It’s a film which induces some pretty strong reactions in me, but lachrymation isn’t one of them (though I do cry in
Jacob’s Ladder. And
the Fox and the Hound, but then again I'm a sucker for that sort of thing). I used to like
Forrest Gump a lot when I was younger, and I do still have some appreciation for the clever editting techniques which enable Forrest to mingle with all those historical figures, as well as some of the quieter, more atmospheric shots, but I found that as I got older I started to have questions about the story. Seriously now, am I the only person who feels really bad about how Jenny was treated in this film? I don't mean bad in a "isn't it tragic what happened to her" kind of way (though that too), but rather the way in which the film-makers insisted on dumping misery and misfortune upon her at every single turning, as if they had this sadistic little obsession with making her existence as excrutiating as possible. It may just be my immense fondness for hippies and 1960s counter-culture talking, but it all seemed a bit unfair to me, particularly given that Jenny had always striven to follow her own dreams and ambitions, whereas Forrest, for much of the time, only ever did what other people had told him to (I'm aware that this wasn't his fault, nor inherently a bad thing, but still...). Was it like that in the book at all?
But heck, don't mind me and my ever-nitpicking grey matter. If this film touched you enough to make you want to express your emotions out loud, then good for you.
