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Forrest Gump (1994)
Rating: 8
Robert Zemeckis
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Main Players: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Story: A guy with an IQ of 71 goes through an "interesting" life.
Comment: If you like the Back To The Future Trilogy, you'll love this. To me, Zemeckis is one of the few auteurs* left. He can make any movie and you'll get that same feeling ... of wonderment. You just KNOW it's his movie.
The selling line for the movie was "The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump". And it lives up to that boast. Forrest is an idiot. But he's an adorable idiot who does what his mama tell him. With that as his guide, he goes through college, the army, the shrimp business and meet some of the celebrities that shaped America during the 50's through the 70's. And participates in some of them.
The strength of Forrest Gump lies in the believability of the lead and the cogency of the story. On both counts, the movie scores big-time. Hanks, who won his second successive Best Actor Oscar for this role, is superb. You will actually think he IS Forrest. The line on the poster/video cover "Tom Hanks IS Forrest Gump" is no joke. He really BECOMES Forrest Gump. He breathes life into the guy and you will feel what Forrest feels.
The pacing of the movie is its other strength. It is never rushed and you watch the decades go by ... reminiscing for some, discovery for others. We are slowly introduced to the 'movers and shakers' of that era and we are prodded to accept that Forrest was an unwitting participant during those times. Either you believe it or you don't. But who cares. The story is told so well, you become a participant in Zemeckis' fantasy.
Conclusion: The feel-good movie to rival It's A Wonderful Life.
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*auteur: author of the film with a unique, identifiable style