The Quintessential Love Story

After we enjoyed our yummy cream scones last night, I pulled out the laptop and settled back for a good movie. It's one I won't be forgetting for a while. And in 1994 millions of others felt the same.

Forrest Gump seemed to come along right when we needed it. I heard about the movie before seeing it because radio hosts kept up a running commentary. The theatrical previews were intriguing and made us curious, so we finally got a babysitter. For 142 minutes I sat mesmerized, and it has stayed with me ever since.

This really is the quintessential love story, far better than the Love Story that hit movie theaters in 1969 (which Al Gore said was really about him). But no politician would claim to be the source material for Forrest Gump - an I.Q. of 75, leg braces and no obvious bright future. 

This is all coming back to me now because of seeing it again, smiling and laughing to beat the band, and feeling the sad bits too. The likability for me has to be in the love and loyalty between the characters. Forrest and his mama. Forrest and Jenny. Forrest and Bubba. Forrest and Lieutenant Dan. Each of these is a story in itself, but the thread that holds it all together is that of Jenny.

     Jenny finds Forrest at the Reflecting Pool

Their friendship begins simply because she says he can sit next to her on the school bus. And in a way, that bus ride just never ends. She tries to escape it sometimes, but Forrest is still always there, waiting and faithful. And she comes back.

I guess we would all like to meet someone like Forrest. Someone whose innocence remains unchanged, however much it might be laughed at. Someone whose personality and kindness overshadows their deficits. 

I suppose we could become that sort of person, maybe. I suppose instead of wishing we knew more people like that, we could be people like that. 

Because I guess you don't need a low I.Q. to keep your integrity. 

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/fingershutter/1330116754/

See you along the way!
the SconeLady


BTW - I saw lots of reviews of this movie, in 1994. Everyone had an opinion and everyone thought they were right. One reviewer called the film "a baby-boomer version of Disney's America." Another said, "What a magical movie". 

I stand with the second reviewer.



photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fingershutter/1330116754/">shutterfinger</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>