I’m sure most of you have heard of “Forrest Gump” or the restaurant chain that is based off the movie, “Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.” Most likely, you’ve heard the famous line of “Run, Forrest, run,” from the movie. It’s a classic movie that I waited until eighth grade to watch for the first time, and I enjoyed every minute.

“Forrest Gump” follows the life of an Alabama man named Forrest Gump. He was born with a physical disability where he couldn’t walk properly and needed braces on his legs. The movie occurs from the 1950s to the 90s and highlights some huge public figures and events that took place during this time: public figures such as Elvis Presley and JFK and events like the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

The entire movie is told on a bench at a bus stop where Forrest is telling strangers his life story. I like this about the movie because not many movies take the approach of narration through the whole movie. Also, you get to see some huge and important events of this country through his eyes.

Forrest was bullied for his condition and how he talked in his childhood. He developed a childhood friend named Jenny and they stayed friends all throughout life. Their friendship through high school is so cute because Jenny sticks up for Forrest when he gets picked on. When he was handed the opportunity, Forrest enlisted in the army and fought in the Vietnam War. He then became a ping-pong star and made many new friends such as Bubba Blue and Lieutenant Dan. Bubba and Forrest are a duo that will not be topped in my opinion because those two go together like, “Peas and carrots,” to quote Forrest.

Forrest becomes the head of “Bubba Gump Shrimp Company” after the war and Lieutenant Dan becomes his right hand man on this project. One of my favorite parts is when Forrest gets the shrimping business going because he earns so much money from it and he gives away almost all of it to people who really need it. He gives some to a church, a hospital and Bubba’s family gets a nice chunk of the money too. This part is so heart-warming because it highlights how good of a person Forrest is at heart. We need more Forrest’s in the world. One random day, Forrest just decided to run, and he kept running until he got all the way across the country. He keeps trying to make contact with Jenny and at the end, he finally gets to see her after years of being apart and Jenny finally sends Forrest a letter.

This movie is a long one but it’s worth the two hours and 22 minutes. It highlights major moments in history that changed the country and it’s all through the eyes of an innocent man. It’s a classic movie that must be watched. Go watch it because it’s a feel good movie for everyone to see.

See you next time!

Kendall Gaignat