Sondra Minnich
Mrs. Lodge
APLAC
12 February 2012
Inspirational and moving, Forrest
Gump captures the attention of any movie go-er with experiences
like no other. The movie is based on multiple events between the
1950's and 1980's, with the character Forrest Gump caught right in the middle of
each. His quirky personality and good intentions lead him to meeting
many important people in his life. The movie is a roller coaster of
emotion and an unconventional viewpoint of American culture through
the years.
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), born in
Alabama, is an innocent, simple man with the greatest luck in the
world. He passes through life constantly unaware of how ironically
lucky he is. He lives by the statement “My mama always said 'Life
is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get.'”
Forrest is guided through life by the two most important women in his
life Jenny (Robin Wright) and his Mama (Sally Fields). Many people
try to manipulate Forrest, because his IQ isn't the highest. However,
Jenny and Mama constantly reassure him that he is smart and is very
important in this world.
The ironic twist, some might say, is
that Forrest does not understand the value of being present in
practically every American event in the history books, during his
life. However, it is clear that he understands his purpose in those
events, such as being on the American Olympic Ping Pong team or
serving in Vietnam and winning a Medal of Honor, meeting John Lennon,
or becoming a major CEO. Forrest is just smart enough to grasp these
concepts, which is why he is constantly proud.
The compassion Forrest displays
throughout the film shows how sincere he is. He is devoted to his
best friend and his “girl” Jenny for his whole life. She comes in
and out of his life, but he remains loyal to her. Also, his Mama,
which he constantly her saying “Stupid is as stupid does”,
whenever he is referred to as stupid. He is devoted to Lieutenant
Dan, his mentor in the army who he ended up saving during a battle.
Finally, he keeps a promise to his friend Bubba that he will own a
shrimping boat and create “Bubba Gump”.
It's the compassion and optimism that
Forrest possesses that makes his character so unforgettable. As for
the movie, it is one that will go down in the history books and will
never be forgotten. A great movie consists of realistic characters,
great acting, emotional moments and topics that many can relate to.
As far as I'm concerned, the actors truly delivered a masterpiece. Under the direction of Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump is one of the greatest American films because it causes
the reflection of personal character and of American culture.
Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/
I think you did a really thorough job of describing what the movie was about, and what Forrest's character was like. I also liked that you used quotes from the film. However, to establish logos in the review, I think it would have been helpful to mention all of the awards that it won. I think it would also be beneficial to eleborate more on what makes the movie a stand out film Overall, it was a good review.
ReplyDeleteYou do a good job summarizing the movie. I think that a little more of a thorough evaluation would have been better. Instead of basically talking about all that goes on in the film, maybe try and elaborate on the meaning of the line that Forrest's Mom told him and the message that's really behind it and why he holds on the that message throughout the film. Other than that, it was a good evaluation.
ReplyDeleteThough I have yet to see the movie, I found that you were really successful in summarizing the general idea of the film and its main themes. In doing so, you also had great organization and sequence. However, you seem to focus a lot more on the general premise of the movie itself rather than making an argumentative claim and stating why it's a great movie based on its characteristics. I think you should also include a counterargument, stating what those that disagree with you would use as evidence. You somewhat achieved pathos by connecting the reader to the story and its emotional values. I think to establish a better sense of ethos, you should have stated the credibility of each of the actors or the director and their qualifications and good qualities. Finally, to better establish a sense of logos, I think you should have supported your argument with your own opinions as well as specific scenes that led you to your claim. On the other hand, I find that your summary of the movie and its main ideas was very well presented and in a very neat manner.
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