“Forrest Gump” : Perseverance, Love and Miracles

Released in 1994, “Forrest Gump” is not only a movie, but also a microcosm of the changes in American society. It connects major historical events in the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s from the perspective of the protagonist Forrest Gump, and interprets the power of persistence, love and miracles through the experience of an ordinary person with low IQ. Since its release, this movie has achieved double success in box office and word of mouth, and has also won six awards including the Oscar for Best Picture .

What is the movie about?

The story revolves around Forrest Gump, who has an IQ of only 75. Forrest Gump had to wear a metal brace due to his leg disability since he was a child. He was often bullied by his classmates at school, but his mother always encouraged him, “You are the same as everyone else.” Once when he was being chased, Forrest Gump suddenly broke free of the brace and ran, showing amazing athletic talent. As a result, he received a football scholarship to enter the university and became an American football star. 

After graduating from college, Forrest Gump enlisted in the army and went to Vietnam to fight. On the battlefield, he met his good friend Bubba, and the two agreed to go shrimping together after the war. However, in a battle, Bubba died, and Forrest Gump became a hero for saving his comrade and was received by the president. After retiring, Forrest Gump fulfilled his promise with Bubba, bought a fishing boat and started a shrimping business, and eventually became a millionaire. 

In terms of love, Forrest Gump always loves his childhood playmate Jenny. Jenny’s life is full of twists and turns. She longs for freedom but keeps getting lost. She experiences drug abuse, wandering and other difficulties. Although Jenny leaves many times, Forrest Gump has been waiting silently. In the end, Jenny returns to Forrest Gump, they get married and have a son, but Jenny dies of illness soon after. Forrest Gump continues to raise his son alone, sends him on a new journey of studying, and sits on a bench to recall the past. 

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

The scene of Forrest Gump sharing stories with passers-by on the bench runs through the whole film. The bench, as a fixed scene, becomes the platform for telling Forrest Gump’s life story. Every stranger sitting on the bench represents a different social class and attitude towards life. This narrative method not only naturally promotes the development of the story, but also allows the audience to feel the impact of Forrest Gump’s life experience on others.

What touched me the most was that he never cared about gains and losses, but just kept running forward. Every time I saw him running on the road of life, I felt that the difficulties in life were not so scary. This movie really told me that no matter how low the starting point is, as long as you don’t give up and take life seriously, everyone can write their own wonderful stories. 

Ending: A heartwarming ending of return and inheritance

At the end of the movie, Jenny died of illness, leaving Forrest Gump and his son to depend on each other. But the movie did not fall into a sad tone, but ended in a warm way. Forrest Gump sent his son on the school bus, just like his mother sent him to school, completing the inheritance of life. The son inherited Forrest Gump’s wisdom and started a new journey in life. Forrest Gump sat on a bench, looking at the school bus going away. In this way, the movie conveyed hope and new life, showing the continuation of the power of persistence and love between generations.