Forrest Gump: Hero Or Chump?

[Dubversion]

since it's the source of some debate, what do YOU think of forrest gump?

(poll to follow)

 

[girasol]

bit of both?

(he's just a guy, he's not a very clever one but since when is that a crime?)

I don't think it preaches conformism at all, quite the opposite.

The film also has its ironic and dark moments... For example, the fact that the army took on Forrest, someone who doesn't seem to have the ability to think for himself at all, and then praised him as being an amazing soldier, is actually a rather harsh observation on the kind of people the army recruits... Surely most people saw the irony in that?

 

[boozybirdie]

Chump but only 'cos I like the word, it reminds me of chops and I'm hungry.

 

[zed]

Hey...why not start another thread about the same subject?

Then later on, maybe someone could start a thread discussing the poll results from this thread?

What about if someone asked Editor if he could create a special Forrest Gump forum? Pigboyversion could be the moderator. That would be cool.

 

[DarthSydodyas]

Forrest Gump ran non-stop because he though Chuck Norris was chasing him.

 

[irishshapes]

personally i think you left out one other option

if we are going to be as cynical as most of the people on the other thread are then should there not have been an option along the likes of (though i'm sure it could be put with more eloquance than i have)

"i know it's bollox, and i hate america as much as everyone else, and i agree that bush is a cunt, can i not just enjoy the movie for the sake of a movie, 'cos it has a nice story to it about love, and happiness and occasionally made me smile and cry"

why can't people just enjoy something for what it is and not try and pick holes in every damn thing and blame the 'corporatacracy' for all the woes in the world - too many cynics

 

[irishshapes]

Chump but only 'cos I like the word, it reminds me of chops and I'm hungry.

it's one of my favorite words as well, and i will now text my friend with that word and that word only

 

[Dubversion]

why can't people just enjoy something for what it is and not try and pick holes in every damn thing and blame the 'corporatacracy' for all the woes in the world - too many cynics

but how can you enjoy something for 'what it is' if 'what it is' is offensive to you? i don't even mean Gump particularly - the same thing came up with another movie recently as well. You seem to be arguing that there is a way of watching a film where you can actually detach yourself from your personality / worldview and watch it in some kind of 'neutral' way. You CAN'T do that, it's not possible.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

But you have to analyse gump to a certain extent to notice the bad aspect to it.

It's not like it's screaming out loud about how great nazism is or something...

IMO.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Hey...why not start another thread about the same subject?

Then later on, maybe someone could start a thread discussing the poll results from this thread?

What about if someone asked Editor if he could create a special Forrest Gump forum? Pigboyversion could be the moderator. That would be cool.

What about if you went through an entire day without engaging in random personal abuse? One day at a time, you can manage it.

 

[zed]

What about if you went through an entire day without engaging in random personal abuse? One day at a time, you can manage it.

It's never random.

 

[irishshapes]

but how can you enjoy something for 'what it is' if 'what it is' is offensive to you? i don't even mean Gump particularly - the same thing came up with another movie recently as well. You seem to be arguing that there is a way of watching a film where you can actually detach yourself from your personality / worldview and watch it in some kind of 'neutral' way. You CAN'T do that, it's not possible.

i dont do theological/explantory debates very well online, as i find i'm not very articulate when i write things down ( i find my typing can't keep up witht the thoughts in my head) so i don't want to go into too much detail (if you see that a cop out maybe it is)

i disagree completely with being able to turn my mind off about certain things
i can do it to most science fiction, all fantasy knowing full well it can't happen
i can suspend belief to the extent that i can extract what i want from any movie i read or book i read
there are certain movies/book i don't like because i disagree with the author, or i find the characters highly offensive

but going back to forrest, i would like to think i am reasonably intelligent, read up to a certain extent, and certainly able to form my own opinion, and i watched the movie last night (1st time in a long time) and i didn't see it for anything other than a feel good movie with some clever special effects, and i enjoyed it, i still read about current affairs, know some stuff about vietnam, and dont find myself thinking this puts a positive spin on america
if it's propaganda so be, i enjoyed it

(i did say at the start i wasn't very articulate whilst typing, i prefer open debates over a pint, but that again could just be cos i'm irish and an alkie )

 

[Orang Utan]

It is pretty repulsive viewing.

 

[editor]

Pigboyversion

Oh, for fuck's sake.

Can you just cut out this shit please?

 

[onenameshelley]

I dont mind it, it doesnt offend me, i get to root for the dumb kid with metal things on his legs, other than having to deal with Tom Rank being on screen i dont really give it much thought. Like most things in my life it goes in one ear and out the other, the only things that have ever stuck in there are Tin Tin and the Peanuts Christmas special.

 

[Iam]

Godawful fucking mawkish rubbish.

Utterly twisted ideas (even the most outcast can reach greatness through conforming to the American Dream) of reality, dreadful script, hack acting.

Watched it once... with my dear departed mother and her American friend.

As you can imagine, that was a fun, tension free evening.

 

[kyser_soze]

Exceptional special effects, some watchable performances and as a piece of moviemaking from an aethetic and technical viewpoint it's brilliant.

Piece of reactionary crap in it's story tho - had this discussion with Wry last night funnily enough. Awfully anti-intellectual as well as conformist - well that's my position on it.

And irishshapes - this isn't some 'cooler than thou' reaction, I actually felt affronted by this film when I walked out of the cinema and my feelings about it haven't changed since.

 

[Dubversion]

i dont do theological/explantory debates very well online, as i find i'm not very articulate when i write things down ( i find my typing can't keep up witht the thoughts in my head) so i don't want to go into too much detail (if you see that a cop out maybe it is)

i disagree completely with being able to turn my mind off about certain things
i can do it to most science fiction, all fantasy knowing full well it can't happen
i can suspend belief to the extent that i can extract what i want from any movie i read or book i read
there are certain movies/book i don't like because i disagree with the author, or i find the characters highly offensive

but going back to forrest, i would like to think i am reasonably intelligent, read up to a certain extent, and certainly able to form my own opinion, and i watched the movie last night (1st time in a long time) and i didn't see it for anything other than a feel good movie with some clever special effects, and i enjoyed it, i still read about current affairs, know some stuff about vietnam, and dont find myself thinking this puts a positive spin on america
if it's propaganda so be, i enjoyed it

(i did say at the start i wasn't very articulate whilst typing, i prefer open debates over a pint, but that again could just be cos i'm irish and an alkie )

whatever else i was doing, please don't think i was calling you stupid or anything! sorry if it seemed that way.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I find you can get round all the worrying about the political implications, underlying meanings etc, etc with the following simple formula:

It has Tom Hanks in it. Therefore it is shit.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Hey...why not start another thread about the same subject?

Then later on, maybe someone could start a thread discussing the poll results from this thread?

What about if someone asked Editor if he could create a special Forrest Gump forum? Pigboyversion could be the moderator. That would be cool.

You're really crap at this aren't you. All I ever see from you is attempts to wind people up and you just can't manage it.

There are some proper wind-up artists around here, maybe you could try taking some lessons.

 

[holden]

I'm not at all averse to an affirmative "feel-good film", I would put the Shawshank Redemption in that category for instance. But after seeing Forrest Gump the first time, I came away feeling more than a little uncomfortable. IMHO there was an unpleasant, actually rather cynical heart to this film. And I don't think that is being over-analytical, just an instinctive response to a film which was just difficult to like.
Whereas Shawshank just felt more, well, genuine I suppose.

 

[trashpony]

Godawful fucking mawkish rubbish.

Utterly twisted ideas (even the most outcast can reach greatness through conforming to the American Dream) of reality, dreadful script, hack acting.

Watched it once... with my dear departed mother and her American friend.

As you can imagine, that was a fun, tension free evening.

I'm with you. I can't bear it. I went to bed at 9.30 last night because I found it so irritating.

 

[Dubversion]

I'm not at all averse to an affirmative "feel-good film", I would put the Shawshank Redemption in that category for instance. But after seeing Forrest Gump the first time, I came away feeling more than a little uncomfortable. IMHO there was an unpleasant, actually rather cynical heart to this film. And I don't think that is being over-analytical, just an instinctive response to a film which was just difficult to like.
Whereas Shawshank just felt more, well, genuine I suppose.

very good example. Shawshank IS sentimental as hell, can be seen as part of the 'friendship ideology' which i've just been reading about (a trend in US culture where by pretending everything's racially equal and alright, we can stop feeling guilty about stuff and stop paying for it ), but nonetheless it's a worthwhile story with a well-intended sentiment.

The sentimentality / mawkishness of Gump ISN'T the problem. And yes, for me too it was an instinctive, not 'intellectual', reaction

 

[Loki]

I find you can get round all the worrying about the political implications, underlying meanings etc, etc with the following simple formula:

It has Tom Hanks in it. Therefore it is shit.

That rule of thumb seems to serve me well too I honestly don't get why he's such a successful, popular actor. Mebbe it's cos he goes for the type of awful cheesy roles that go down a treat with some punters.

 

[Groucho]

I'm not at all averse to an affirmative "feel-good film", I would put the Shawshank Redemption in that category for instance. But after seeing Forrest Gump the first time, I came away feeling more than a little uncomfortable. IMHO there was an unpleasant, actually rather cynical heart to this film. And I don't think that is being over-analytical, just an instinctive response to a film which was just difficult to like.
Whereas Shawshank just felt more, well, genuine I suppose.

Yes indeed. Shawshank Redemption is a cool uplifting film. It could be said to have a left-wing life affirming message. But that isn't the point is it?

I like It's a Wonderful Life too. Now there's a simple life-affirming positive tale without a left-wing message. I still like it (haven't seen it for yonks mind you). Unlike Forrest fuckin' Gump it's not offensive.

 

[Iam]

The sentimentality / mawkishness of Gump ISN'T the problem. And yes, for me too it was an instinctive, not 'intellectual', reaction

For me, there's nothing wrong with sentimentality.

But it's very, very difficult to do it well and make it play onscreen, imo.

Occasionally, as Shawshank does, mainstream movies manage it without the slide into insipid, slushy schmaltz.

Forrest does not.

 

[Flashman]

I find you can get round all the worrying about the political implications, underlying meanings etc, etc with the following simple formula:

It has Tom Hanks in it. Therefore it is shit.

With at least one exception I can think of:

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Shawshank Redemption was not a particularly mainstream film upon its release though. In fact it was a relatively small film at the cinema, and only became such a big hit in the years subsequent to release. It was also panned by many probably-feeling-like-idiots critics.

It's the ultimate 'cult film' in many ways.

 

[punkdr]

Forrest Gump... feckless chump. Innit?

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Big was the best Tom Hanks film.