Forrest Gum

A true comedy film that has a very serious side, Forrest Gump was premiered in 1994 starring Tom Hanks as the lead role. The film is an adaptation of the book Forrest Gump written by the author Winston Groom. Although the film was created with the novel in mind the film actually is very different from the actual story in the novel itself. The adaptation went above and beyond the original novel's ideas of Forrest Gump.

The film is about a man who is "simple" of mind called Forrest Gump who tells his life story to a collection of strangers who are waiting at a bus stop. The bus stop listeners change as their busses come and go but they all listen to different parts of his story with pure fascination, some believe him where as others do not thinking he is just fanciful in the mind. The story he tells is real and everything he talks about in great detail did in fact happen to him. His life story is very interesting with a lot of twists and turns that see him in a war, playing ping pong, helping strangers, falling in love and even shrimp catching for a time.

He begins with his early childhood where he describes himself of being low in intelligence but even so his mother fought for him to attend a regular public school. On his first day he meets a little girl called Jenny who goes on to become his best friend and features very heavily throughout his later life.  Whilst he is being chased by some bullies his leg braces fall off and it is discovered that he is able to run like the wind which as the years go by helps him to receive a football scholarship enabling him to attend college.

After graduating from college he decides to enlist himself into the army where he meets a very special friend called Bubba. They decide between them that after the Vietnam war is over that they will travel back to Bubba's home town and become shrimp fishermen with their own boat and business. Jenny pops up here and there during the movie in various guises sometimes as a stripper, singer and also a peace activist. But always Forrest's love for her is the same although it is not reciprocated. Forrest tries everything in his power to impress her and win her over but nothing seems to work only crushing his heart more each time she rejects him.

The romance in this film does continue and will leave you with a tear in your eye and hope in your heart that anything is possible. How Forrest Gump is able to look adversity straight in the face during the film and rise above it makes this film one that you should watch and find time for as you will definitely regret it if you don't watch it at least once in your lifetime.