I loved Forrest Gump
from the first time I saw it. At that young age, I didn't necessarily have all the cultural context to understand the significance of each of the events Mr. Gump inserts himself into throughout the course of the film, but it was fun and heartwarming, and I loved the largely classic rock soundtrack. Today, I am still a fan. But: I have a friend, a fellow film geek, who is much less kind to mainstream cinema than I am, and I was shocked when he informed me that he abhors the film because of the message it sends. What message, I asked?
Listen: Forrest is an innocent. He has a mental disorder, and thus his intellectual faculties are minimal. Nothing wrong with this, but in the context of the movie, we have two characters: one, a man who doesn't think for himself and does whatever he's told, and he ends up just fine. The other is a woman, strong and independent, who bucks the societal norms and dares to stand up for something greater than herself. It doesn't work out so well. The message, according to this friend, is that history is better served by keeping quiet and staying obedient.
This is up for debate, of course, but I had to admit he has a point. See for yourself tomorrow, Wednesday, as the Cinemark Classics series at Tinseltown presents two screenings of
Forrest Gump
. Tom Hanks stars as the title character in this portrait of American history through the eyes of this man who happens to be in the right places at the right times throughout the course of his entire life.
Forrest Gump
will be screening at 2:00 and 7:00. Tinseltown is located at 4400 Towne Center Drive. Further theater information and advance ticket sales can be found at the Tinseltown website.
Image: Internet Movie Database
