Are you stoooopid or something?

My most favourite English movie has to be Forrest Gump (1994). This movie never ceases to amaze me. It is a fictional story of the life of Forrest Gump who has witnessed first-hand some of the most significant events of the latter half of 20th century United States, sometimes not even being aware of it!

Forrest is not the most gifted child with an IQ of just 80 and an handicapped leg. But how he overcomes them remarkably under extraordinary circumstances which look sometimes crazy, sometimes outright funny and sometimes simply logical is what the story is about. The movie is adapted from a novel by the same name though the story depicted in the movie varies considerably from the novel. Many of the scenes are marked by irony with people imaging Forrest to be a genius when he just says what he feels is correct or calling him 'stooopid' when he actually does the right thing.

The scene when he joines the army:

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Drill Sergeant: Gump! What's your sole purpose in this army?

Forrest Gump: To do whatever you tell me, drill sergeant!

Drill Sergeant: God damn it, Gump! You're a god damn genius! This is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard. You must have a goddamn I.Q. of 160. You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump. Listen up, people...

Forrest Gump: [narrates] Now for some reason I fit in the army like one of them round pegs. It's not really hard. You just make your bed real neat and remember to stand up straight and always answer every question with "Yes, drill sergeant."

Drill Sergeant: ...Is that clear?

Forrest Gump: Yes, drill sergeant!

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I think there is a subtle message in scenes like this. Basically the movie is trying to tell us that sometimes it's just better to not think too much. Act by your instincts. Follow your heart. Tom Hanks said about this movie "It is neither political nor judgementa;". I second this opinion.

Forrest Gump has several messages, some of which are less obvious than others. The most frequently recurring theme is an admonition not to give up on life. Why surrender when you don't know what lies ahead? By contrasting Forrest's life with the lives of those around him, and by showing how the passage of time brings solace to even the most embittered hearts, the movie underlines this point.

My friends always tell me that 'Forrest Gump" brings in some inspiration in them each time they see the movie. They tell me that something in the movie moves them. It could be the plight of the protagonist in scenes where he meets a dying mother or when he marries his childhood sweetheart when he knows that her days are far getting over.

The major part of the movie is a first-person narration by Forrest Gump to many different people at a bus-stop. They act in different kinds of ways to what he has to tell them. Some are attentive, some are indifferent, some empathise, some simply cannot believe him. And finally he realises that he has waited for a few hours for a bus when all he had to do was walk a few meters down the road to go visit his girlfrend.

Words fail me at this moment. What reveiew can I write for a movie which simply cannot be reviewed. It has to be seen and felt. I really cannot classify this film into any particular category. Is it funny? Is it serious? Is it a dark comedy? I don't know. I only leave behind my favourite scenes from this unique film.

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Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?

Forrest Gump: I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.

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Forrest: And Bubba always was talking about shrimps...

Bubba: Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it.

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Forrest Gump: Hello. I'm Forrest, Forrest Gump.

Recruit Officer: Nobody gives a hunky shit who you are, pus ball. You're not even a low-life, scum-sucking maggot. Get your ass on the bus, you're in the army now!

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[Forrest has just graduated from college]

Recruit Officer: Have you given any thought to your future, son?

Forrest Gump: "Thought"?

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Forrest Gump: That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.

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Coach Bryant: That kid may be the stupidest son of a bitch I've ever seen, but damn he can run!

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Forrest Gump: There was Dallas, from Phoenix; Cleveland - he was from Detroit; and Tex... well, I don't remember where Tex come from.

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Jenny Curran: Have you ever been with a girl, Forrest?

Forrest Gump: [nervously] I sit next to them in my Home Economics class...

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Bubba's wife after Forrest gives a couple of million dollars to their family: Are you stoooopid or something?

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