that...( read more) shows that Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors to date. Yup, thats right, this movie's got it all. The greatest thing i liked about this movie is that it has that one keyword: Narration. A perfect movie always needs narrations. Here, i'll name a few movies that have a narrator. Here's a good one. "Fight Club". Fight Club has a narrator, Edward Norton, his character name is "The Narrator". The narrating that he uses in the movie is amazing. Heres another one. "The Shawshank Redemption". That movie is narrated by Morgan Freeman's Character, Red. THAT movie is amazing even more because it has narrating. EVERY great movie NEEDS a narrator for it too be amazing. You see, for a movie to be 100 percent amazing, you need a narrator. I like narrators in movies because you get inside the main characters head. You get to see inside the head of the character and get more into the story. THATS why narrators are always good in movies. In this movie, Tom Hanks narrates by telling his story to other bus waiters. Hey, he's still narrating isnt he. As you can see, an AMAZING movie always needs a narrator to make it even more perfect. Narration EQUALS Perfection!

    ACTING:

    The acting in this movie is perfect. You CAN NOT ask for any better acting than from Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump. He plays one of the greatest characters i've ever seen on screen. Tom Hanks does as great as Dustin Hoffment did as Raymond from "Rain Man", Another perfect performance that made that movie amazing. The women who played Jenny in this movie did great as well. She played a women with a struggle in life who doesnt know whether she is in love with her best friend Forrest Gump, or not. Tom Hanks was obviously the best performance in this movie. This is Tom Hanks best performance ever. His second best performance is his character in "The Terminal", a 2004 movie that is also downright amazing. But this is Tom Hanks' best performance. Why? Because he shows that he can do more than play a normal character. Tom goes above and beyond in this movie and its just too amazing to witness. Great job, Tom, Great job indeedd.

    STORY:

    The plot in this movie is just great. You get to witness an amazing story from the life of Forrest Gump. In this movie you witness three decades or so from the Forrest Gumps' life and its just amazing. You get to see the great life that he lived and its just great, just just great! I loved how you could see one of the greatest lives ever. Its too bad that this wasnt a true story. Then this movie would be even more famous and great than it already is. Theres another perfect achievement from this amazing movie.

    I really dont think movies can get any better than this. They really cant! You've got everything in this movie. You've got drama to make you cry. You've got romance to make you "Awe". They;ve got comedy to make you laugh.

    They got action to make you jump.

    THIS MOVIE HAS GOT IT ALL. Which is why i want YOU too see this. This is one of thee greatest movies to date. If you already havent seen Forrest Gump, then rent or buy it, i dont care! JUST SEE IT!
  • November 7, 2009
    Funny and sad at the same time, but I'll watch it every chance that I get!
  • November 7, 2009
    une histoire extraordinaire
  • November 6, 2009
    life is like a box of chocolates...ya never know what cha gonn get
  • November 5, 2009
    Aņadir un comentario ...
  • November 4, 2009
    THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A CLASSIC FILM & YOU WILL WANT TO WATCHIT FOR YRS. TO COME

Critic Reviews


May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

A movie heart-breaker of oddball wit and startling grace. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What a magical movie. full review

View more Forrest Gump reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • FilmStar4Life
    June 5, 2009
    *****

    Forrest Gump was an all time classic that will never get old. Tom Hanks was, of course, great and I always thought he was good with accents. Sometimes, I forget that's not how he talks like when he was in The Terminal. I always loved movies that were in different periods. I like how they added people in there like John Lennon, President Kennedy, etc. I like the message that this movie brings. I mean, most people would think that a man with an IQ of 70 wouldn't have a future but he had an entire history that most people would kill for. He played college football, he was in the army, he met famous people, he ran cross country, etc. It was all given to him without asking. That proves that sometimes when you aren't eager and when you don't ask for things all the time, your hopes and dreams also come to you. And with Jenny how he kept being eager to be with her and she kept refusing but then she finally came to him. That was his true dream. LEARN FROM FORREST AND SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!
  • sweetrhapsodyshaz
    April 5, 2009
    i love dis movee...dis life does not only belongs to those who think they r smart....sometimes unexpected people appreciate it better...
  • salmau
    March 29, 2009
    I don't understand if Americans are really innocent or idiots ... excelent movie...
  • annie1911
    August 21, 2008
    i cry and laugh at the same time...run forrest run!! this movie so profound.
  • TheMightyCelestial
    June 18, 2008
    Personally, I like my shrimp barbecued, sauteed, creoled, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried, peppered, as a soup, stew, salad, with pineapple, lemon, coconut, boiled, broiled, kebobbed........
  • MitchyMyers
    May 25, 2008
    all time favorite #1 movie.
  • massielvalera91
    March 22, 2008
    this is one of the best movies i have ever seen
    good job
  • chunyikam
    December 28, 2007
    "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you gonna get". The unforgettable phrase depicting the uncertainties of life. Thumbs up to the scriptwriter who came with that phrase

    Hopefully this story relating to how person with low IQ manages to make difference would be an inspiration to all.

    However, one man's true love to one and only girl seems more like fairytale. Perhaps the fair statement is that " I never met a guy like that before" . If I do... I'll marry him straightway. I won't wait that long like Jenny. hahahaha....
  • kotabailey
    December 17, 2007
    love it it is my 2nd favorite
  • HoosierBear28
    December 15, 2007
    my brother can do the voice of forrest gump its really funny. And he loves this movie! and I had to watch it like 4 times in a row....but it is still good. I like little forrest. he is so cute.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Forrest Gump Trivia


  • what came up on the board when forrest gump was playing football?  Answer »
  • Note the Quote: "I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is"  Answer »
  • "Run, Forrest, run!!!" Is a repeated quote in which award winning movie?  Answer »
  • Name the movie this memorable quote is from: "Life's a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get."   Answer »

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