Forrest Gump (1994) Paramount Pictures 📢 Director: Robert Zemeckis 💰 Producer: Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, Steve Starkey 👫 Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field. 🏆 Awards ceremony: -67th Academy Awards: March 27, 1995. Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. 🎭 Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -Four Weddings And A Funeral. -Pulp Fiction. -Quiz Show. -The Shawshank Redemption. 📕 Plot summary: Forrest Gump (TOM HANKS) isn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he has a heart of gold and not a single bad bone in his entire body. As he sits on a bench waiting for his bus to arrive, he begins talking to random strangers who take refuge on the bench next to him. He recalls his childhood and the difficulties he experienced with his legs. From his college football days, to his stint in the army during the Vietnam war. Forrest talks about his various relationships, such as the one with his army pal Bubba Blue who wanted to start a shrimp business; his mother; his girlfriend Jenny; and his Lieutenant Dan. Tragedy, joy, ping-pong and fatherhood become the topic of his conversations. 💥 Standout scene(s): Some scenes that really stood out for me; Jenny asking Forrest if he had ever been with a woman and the look on his face as she removes her clothing; when Lieutenant Dan defends Forrest after the two whores make fun of him; and the sequence where Forrest decides to go for a run 'for no particular reason'. 🔑 Facts: -The 67th Academy Awards. -Nominated for 13 Academy Awards, it won 6: Best Picture, Director, Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Screenplay (adapted), Editing, Visual Effects. 🙂 Personal opinion: Going to be honest - as always: this is one of those films I always think of as too long, boring and doesn't interest me... but then I feel embarrassed in admitting I really liked it. Tom Hanks' character of Forrest Gump is simply adorable and impossible not to love, and there cannot be anybody who would begrudge him the Academy Award for Best Actor (two years in a row after winning for Philadelphia the year before). Hanks handles the character's mannerisms and accent with precision and the fact that his drink of choice is Dr. Pepper is also a great bonus! Jenny's character on the other hand, is not a person I warm too. Nor was that first woman who sat down on the bench next to Forrest at the beginning. The film really benefits from the touches of humour scattered throughout its 2hrs 20mins. The first hour is solid and completely faultless with perfect editing and pacing. It's the whole Vietnam war bit I didn't like much (I have made this point previously about similar-themed movies). Also, at the beginning the scenes with the bullies and Jenny's pedo-father made me so angry too. On a more positive note, I think the clever use of digital trickery to insert Tom Hanks into archival footage including Presidents, John Lennon et. al. is superb. Gary Sinise and Mykelti Williamson have important roles in the film which add to the ambience of the picture. Sally Field's minimal contribution as Forrest's mother can be overlooked. Favourite line: "My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump." Did it deserve the Oscar? ✅YES. When you consider the other options in the nominations (The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction, for example) you have to just be appreciative at how great 1994 was when it came to top quality movies. That said, I would rank Forrest Gump in 3rd place behind those other two but it's still worthy of the Oscar. 8/10

Review date: 27 April 2025