Forrest Gump

Zemeckis's masterpiece, which is an American variation of our fairy tales about Czech Honza, or how a simpleton came to happiness without his own effort. A comical walk through the history of modern America, where the main hero, an innocent boy with a disability, goes through life and encounters famous figures of American history, and several times influences the country's history, among other things, being involved in the Watergate scandal. Excellent casting, situational and verbal humor. Americans like happy endings, but Zemeckis parodied the effortless achievement of happiness by his protagonist to such an extent that the whole film actually comes across as a mockery of the traditional American way of life and the American dream. Tom Hanks excels in the main role. Overall impression: 95%. (16/06/2006)

The American version of the greatest Czech, Jára Cimrman. And he runs too. He runs a lot. Forrest’s mom always told him to do this and that. My Mom always told me that this is a darn good movie. And I absolutely agree with my Mom. This is the kind of a movie which whenever you start watching you always say to yourself “I’ll watch just this one scene, oh, and then this one and…" And you end up after watching one scene after the other till once again you find yourself at the end of the movie. It’s moving, funny and sad like almost nothing else (especially if you, like me, believe that the child isn’t his) brilliant acting (not only from Hanks) and unforgettable scenes in every other minute of footage. But what am I saying, in every minute of footage. (20/11/2003)

For me, it’s in the same weight category as the favored The Shawshank Redemption. The film is brilliantly designed to grab you by your soul. It is a film with well-hidden manipulation and cheap gestures, which at first glance completely disappear in a refined game with the audience's emotions. The well-arranged narrative, which is licked like a good ice cream, is pleasantly sweet and smells like strawberries. But like any ice cream, it's more of a tasty dessert. True, Zemeckis and Hanks are master confectioners, and Forrest is a spoiled dessert in every way. With its readability, well-created illusion of intimacy and nicely wrapped thought structure, Forrest Gump is simply a treat for the masses. But I simply prefer the main film courses, and that is why this touching sweetness is only a four-star affair. In a Hollywood feature film, however, the story of a lame boy who goes through modern American history with the ease and foresight of a genius idiot is a truly rare phenomenon that will stick in your memories for a long time. But for me it will never be as intense as it was when I first watched it as a boy... (27/11/2006)

I am quite convinced that "life is like a box of chocolates and that you never know what you are gonna get", although not all chocolates are great and some are out of date or inedible. Anyway, I found this movie perfect, and it taught me a valuable lesson. Personally, the main male protagonist's statement that "Stupid is as stupid does" was enough for me to have a spiritual epiphany. For me, there is much more wisdom and insight in that simple sentence than in the whole philosophical musings on chocolates, and my peace of mind improved more thanks to this simple sentence than it did watching Demolition Man knitting. In other words, thanks to Forrest, I have gained more understanding and appreciation for those who have a bad opinion of me, and I have learned beautifully to rise above this. I would almost say it has made me a better person. Anyway, this movie is a real gem. It is sweet, funny, and intelligent with an incredible amount of perspective. It manages to present even serious things in a way that hits you but does not destroy you mentally but rather makes you stronger. You can watch this movie at any time, and it is always wonderful. (02/04/2015)

I saw Forrest Gump for the first time today. (It's 2011). I had high expectations for it and I have to say it surprised me. Tom Hanks, of course, gives an unbeatable performance. The narrative itself is brilliant. Not to mention the music that so casually supports the fantastic script. I don't think I'm able to fault the film because, even if something is wrong, you feel like it's meant to be that way. Every word, every detail is a treasure. Forrest went through everything and understood everything in his own way, never forgetting what his mother said. And even though he only had four people in his life (later five), his life was interesting and full. Now here's where the film surprised me... in other moving films, there are one or two passages that will make you cry. Here, I didn't cry for the entire time, but from beginning to end, something tickled my heart and I cheered in my mind at every word Forrest said. Maybe that's why I liked the movie so much. The emotions were poured into the film evenly so the viewer had no chance to get bored. Gump touched me deeply. (13/02/2011)