A Boomer Fantasy: Why is FORREST GUMP So Controversial?

Summary

This video delves into the enduring legacy and complex interpretations of 'Forrest Gump,' a film that captures the American experience through the eyes of a man with a low IQ. It explores the movie's political undertones, its reflection of the '90s political climate, and its impact on the audience. The video also discusses the film's technical achievements, its reception, and how it has been viewed differently over time, suggesting that 'Forrest Gump' is a multifaceted piece of nostalgia that continues to resonate.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Forest Gump, released in 1994, is a film that resonates with different generations and has a complex legacy.
• 🏆 The movie was a box office success, earning $678 million worldwide and winning six Academy Awards.
• 📚 The film is based on Winston Groom's novel of the same name, which was initially not well-received but gained popularity after the movie's release.
• 🤔 The film's portrayal of historical events and figures is a blend of nostalgia and cynicism, reflecting America's political evolution.
• 🧐 Forest Gump is seen as both a conservative nostalgia trip and a critique of America's internal and external conflicts.
• 🔍 The movie's political stance is ambiguous, intertwining with significant historical moments without taking a clear side.
• 🎭 Tom Hanks' portrayal of Forest Gump is central to the film's success, bringing warmth and likability to a character with an intellectual disability.
• 🚀 The film's use of technology to insert Hanks into historical footage was groundbreaking and contributed to its appeal.
• 🤷‍♂️ The film's creators insist that Forest Gump is non-political and focuses on humanity, respect, and love.
• 🔮 The movie's ending offers a hopeful outlook, suggesting that despite the challenges of the past, things can work out in the end.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the movie 'Forrest Gump'?

The movie 'Forrest Gump' is centered around the theme of the American dream, showcasing the life of a man with a low IQ who experiences significant historical events and personal growth, all while pursuing love and success.

How does the movie 'Forrest Gump' depict historical events?

The movie uses a mix of stand-ins and digital effects to insert Tom Hanks into real-life footage, creating a historical fantasy that intertwines Forrest's personal journey with major events of the mid-20th century in the United States.

What is the significance of the 'box of chocolates' quote in 'Forrest Gump'?

The 'box of chocolates' quote symbolizes the unpredictability of life, reflecting Forrest's perspective on the uncertainty of what life will bring, much like not knowing what you'll get in a box of assorted chocolates.

How does the character of Jenny Curran contrast with Forrest Gump in the movie?

Jenny Curran represents the dark flip side to Forrest's American Dream. While Forrest experiences success and maintains a positive outlook, Jenny's life is marked by trauma, countercultural rebellion, and a tragic end, highlighting the film's exploration of different life paths.

What is the role of technology in 'Forrest Gump'?

Technology plays a significant role in 'Forrest Gump' through the use of visual effects to integrate the character into historical footage, which was groundbreaking at the time and contributed to the film's appeal and success.

How does the movie 'Forrest Gump' handle the portrayal of intellectual disability?

Tom Hanks portrays Forrest Gump, a character with an intellectual disability, in a way that was praised for its warmth and dignity, avoiding clichés and providing a character that is both likable and relatable.

What is the political subtext of 'Forrest Gump'?

While 'Forrest Gump' does not overtly push a political agenda, it is deeply embedded in the political evolution and upheaval of the United States during the mid-20th century, offering a critique of America's past through a nostalgic lens.

How does the movie 'Forrest Gump' reflect the cultural climate of the 1990s?

The movie reflects the 1990s through its blend of broad market appeal, political content, and a tone that resonated with the baby boomer generation's nostalgia, as well as the cultural and political shifts of the time, including the end of the Cold War and the rise of conservative values.

What is the legacy of 'Forrest Gump' 30 years after its release?

Thirty years later, 'Forrest Gump' remains a divisive film with a complicated legacy. It is seen as both a nostalgic comfort watch and a political lightning rod, offering different interpretations and insights into American history and culture.

What are some of the significant historical figures and events featured in 'Forrest Gump'?

The movie features Forrest interacting with real-life figures such as presidents and participating in events like the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, and Watergate, providing a nostalgic and sometimes critical look at American history.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 The Timeless Appeal of 'Forrest Gump'

This paragraph discusses the enduring legacy of the film 'Forrest Gump,' released in 1994, which remains a divisive yet fascinating piece of cinema. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth, is based on Winston Groom's novel and stars Tom Hanks. It explores the life of a man with a low IQ who experiences pivotal historical moments in the United States during the mid-20th century. Despite its massive success and numerous Academy Awards, the film's political and nostalgic elements have led to varied interpretations over time, with some viewing it as a baby boomer fantasy and others as a critique of American life and politics.

05:01

📚 From Book to Blockbuster: The Evolution of 'Forrest Gump'

The paragraph delves into the origins of 'Forrest Gump,' starting with Winston Groom's 1986 novel, which initially received lukewarm reviews. The adaptation process involved significant changes, including a rewrite by Eric Roth, which led to the film's purchase by Paramount Pictures. The film's depiction of Forrest's life, with its blend of broad appeal and political content, contrasts with the book's more cynical and satirical take on American society and institutions. The paragraph highlights the differences between the book and the movie, particularly in terms of tone and the portrayal of Forrest's character and experiences.

10:04

🏆 The Impact and Interpretations of 'Forrest Gump'

This section examines the critical reception of 'Forrest Gump' and the various interpretations of its themes and messages. The film's success is attributed to its nostalgic appeal and its ability to present historical events through a personal narrative. It discusses the film's portrayal of the American dream and the political climate of the 1990s, as well as the technological achievements in merging Tom Hanks's performance with historical footage. The paragraph also touches on the film's darker elements, such as its portrayal of violence and the tragic ends of historical figures, suggesting a subtle critique of American history.

15:04

🔍 The Political and Cultural Context of 'Forrest Gump'

The paragraph explores the political and cultural context of 'Forrest Gump,' noting its release during a period of significant political change and the end of the Cold War. It discusses how the film was perceived as a conservative text due to its emphasis on traditional values and the American dream, despite the filmmakers' intentions to create a non-political and humanistic story. The paragraph also addresses the film's handling of the Civil Rights Movement and its portrayal of countercultural figures, suggesting that the film's view of these elements is more complex and nuanced than often acknowledged.

20:04

🌟 The Legacy and Sequel Attempts of 'Forrest Gump'

This section reflects on the legacy of 'Forrest Gump' and the attempts to create a sequel. It mentions the book sequel 'Gump and Co' and the abandoned plans for a film sequel that would have included tragic and controversial elements. The paragraph concludes with a contemplation of how the film's idealized vision of history might not resonate in the present day, given the significant events that have occurred since its release. It suggests that 'Forrest Gump' remains a comfort watch and a nostalgic artifact, appreciated for its craftsmanship and the hope it offers for a positive retrospect of history.

25:04

🗣️ Nostalgia and the Many Interpretations of 'Forrest Gump'

The final paragraph discusses the enduring appeal of 'Forrest Gump' as a nostalgic film and the various ways it has been interpreted over the years. It acknowledges the film's mixed reception and the complexity of its themes, suggesting that the film's refusal to take a definitive stance has led to its multifaceted interpretations. The paragraph invites viewers to reconsider the film in light of its 30th anniversary, appreciating its craftsmanship and the nostalgic value it holds for different generations.

Keywords

💡Forest Gump

Forest Gump is the central character and the movie's namesake, portrayed by Tom Hanks. The film follows his life journey, from his childhood in Greenbow, Alabama, to his experiences in the Vietnam War, and his accidental involvement in several significant historical events. The character is depicted as having a low IQ but an unwavering sense of morality and a unique perspective on life's complexities. The movie explores themes of destiny, love, and the American Dream through Gump's eyes.

💡Baby Boomer

The term 'Baby Boomer' refers to the generation born during the post-World War II baby boom between 1946 and 1964. In the context of the video, it suggests that 'Forrest Gump' resonated with this demographic, who were in a period of nostalgia and settling into influential positions in society during the film's release. The movie is described as a 'baby boomer fantasy,' possibly reflecting the generation's collective memory and experiences.

💡Nostalgia

Nostalgia is a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The video discusses how 'Forrest Gump' serves as a piece of nostalgia, chronicling significant historical events and cultural touchstones of the mid-20th century from a perspective that is both personal and universal, thus evoking feelings of nostalgia in viewers.

💡Political Evolution

Political evolution refers to the development and changes in the political landscape over time. The video mentions that 'Forrest Gump' is intertwined with the political evolution and upheaval of the United States, as the movie's narrative spans several decades and includes events like the Vietnam War, Watergate, and the Civil Rights Movement, reflecting the socio-political climate of the era.

💡American Dream

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the video, it is discussed that 'Forrest Gump' pursues the American Dream, with his life story embodying the classic narrative of success, despite the various challenges and societal changes he encounters.

💡Cynicism

Cynicism, in the context of the video, refers to a disillusioned or pessimistic outlook on a situation. The script suggests that 'Forrest Gump' contains elements of cynicism, particularly in its portrayal of American institutions and beliefs, and in its satirical take on historical events. This is contrasted with the more idealized and nostalgic aspects of the film.

💡Historical Fantasy

Historical fantasy is a genre that blends historical settings and events with fantastical or imaginative elements. The video describes 'Forrest Gump' as a 'baby boomer historical fantasy,' indicating that the film creates a nostalgic and perhaps idealized version of historical events, blending reality with the protagonist's personal journey.

💡Conservative Nostalgia

Conservative nostalgia implies a longing for a perceived better past, often associated with traditional values and simpler times. The video suggests that 'Forrest Gump' might be seen as promoting conservative nostalgia, particularly in its portrayal of a bygone era and its reflection of values that were prominent during the baby boomer generation.

💡Satire

Satire is a genre of literature, film, or theater that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. The video discusses whether 'Forrest Gump' contains satirical elements, critiquing the country's internal and external conflicts through the lens of the protagonist's experiences.

💡Counterculture

Counterculture refers to a subculture whose values and norms differ substantially from those of the mainstream culture. In the video, the character Jenny Curran represents the counterculture movement, engaging in activities such as drug use, protests, and involvement with various radical groups, contrasting with Forrest's more conservative and traditional lifestyle.

Highlights

Forest Gump, a movie released in 1994, is seen as a baby boomer fantasy and a political movie intertwined with the political evolution of the US.

The film was a massive hit, earning $678 million worldwide, winning six Academy Awards, and becoming a defining film of the 90s.

The movie's legacy is complicated, with interpretations ranging from conservative nostalgia to a critique of America's past.

Forest Gump was adapted from Winston Groom's novel, which had a more cynical and satirical tone than the film.

The film's portrayal of historical events and figures is a mix of nostalgia and cynicism, often showing the darker side of American history.

Tom Hanks' portrayal of Forest Gump was praised for its warmth and dignity, despite the character having an intellectual disability.

The film's use of special effects to insert Forest Gump into real historical footage was groundbreaking for its time.

Forest Gump's relationship with Jenny Curran is central to the story, with the film giving them a brief happy ending before Jenny's tragic death.

The film's political stance is ambiguous, with some viewing it as conservative and others seeing it as apolitical or even critical of the status quo.

Forest Gump's success coincided with the Republican Revolution and a cultural emphasis on family values and American exceptionalism.

The film's creators have stated that it is about humanity, respect, tolerance, and unconditional love, rather than politics.

The movie's ending suggests a hopeful outlook for the future, despite the challenges and tragedies faced by the characters.

The film's legacy has been reevaluated over time, with some critics now viewing it more negatively due to its portrayal of certain historical events and characters.

Forest Gump's narrative structure and its focus on nostalgia make it a fascinating piece of 90s cinema that continues to resonate.

The movie's 30th anniversary invites a nostalgic reappraisal, considering how nostalgia moves in 30-year cycles and the film's creation during a specific cultural moment.

Despite its flaws and mixed interpretations, Forest Gump remains an enjoyable and nostalgic film that showcases high levels of craftsmanship.

Transcripts

[Music]

you couldn't make a movie like Forest

Gump today mostly because if you tried

people would say that's just Forest Gump

we already did that and then the studios

would like probably not make it but they

did make it once director Robert zekus

and writer Eric Roth's Forest Gump

premiered on July 6th 1994 adapting

Winston groom's novel of the same name

with Tom Hanks starring in the title

role as a Southern Man with a low IQ

whose Misadventures take him through the

most formative moments of the United

States in the middle of the 20th century

and when it was released G was a massive

hit making $678 million worldwide

winning six Academy Awards and becoming

one of the defining films of the 9s but

now 30 years later it seems like Gump is

a more divisive film than ever Forest

Gump the movie is at its heart a baby

boomer fantasy now don't take that the

wrong way I know that Boomer is used

like an insult these days but what I'm

talking about is the actual baby boomer

generation who at the time of the

movie's release were settling into a

period of great Nostalgia as the

majority of the workforce and political

Constitution of the United States Gump

is also an extremely political movie but

maybe not in the ways you're thinking by

political I don't mean the way the term

is often used today as in pushing a

political agenda but in that the story

is intertwined with the political

Evolution and upheaval of the US is

Forest Gump a conservative Nostalgia

trip into America's past is it a Sly

satire that critiques the country's

unending internal and external conflict

is the movie actively trying to not take

any specific side in the many massive

geopolitical moments it depicts to all

of these and more I would say yes love

it hate it forgot about it watch it all

the time I think it's a fascinating

piece of nostalgia chronicling 30 years

that in and of itself has become a

nostalgic artifact 30 years later let's

take a look at the baby boomer

historical fantasy of Forest Gump and

its strangely complicated Legacy

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Forest Gump first came to life in 1986

in the novel named after its lead

character written by Winston groom but

it didn't make much of an impact at the

time groom's novel received tepid

reviews and sold 30,000 copies in its

hardback run however producer Wendy

finerman and Warner Brothers soon

purchased the rights and hired groom to

write the screenplay but when the movie

Rainman was released in 19 1988 which

also follows a neurod Divergent man on a

journey the studio lost interest

eventually Eric Roth heavily rewrote the

script and Paramount Pictures went on to

purchase it under the continued guidance

of finerman with actor Tom Hanks a new

movie star after Sleepless in Seattle

and Philadelphia and director Robert

zekus having already made the Back to

the Future Trilogy soon signed on Forest

Gump is about as '90s as a '90s movie

can get I'm not talking about fashion or

music or style but this blend of broad

Market appeal in a movie's tone meets

frequent adult situations that aren't

really meant for the kids being brought

in by the family marketing meets heavy

political content that deeply informs

the plot the 1990s were filled to the

brim with politically focused films

ranging from political Thrillers like

Jack Ryan movies and Air Force 1 to

romantic portrayals of fictional

presidents like Dave or the American

president there's a heavy

intersectionality with the political

sphere and US Government operations

without necessarily a specific spe ific

placement on the political Spectrum at

the heart of these stories that's an

approach that feels very alien to most

politically minded films made today and

it's one that informs Forest Gump the

movie from top to bottom but before we

get any further into zamus and Hank's

film let's jump back to the book groom

who was from Alabama and drafted into

the Vietnam War has Gump narate in the

first person with text heavily modified

to fit Forest southern accent and lower

intelligence book Forest has a higher

intelligence than the film version but

is still labeled as an idiot savant and

if that terms offensive to you don't

read this book because it's sure as [ __ ]

not written for a modern audience over

the book's 240 Pages Forest details his

extraordinary life as his massive 6'6

240lb frame gets him plucked out of his

special education class to play on the

high school and then University football

team all the while Forest pursues the

love of his life Jenny Curran who

doesn't think much of him as they play

in several bands together and have an on

and off again relationship filled with

lots of sex then it's falling out of

college when the team doesn't win a

championship drafted into the Vietnam

War where his college best friend Bubba

is killed ping pong in China and an

eventual booming shrimp business most of

that sounds familiar right well that's

just half the novel Forest is arrested

many many times mostly due to mishaps

and also a protest gone wrong works at

Nasa he is a math harmonica and chess

whz launched into space alongside the

first lady astronaut and the wrong

orangutan named Sue who promptly causes

the rocket to crash survives for years

on a New Guinea Island captured by a

cannibal cargo cult becomes a

professional wrestler named the dunce is

almost cast as the Creature from the

Black Lagoon in a remake with Raquel

Welch and makes a run for US senator so

yeah there's a lot the movie left out

and I think it's obvious why groom's

book isn't just a full-on satire of

America in the mid-century what with so

many US institutions and beliefs made

out to be entirely foolish it's a deeply

cynical book as well Forest by both luck

and the circumstances of his Savant

capabilities is constantly drawn into a

new group of people or government body

quickly succeeds at what he's been told

to do and eventually causes that group

to go down in flames Forest himself is

opinionated and flawed cheating on Jenny

and trying to rip off his wrestling

manager forest does eventually succeed

as the shrimp company is a massive

success but even then he's left

unfulfilled by the Fulfillment of the

American dream leaving it all behind to

be a penniless musician Drifter

alongside Lieutenant Dan whose spirit is

permanently broken in n and Sue the

orangutan forest's one true steadfast

companion and I think this is where the

very strange blend of nostalgia and

cynicism of the film begins as Roth

script strips out the negativity and

stranger elements of the book but keeps

its Chronicle of American struggle and

strife intact the movie caused groom's

book to be a belated success eventually

selling more than 2.5 million copies and

I can only imagine that many of those

readers were as surprised as I was by

how strange the book was in comparison

to the

movie the world will never seem the same

once you've seen it Through The

Eyes of Forest Gump Forest Gump the

movie begins in 1981 with an adult

Forest telling his life story to anyone

that sits next to him at the bus stop

starting in 1951 and tracking three

decades of American political and

societal progress and strife with a lush

Americana feel by cinematographer Don

Burgess and sweeping score by composer

Alan sylvestri along the way Forest is

witnessed to the biggest moments that

shaped the US during the middle of the

20th century as he moves from one flasho

to another desegregation the Vietnam War

Watergate and the many politicians and

public figures Central to the US during

the Cold War along the way forest makes

his fortune and tries to understand the

love of his life Jenny Curran really

what Forest Gump the movie and Forest

Life as a whole is in pursuit of is the

American dream no the other American

Dream see while book forest's life has

failure after failure that he shrugs off

movie forest's Life is filled with

success after success that he pays

little attention to he single-handedly

wins football game after football game

graduates from college enlists in the

army instead of being drafted founds a

massively successful Shrimp Company and

stumbles into money and prosperity

everywhere he goes mostly because he

goes with the flow and does what he's

told like a feather in the wind if

there's anything to definitively

distinguish the Outlook of Forest Gump

the novel and Forest scump the movie

it's in their signature lines the film's

most famous line is of course my mom

always said life was like a box of

chocolates

you never know what you're going to get

compare that to the opening line of

groom's novel being an idiot is no box

of chocolates people laugh lose patience

treat you shabby when released Gump had

as many wide- ranging interpretations as

it does now critic Roger Ebert loved it

and called it a dream of reconciliation

for our society a magical movie critic

Owen gleberman was much more negative

saying the film reduces the tumult of

the last few decades to a virtual

reality theme park a baby boomer version

of Disney's America and I think these

get to both the central appeal and

shortcomings of the film I love

Disneyland and as I've discussed in

various videos before the experience of

this theme park and a lot of Disney

media that interfaces with the past of

America allows its audience to indulge

in an idealized nostalgic vision of the

Past full of Craftsman Homes beautiful

nature and a harmonious society that is

a direct result of the American dream

like Disneyland Forest Gump takes us on

a tour through many different aspects of

the US and makes even the scariest time

seem enjoyable there is of course a

cynical streak to Gump structure that

we'll get to in a minute but those

aspects often act as a subversion to the

main approach of the film Hank's

performances Forest glues the movie

together and the movie succeeds because

we like forest and want good things to

happen to him of course having someone

portray a character with an intellectual

disability who doesn't share the same

condition is a hot button topic when it

comes to Casting today but was clearly

not something given as much thought in

1994 as for Hanks I feel like he makes

Forest into such a warm-hearted likable

character filled with dignity and free

of the cliches that many poor portrayals

have used over the years that Gump is

still synonymous with what has made him

into a massive star is is he

smart he's very

smart he's one of the smartest in his

class it's not really for me to decide

of Hank's portrayal as Forest is

offensive or not I don't share his

condition and don't have anyone in my

family that has it either and I feel as

though opinions change from person to

person that does share it Forest is a

cipher for not just the people around

him but the audience itself both groups

Place their own ideas on Forest with his

late film cross country run a big

indicator of this wa man you just ran

through a big pile of dog

[ __ ] it happens there's plenty of Comedy

to be had from forest interactions with

the world and people around and how he's

able to walk through a lot of the most

difficult moments in history unscathed

and still positive but I think that the

movie kind of admires him Jesus H Christ

this is a new company record and while

the novel does have Forest interact with

several different real life Figures it's

not nearly as much as the movie forest's

intersection with essentially every

major American historical moment and

figure of the mid-century cements The

film's Nostalgia zcas and Company use a

mix of stand-ins and inserting Hanks

into real life footage to to further

establish this film's historical fantasy

and how zamas and crew accomplished this

is also the major technological selling

point of the film Hanks was shot against

blue screen with reference markers for

the footage he'd interact with then

chroma keyed and rotoscoped into

archival footage with new lip sync

dialogue from impersonators used for the

interactions using film grain and TV

static helps cover up the imperfections

with some looking better than others

wowing audiences back then along with

the blue screen removal of Gary s legs

some real trailblazing work at the time

but these historical interactions also

highlight the movie's darker Edge

there's a refrain of forest innocently

recounting not just how he met the

historical figure but how they later met

a tragic end over and over zamus

punctuates for us Recollections of the

past with outbreaks of violence that

angry little man at the schoolhouse door

thought it be a good idea and ran for

[Music]

president somebody shot that n young

president when he was riding in his

car and a few years after that somebody

shot his little brother too only he was

in a hotel kitchen for no particular

reason at all somebody shot him often

playing real life news footage of

assassinations as background to Gump's

life

story and this is where I think that

Gump becomes a slightly cynical critique

of America as we simply accept all the

death and destruction as just another

day in US history the closest we get to

feeling the toll of war is in the death

of Bubba and Ming of Lieutenant Dan and

I think the movie is at its best when

it's directly addressing these two men

in Forest trying to understand their

life in Vietnam and its aftermath

Bubba's death is senseless contrasting

Forest heroism with his inability to

save his best friend Bubba's Last Words

question the meaning of it all what this

happen got got

shot then Bubba said something I won't

ever

forget I want to go home and Lieutenant

Dan's story is a search for that lost

meaning one of the film's funniest

moments of dark comedy is the Revelation

that Dan has had an ancestor die in

every major American war all portrayed

by sise falling down as stiff as a board

on the battlefield the fact that it's

portrayed as kind of aspirational feels

like a poke at the ways in which the

country valorizes War itself instead of

a greater cause and when Dan loses his

legs in combat but is saved from Death

by Forest he hates him for his salvation

I think the Dan's subsequent struggle

most of all his fight with God in a

storm and peaceful swim later are

powerful moments that speak to what it

means to have lost all faith in the

world and to finally regain

it he never actually said

so but I think he made his peace with

God however nothing speaks to the film's

steadfast rejection of a definitive

political ideology more than Forest

speech at a Vietnam protest or more

accurately lack of speech after being

discharged Forest goes to Washington DC

only to get mixed up in the massive real

life march on the Pentagon and just when

Forest is about to talk about his

experience in Vietnam his mic is cut so

that no one hears a word

[Music]

Forest never tells us what he said and

yeah that's a pretty big cop out in the

book Forest is asked what he thinks

about the war multiple times his answer

it's a bunch of [ __ ] simple but

effective that's all I have to say about

that I think the biggest flaw of Gump is

that it completely bypasses the Civil

Rights Movement hinted at briefly but

basically left out of the film and that

while the film carried us through times

of War Rebellion counterculture and

activism it views these as strange fads

that ultimately harm their participants

it's not too surprising that Gump

himself was seen as a conservative

figure leading a more traditional

lifestyle and with simple beliefs that

don't go along with the countercultural

movements that Jenny partakes in but

it's also important to understand where

us culture and politics were in the

early 990s with the fall of the Berlin

wall and the collapse of the Soviet

Union the US had won the Cold War

marking the most defin ative win for the

symbol of democracy over communism to

date and while the 9s are seen as one of

the least turbulent times in modern

America especially in contrast to the 30

years before 1994 also saw the

occurrence of the Republican Revolution

where the Republican Party led by new

Gingrich won a massive swing in power

during the first midterms under the

generally more Centrist President Bill

Clinton who was strongly criticized by

conservatives even before the Monica

Lewinsky scandal Forest Gump just so

happened to co coincide with the

Republican Revolution success and heavy

emphasis on family values and the

positive aspects of America as the one

true world superpower of the time the

National Review named it one of the

all-time great conservative movies

Republican presidential candidate Bob

Dole even used Forest Gump as an example

of how no matter how great the adversity

the American dream is within everybody's

reach of course that's forgetting that

Forest is a fully fictional character or

all those moments of violence and death

that also Define in the US but it caused

the film to be much more cemented in the

minds of people as a conservative text

although its creators beg to differ

producer Steve titch later said Forest

Gump isn't about politics or

conservative values it's about Humanity

it's about respect tolerance and

unconditional love zameka said my film

is a party to which everyone can bring a

bottle Hank said the film is

non-political and thus non-judgmental

You know despite all these political and

historical recontextualizations that

make forest such a heads scratcher when

trying to actually understand what this

movie is trying to say Forest Gump as a

movie is so well done and so

entertaining it's a comfort watch this

movie is just about the ultimate

exercise in Nostalgia and I'll be damned

if it doesn't get me nostalgic for not

just a time I wasn't alive for but a

Time filled with Strife discrimination

hate and violence that's because what

this movie is saying is that no matter

what both forest and the country went

through through during the ' 50s 60s

'70s and ' 80s everything turns out all

right in the end I think that's due to

the film's Outlook at the time when it

was made by the beginning of the 9s the

Cold War had come to an end the Soviet

Union had fallen and America was

prospering I see a lot of this reflected

in the political philosophy book the end

of history and the last man by Francis

fukuyama published in 1992 fukuyama a

political scientist theorized that the

history of the world is an evolution

that will eventually end with liberal

democracy as the final form of

government for all nations and by the

early '90s with the Soviet Union

dismantled and liberal democracy is on

the rise more than ever this outlook on

Decades of strife ending and a better

world Dawning became a popular outlook

on how to view everything that came

before of course that seems pretty silly

30 years later but I think that speaks

to how almost every political matter is

resolved by the film's third act with

the movie instead focusing on its most

divisive character Jenny Curran both

Forest Gump the movie and Forest Gump

the book have their narratives largely

defined by Forest on andof relationship

with Jenny in both Jenny and Forest know

each other from a young age but book

Jenny is mostly disinterested in Forest

often using him for her own benefit

bringing him into her band multiple

times forcing him to protest at the

capital despite him not being interested

and having lots and lots of sex there is

really no tragic backstory to book Jenny

she just kind of sucks movie Jenny

played by Robin Wright also has a

tumultuous relationship with Forest but

she's the second most important

character in the story that acts

essentially as the dark flip side to

forest's American Dream movie Jenny is

sexually abused by her father repeatedly

at a young age and is trapped in that

abuse for years did it dear God make me

a bird so I can fly far far far away

from here dear God make me a bird so I

can fly far Jenny is traumatized and

seeks out anything and everything to

ease her pain movie Jenny is the total

representation of American

counterculture drugs protests hippie

movement Black Panthers and more are all

attached to Robin wri's character

spiraling deeper and deeper across the

decades while Forest succeeds Jenny

having sex with Forest feels way worse

in the movie too where is the consent in

both versions Jenny has a boy and Forest

finds out he's the father in the book

Jenny is married has lied about her

husband being the dad and lets Forest

meet him briefly before saying goodbye

forever in the film Jenny and Forest get

married and Forest takes on a father

role before Jenny dies from a mysterious

disease apparently intended to be

hepatitis C but often thought of as AIDS

the result is that the movie gives the

couple a brief happy ending before

essentially punishing Jenny for

everything she's done it's sad and sweet

and very troubling in the end Jenny pays

with her life for the counterculture

movement after its reconciliation to the

mainstream in the years that followed

Gump's success Winston groom went on to

write a book sequel Gump and Co that was

poorly received but whose rights

licensing got him the money the

Paramount's Shady accounting never did

and while Hanks and zamus considered

making the sequel into a movie TOS

quickly died Eric Roth said a sequel

which would have killed forest's Native

American girlfriend in the Oklahoma City

bombing and made Forest junor HIV

positive I'm not kidding I turned in the

script the night before 9/11 and we sat

down Tom Hanks and Bob zus and I looked

at each other and said we don't think

this is relevant anymore the world had

changed I think that speaks to how that

seemingly idealized moment they made

Forest scump what it is has been lost

forever whether or not people in the 9s

were right to believe that things had

turned out all right I can't see another

year from that point on where anyone

would believe so what would a movie like

Forest Gump look like now the 30 years

since the first would include 9/11 the

war on terror Coline Hurricane Katrina

many many many political scandals covid

and new metal It seems impossible to

tell the story of a man happily blowing

his way through all those events and

what the film chooses to leave out would

likely ruffle as many feathers as what

it chooses to show when it comes down to

how Gump has been interpreted in so many

ways including it being both a political

lightning rod and an apolitical Comfort

watch I'm reminded of author Tony

Morrison's quote all good art is

political there is none that isn't and

the ones that try my hard not to be

political are political by saying we

love the status quo I'm not interested

in art that is not in the world and it's

not just the narrative it's not just the

story it's the language and the

structure and what's going on behind it

anybody can make up a story The thing

about Gump is that it's so deeply

embedded in the world and gives us the

chance to look back knowing what's

happened instead of looking forward

uncertain of what's to come I'd say that

zam's movie is even more political than

groom's book and yet for Forest life

carries on with the hope that things

will be better for his son that's a

comforting thought and the idea that we

could look back at the last 30 years of

our own history and see that it all

worked out in the end is wonderful I'd

hope that we can all be so happy when we

look back at our own pasts too but it

seems harder than

[Music]

ever thanks for watching today's video

and I think maybe this is a very offbeat

topic for the channel even though my

focus on historical context and many

different interpretations of the same

Source material is something that I

really love to cover in the videos that

I do here on the channel but to me

Forest scump has always been a

fascinating piece of nostalgia when I

saw it as a little kid I just really

loved it and didn't really understand

the most inappropriate moments of the

film but my parents loved it and my

grandparents loved it and it seemed like

everybody that I knew loved this movie

too in the years that followed I saw

Forest scump reputation slowly change

and I feel as though when you talk about

this movie these days you often get the

most negative interpretations possible

of it and I really do get that but I

think that this movie is more

complicated and honestly mostly mixed up

than most people seem to give it credit

for I think to a certain degree Forest

Gump the movie doesn't really know what

it wants to say so it says a lot of

different things and refuses to take a

side and because of that has been

interpreted in a lot of different ways

so hopefully this video was able to walk

through those many different

interpretations and give credit to a lot

of different ways this movie can be seen

and even though I pick this movie apart

in my research and Analysis I still find

it to be a really enjoyable Comfort

watch that is just absolutely loaded

with Nostalgia for both good and bad you

really can't deny the high level of

craftsmanship in all areas of this

movie's production and I think that's

why it has endured to some degree and

now with the 30th anniversary of Forest

Gump upon us I think that this movie is

right for its own nostalgic reappraisal

because Nostalgia really does move in

30-year Cycles which is really why The

Narrative of Forest Gump was created in

the structure that it had I'd love to

hear your thoughts about Forest Gump

your favorite Nostalgia movies as well

as your favorite '90s political

Thrillers because I have really wanted

to do a video on '90s political

Thrillers for a while now it's a really

fascinating and specific subject so if

you'd like to see that let me know as

always a huge thank you to my patrons

for their continued support and if you'd

like to be a patron it's only a dollar

month for Early Access to every video

and exclusive patreon only podcast

reviews we're still going through

Miyazaki Madness and the latest episodes

covered Kiki's Delivery Service and

Porco Roso so until next time I hope

that you're taking care of yourselves

and enjoying a box of chocolates