Topic > Film review: Forrest Gump

IndexForrest Gump: OutlineIntroductionThe character of Forrest GumpJenny CurranOther charactersPlot summaryThemes and symbolismForrest Gump Essay ExampleWorks CitedForrest Gump: OutlineIntroductionIntroduction to the film "Forrest Gump"Mention of the main characters and narrative styleThe character of Forrest GumpDescription of the Forrest Gump's personality and characteristicsHis loving nature and protective instinctsHis mother's impact on his lifeForrest's struggles with mental retardation and physical handicapsExperiences with bullying at schoolJenny CurranJenny's role as Forrest's childhood friendTraumatic events in Forrest's life Jenny and their aftermath Jenny's complicated relationship with Forrest Other characters Introduction of Dan Taylor and his transformation The theme of death and its impact on Forrest Forrest's encounters with different people throughout his life Plot summary Overview of the film's plot and narrative structure The journey of Forrest from childhood to adulthoodHis achievements and challengesThe recurring theme of life, destiny, and acceptanceThemes and symbolismDiscussion of the film's key themes, including perseverance and acceptanceAnalysis of the feather as a symbol of destiny and luck Essay Example of Forrest Gump It is about a man named Forest Gump who is facing challenges in his life. The story remains told in retrospect, but ultimately goes in chronological order. The film is told from a third-person point of view, but Forrest Gump tells the story and expresses his thoughts throughout. The film starts out happy, but becomes sad later in the film. The main characters are Forrest Gump and Jenny Curran. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The story follows Forrest's trail, but it also follows Jenny, the female protagonist. Forrest Gump is not the smartest person on earth. He is slow when it comes to understanding academic things and understanding things in general. It's not strange when he is mentally retarded. Forrest is a loving and kind person. Forrest wants to protect those he cares about, especially Jenny. She is Forrest's childhood friend. Forrest loves his mother. It had a big impact on him as a child. He shows us this by remembering what she said to him throughout the film. As a child, her father sexually abused Jenny Curran. It can be assumed that her bad childhood affected her life greatly, as later in life she takes drugs, becomes a prostitute, and attempts suicide. Jenny goes and lives her life, destroying it. However, he becomes more stable later in the film; maybe it's because of his son or because he's dying. Jenny does not return Forrest's affection for her. She disappoints him greatly throughout the film, simply leaving him multiple times. Dan Taylor was an honored man, before his legs were amputated after taking part in the Vietnam War. Forrest saved him during the Vietnam War, but Dan didn't want help and became bitter because of it. However, later his sympathy for Forrest increases. Forrest's life is confusing because his greatest disadvantage is his mental retardation, with an IQ of 75, discovered when he was a child. Forrest was also handicapped as a child, with a crooked back. Due to his disabilities, Forrest was bullied at school. Forrest's main fight is with Jenny, who was his only friend growing up. He is in constant conflict throughout the film, he doesn't know whether to love Jenny or be her friend. Death is another feature of life that Forrest must learn to deal with, everyone he cares about dies, one by one. Bubba dies first, his mother dies next, and finally Jenny dies. However, Forrest accepts death as part of life and so this does notit becomes a conflict. His problem with Jenny was eventually resolved when she accepted him for who he was and eventually married him. The film begins with Forrest Gump sitting at the bus stop and a feather falls at his feet. Forrest picks up the feather and puts it in a book. Then he begins to tell his life story to a woman sitting next to him. An interesting part of the film is that the people who hear Forrest's story continue to change. Forrest tells us about his childhood, as he goes to the doctor with his mother. Since he had trouble straightening his back, he had to use special shoes to fix his back. Forrest's mother, Mrs. Gump, used to tell Forrest that he was no different from anyone else, but this was proven wrong when it was discovered that his IQ was 75, which was below normal. As a child, Jenny Curran was Forrest's only friend. . Because of Forrest's disabilities, other kids bullied him. Once, being chased by cyclists, he discovered that he could run fast (this saves his life, and the lives of others, many times). The same incident was repeated a couple of years later: Forrest, chased by cars, ran as fast as the wind and continued across a football field, where a match was in progress. A football coach, amazed by his speed, made him join the football team, and that's how Forrest got into college. Forrest, always trying to protect Jenny, once hits her date, because he misunderstands the situation. This happens several times in the film and not necessarily because he doesn't know what's going on. After graduation, Forrest enlists in the US Army, while Jenny is expelled from school because of some of her photos in Playboy magazine. While serving in the US Army, Forrest is sent to the Vietnam War. Here he befriends Bubba, who knows everything there is to know about shrimp. Forrest and Bubba make a pact: one day they will start their own shrimp business. Bubba never returned to America alive, since his team was ambushed, many other people survived due to Forrest running through the forest and taking people away. One of these people was Forrest's lieutenant: Dan Taylor, who didn't want help and later had his legs amputated. Forrest gets the Medal of Honor for his actions. Forrest travels to Bayou La Batre, where Bubba's family lives, and buys a boat to start the "Bubba Gump Shrimp Company". Lieutenant Dan joins him. After the hurricane, their business becomes a great success, as their boat is the only one left. As a sign of kindness, Forrest sends money to Bubba's family. After this, Forrest's mother dies and Forrest returns home. After his mother's death, Forrest stays at home and is visited by Jenny. That night Forrest proposes to Jenny, but she refuses. Later that night they have sex. The next morning, Jenny leaves Forrest... again. This impulse caused Forrest to begin a "three years, two months, fourteen days and sixteen hours" run across America. People thought he was doing it for some special reason and he became an inspiration to many, but Forrest did it because he "felt like running." Forrest is telling his story; and an old woman sits next to him. Forrest tells her he was there to visit Jenny and shows the old woman a letter Jenny sent. The woman tells Forrest where the place was and that he didn't need to take the bus. Forrest runs to Jenny's apartment and discovers that he is the father of her son, who was not born mentally retarded. Jenny finally marries Forrest but not long after Jenny dies, due to an unknown and deadly virus. It ends with Forrest and his son getting on the school bus on the first day of school. The feather that was inside Forrest's book.