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Who or what is Forrest Gump? Is he a simpleton? An idealist? A moral paragon? In this movie it's more appropriate to describe him as what he isn't. Forrest lives in a world that derides him as stupid but, as Mrs Gump says, "stupid is as stupid does", and in this movie it's the other characters who seem endowed with stupidity: Jenny stumbles from one bad trip to another, Lieutant Dan loses his legs, then his mind at war, while everybody else seems to engage in acts of relentless and tragic idiocy. All through this Forrest is the constant: he sees the world in simple terms, intent on doing the right thing. In this movie it's not Forrest that's retarded; it's the rest of the world. Forrest Gump mentions and addresses many of the crucial American wounds of the 20th century: Vietnam, relationships with African-Americans, drugs, capitalism and the mistreatment of women. Naturally Forrest himself takes the morally upright line on all of these: he fights in Vietnam then rejects war as hell, makes best friends with the African-American Bubba, rejects drugs, becomes a national sporting hero, makes a million without even trying, looks for love with Jenny but loses her despite treating her better than any other man ever did. The interactions and contradictions between Forrest and his more worldly, more cynical castmates is the source of much humor, some of it quite dark. Weaving Forrest into various bits of historical footage was quirky and interesting, though played no significant part in the story. The acting is strong, the narrative is compelling enough and its semi-documentary style direction is consistent and provides clarity and pace. However Forrest Gump is little more than an ideological fairy story, partly to keep viewers believing in the cause. Would that we could have a world where the best-intentioned half-wit could pop up at opportune moments in history, winning hearts, amassing a fortune, becoming famous. Sadly, the world generally belongs to those who have screwed over someone else to get there - and that isn't Forrest, he's too nice a guy.
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