The time has come for me to finally watch one of the most iconic movies of all time & one of my husband’s top 3 favourites. We’ve been together for 10 years & I have no idea how I made it this long without seeing it, but now I’m finally going to watch Forrest Gump. Follow along:

Okay which one’s Forrest and which one’s Gump?

Only joking. I’m not that dense.

Sally Field?! What a pleasant surprise.

Based on a novel?! I really don’t know anything about this movie except running, chocolates, and stupidity.

“I could eat about a million and a half of these.”

Same, guy.

Magic shoes

WHOA THE KKK?! What in the hell is this movie?!

I would be livid if someone told me my kid couldn’t go to public school because of a disability.

I want to kick that principal right in his smug teeth. Poor Mrs. Gump.

“This is not for children’s eyes.”

Uh, he invented it. The original TikTok dance craze.

“Stupid is as stupid does.”

He is so cute as a kid.

The braces falling off when he’s running is a bit much.

His description of Jenny’s dad is so heartbreaking.

“He’s just the local idiot.”

You seem nice.

WHOA N-WORDS?! Jesus. I really do not know anything about this movie. I don’t know what I was expecting but it sure wasn’t this.

AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT?! Y’all did not prepare me enough for this.

What in the world are you doing, Jenny?! I feel like there should’ve been many conversations before making him touch your boob.

I agree that the food would be the best part about meeting the president.

He’s not smart enough for public school but he’s allowed to go to college because he’s fast? Yeah that makes sense.

His innocent descriptions of difficult/complicated situations are really touching.

I’m not a fan of shrimp, myself. The texture is too much for me. I don’t eat things that swim for a living, as a general rule of thumb.

Bobbie Dylan is a cute stage name.

“They’re sending me to Vietnam. It’s this whole other country.”

Lol yes it is.

CCR slaps then, now, and forever.

Better put your last name on your letters in case she doesn’t know which Forrest it is.

There’s a very fine line between brave and stupid and Forrest runs on that line.

“They said it was a million dollar wound but the army must’ve kept that money cause I haven’t seen a nickel of it.”

HA!

Ice cream is always the best part of anything.

The letter stack

Bed pan ping pong.

Vee-at-NAMM

I KNEW he was gonna pull down his pants. I literally said “oh don’t do it” when I saw him thinking about doing it.

Forrest getting caught up in another cause he doesn’t know anything about. This time, it’s the other side.

Jenny looking like Jesus in the distance, running out into the water.

That should teach you not to hit women, asshole.

Far out indeed, guy.

The bit with John Lennon is...weird.

“He spent most of his time exercising his arms.”

I bet he did.

Some of the references are a bit too heavy-handed for me.

The lip dubs make me chuckle.

How did I know he was gonna call the boat Jenny

Oh no, please don’t Jenny!

I don’t know much about shrimping but I think throwing yourself overboard isn’t the best idea.

Lieutenant Long Dan Silver

Closed eyes in every picture is very relatable.

Sally Field is an endless fount of aphorisms.

What a lovely coincidence that Forrest happened to be there for every significant event in modern American history.

Must be nice being a gozillionaire.

Forrest invented everything, apparently.

I couldn’t run for 3 minutes, let alone 3 years.

Haley Joel Osment? This movie is full of surprises.

“He got a daddy named Forrest?”

Just when you think you understand this movie, you don’t.

He’s concerned that his son isn’t smart

Lieutenant Dan sure looks different with legs and a haircut.

The monologue at Jenny’s grave is heartbreakingly beautiful.

I can see how the use of Forrest being at the significant cultural events might support his ideas about how life is both about destiny and “floating on the breeze” but I’m not convinced it was as effective as it could’ve been. I’m more for subtlety than overt displays.

FINAL VERDICT: heartwarming, confusing, sad, funny, philosophical, cliché, predictable, unpredictable, cute. His final monologue at Jenny’s grave is incredibly moving. Though I find the references to be too heavy handed, I enjoyed it overall. 8.5/10