Its hero, played by Tom Hanks, is a thoroughly decent man with an IQ of 75, who manages between the 1950s and the 1980s to become involved in every major event in American history. And he survives them all with only honesty and kindness as his shields. And yet this is not a heartwarming story about a mentally retarded man. That cubbyhole is much too small and limiting for Forrest Gump. The movie is more of a meditation on our times, as seen through the eyes of a man who lacks cynicism and takes things for exactly what they are. Watch him carefully and you will understand why some people are criticized for being "too clever by half." Forrest is clever by just exactly enough. Tom Hanks may be the only actor who could have played the role. I can't think of anyone else as Gump, after seeing how Hanks makes him into a person so dignified, So straight-ahead. The performance is a breathtaking balancing act between comedy and sadness, in a story rich in big laughs and quiet truths. Forrest is born to an Alabama boardinghouse Owner (Sally Field) who tries to correct his posture by making him wear braces, but who never criticizes his mind. When Forrest is called "stupid," his mother tells him, "Stupid is as stupid does," and Forrest turns out to be incapable of doing anything less than profound. Also, when the braces finally fall from his legs, it turns out he can run like the wind. That's how he gets a college football scholarship, in a life story that eventually becomes
Forrest Gump is a character who is intellectually disabled or as said in the movie “Retarded.” One of the first signs of his disability was in the scene when Forrest’s mother and he were in the principal’s office talking about Forrest IQ test scores (Zemeckis and Roth, 1994). He was below the average range and was suggested to go into special classes or into a special school itself. Forrest’s mother refused to let forest get the easy way out. He was unable to reach the expected goals at school just as one of the symptoms was recognized. Another example of his disability was his unstable legs. Forrest was put into leg supports to help him walk because of his condition he had trouble with some motor abilities. As well as being below the IQ range, Forrest lacked in language development and speech. He also lacked in social skills. Throughout the movie, Forrest didn’t have many friends. The girl he loved believed he/7 was unable to understand the feeling of love because of his disability. In another scene, Forrest was sent to Vietnam to serve his country in the war. While there, a bombing attack occurred. Forrest ran straight into a bombed forest to rescue other soldier’s (Zemeckis and Roth, 1994). His disability made him impulsive solider and lacked the acknowledgement of danger. Forrest was shot in the butt while doing so and thought it was a bug that bit him. Also in the movie, Forrest was recognized for his duty in the war he met the president and pulled down his pants on television, in the white house (Zemeckis and Roth, 1994). Because his Intellectual disability made it difficult for him to understand social roles and norms in
A voracious reader and talented ball player, he is very rarely seen throughout the film, without a basketball in his hand, bouncing it on the ground, off the wall, through a hoop, or the apartment floor of the Brooklyn housing project, where he lives with his brother and mother, a single parent. Lamar outward persona is very subdued and quiet. His personality shines, only when he is on the basketball court, or writing his poetic thoughts down in a large collection of journals, he has written in over the years. The backgrounds of these two characters Forrester and Lamar, living opposite ends of the spectrum add emotional energy to this film. Their passion for writing, is the glue that holds the film, Finding Forrester together till the very
In the movie, the director uses two popular actors along with historic moments from real life to show credibility of how good the quality of the movie will be representing ethos. Tom Hanks plays as the main character, Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump). He is a very well-known actor who gained much of his fame from this very film. He has worked alongside Steven Spielberg in four of his many films (“Forrest Gump”). Hanks was also “voted the 26th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly” (“Forrest Gump”). Sally Field also plays in the film as Forrest’s mother, Mrs. Gump. Sally has been in
Forrest Gump is an All American, fan favorite, award-winning film directed by Robert Zemeckis that was released on July 6, 1994. Tom Hanks stars as the main character, Forrest Gump. The award-winning movie’s genre is best described as an epic romantic comedy drama. Many rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos are made throughout the entire movie. Pathos is used the most effecting the audiences’ emotions from beginning to end. The film is based on Forrest Gump’s life, in which he narrated as a historical story throughout the movie. Forrest Gump was born and raised in Greenbow, Alabama by his single mother. Forrest was mentally and physically handicapped. He had to wear medal braces on both of his legs. He also faced many
What is sociological imagination? Our textbook describes sociological imagination as the ability to see our private experiences, personal difficulties, and achievements as, in part, a reflection of the structural arrangements of society and the times in which we live. The movie entitled Forrest Gump is a great example of sociological imagination. In this paper, I will cite examples from the movie and tell how they correlate with sociological imagination. Sociological imagination allows us examine the events of our lives and see how they intersect with the wider context of history and tradition of the society
Forrest Gump is a movie that follows a man throughout the story of his life. It starts out with Forrest Gump waiting at a bus stop when the bus arrives and a woman steps out and sits down next to him. He begins to talk to her and he offers her some chocolate. The way he talks hints to the fact that he is not the most intelligent person. He then starts to talk about her shoes which leads him to a flashback of his childhood in Greenbow, Alabama in about 1945. From there he starts to talk about everything that has happened in his life that has led him to where he is now. He talks about meeting Jenny on his first day of school, his running getting him a football scholarship for college, enlisting in the army and meeting Bubba, getting a medal of honor, and playing ping pong against China.
One example was noted when Gump took off in the street and ended up running across a football field during the middle of a football game without being a part of the actual football game that was taking place. Another example is that he continued to pursue his longtime friend Jenny and insist that she was his girlfriend when Jenny was only a longtime friend from his childhood with completely different intentions. While Forest was deployed to war in Vietnam while serving in the Army he also displayed poor judgment calls throughout that particular scene. During the middle of an air strike to bomb and clear an area Gump decided to return to the area of heavy fire and bombing to rescue members from his platoon, after direct orders of being told not to. The above mentioned examples all portray signs of poor reasoning, judgment and abstract thinking that fall under the tree of Intellectual
“Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get” (Hanks). Many times when books are changed into movies they are done incorrectly. Forrest Gump is one of these examples. Forrest Gump, the novel, was written in 1986 by the author Winston Groom. The movie Forrest Gump was created by Paramount Pictures in 1994. Tom Hanks stars as the main character Forrest Gump. The movie portrayed Forrest Gump in a different way and as sometimes more innocent than his character in the book. This is shown in three different ways: Jenny and Forrest’s relationship, Characters’ drug use, and in the book Forrest is involved in more activities and adventures.
The movie Forrest Gump played by Tom Hank is a story about Forest Gump a simple man and his journey through life. Gump was simple minded and lived his life by a set of values taught to him by his mother (Sally Field). While Forest sat down waiting for a bus, he tells his story. Forest takes part in several defining historical moments such as the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal and also had painful experiences. Despite his setbacks and naive nature, he struggles and triumphs in everything he did. Forrest developed a good self-esteem and self-concept with the help of his mother’s observation, love, and sincerity. With his mother and Jenny’s encouragements, he was able to overcome his physical handicap and become an outstanding runner among other things. This movie is an example of the how a child’s mind developed through series of stages. This paper shows the following key points; intellectual disability, Erickson’s intimacy vs isolation, low self-esteem, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Forrest has conquered many hindrances that include attending college and playing for the college football team. Forrest enlists in the United States Army and shows a distinctive kind of intelligence by his prompt rifle assembly in a record setting time, the drill Sargent uses positive reinforcement (p. 42) to acknowledge
Forrest had to deal with problems in his relationship with Jenny on a regular basis. Every time a problem would arise within the relationship he would try his best to work it out. He adjusted well when relationship problems arose.
Forrest is seen a few different times during other parts of the film with boxes of chocolate. This first scene is also the beginning of where Forrest starts to tell his life story. The director uses a diegetic narraration by Forrest to lead the story. He continues to talk even if the person sitting next to him on the bench has changed.
Forrest Gump could be referred to as stupid, but I believe that the way he tries to understand the world around him and make the best of everything is rather clever. When the film begins we start from
Forrest Gump was born with a low IQ and a spine condition that impaired his ability to walk. This made him stand out in the small town of
Forrest Gump is a complex and interesting lead character and provides a unique contrast to typical early adulthood behavior. In the film, from the time he attends college, towards the end of the film where he begins his role as a father, Forrest goes through normal events that occur in the lives of many young adults. His reaction and development is different from most however, and he goes through interesting events and experiences. This contrast between typical life events and a slower than normal development shows that some expectations about cognitive abilities may not be as important. Even those who are considered "slow" by the mainstream population can be successful and live a life full of typical life events that fall within a typical