The film is like a diary of Forrest Gump, whose life is a review of important events and people from 1950s to 1980s in U.S. History. Recomposed from Winston Groom’s novel “Forrest Gump”, the movie adopted a warm, relax, and positive tone, which sharply contrasts the satiric tone in the novel, and modeled a genuine and simple character as a representative of a typical American citizen whose unremitting persist and good luck facilitate his success.

The story starts with Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), who is on the way to Jenny Curran’s (Robin Wright) home, sitting on a bench of bus station, told his life experience to people nearby. In his story, people despised him of being stupid, but he always quoted his mama’s saying “ stupid is as stupid does” to respond. On the way to escape his schoolmates’ attacks, he accidently discovered his talent on running fast. Upon this talent, he joined the football team, attended college, and even met the current president. The incidents in Little Rock are reflected in the movie by showing two black students enrolled in the college where Gump was studying. Unknown of the significance of his action, Gump’s genuine and friendly guide him to help pick up the object dropped by a black student. After college graduation, Gump was introduced to join the army, where he learnt camaraderie and death. During the Vietnam War, he successfully rescued some of his comrades and was rewarded a medal, but lost his best friend Bubba (Mykelti Williamson). In his recovering, Gump learnt to play Ping-Pong and found that being his talent. Later he went to China as one of the earliest American who visits China to play Ping-Pong and contributed to the diplomacy between two countries. Meanwhile, Armstrong stepped foot on the Moon; John Lennon was murdered by one of his “fans”. Accidently Gump reported the gateway in his hotel room and the first successful president impeachment in America was written into history. All of the important events in history that Gump experienced were real cases that actually happened, only the original protagonist was replaced by Gump; some lines and videos in the movie were even directly taken and edited from the historical documents. In the movie, Gump was a simple, innocent, and genuine American.

On the contrary, Gump’s best friend, later became his wife, Jenny was the representative of the kind of young American who “played hard” in their youth, the profligates. Drugs, Sex, Fame, Money. The natural desire and greed dogged them, since they are the perplex generation who were born after the WWII. They adored fashion, followed whatever is prevalent in the country and enjoyed their life. They didn’t have the pure heart and simple logic as Gump had, so they lost their way easily. Fortunately, Jenny bravely faced her fear from her father in her childhood at last, and embraced the peaceful and happy life Gump provided her at the end of her life. The AIDS took her life.

The movie in general is warm, appalling, and moving. It feels easy when watching but it would drive deliberation among the audience. Life to us is dynamic but remarkable, like Gump always says, “Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get.” Our attitude toward life and our determination of who we are lead us to different paths on wheel.