Face-Off: Forrest Gump vs. Cast Away

On the sad, world-stopping day when Tom Hanks exits this world, clips of his performance as Gump will dominate his tributes more than any other. Earning him his second Best Actor trophy at the Oscars, it will go down as his most well-known role – giving warmth and charm to the simple-minded Southerner with no flaws and an abundance of bravery and lessons from Momma. But, is it his best work? Out of his many terrific performances, would I call it his best or even the better of these two? When looking at CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, PHILADELPHIA, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, and yes, CAST AWAY, I would say no. Gump is written by Roth as such a pure, un-taintable, simple-minded figure that there is no way to approach him other than as a blank slate character with a heart of gold. Hanks – being the immensely likable man he is – has no trouble making Gump an endearing character, and is such a great performer that he draws out subtilities whenever Gump does have moments of reflection or confusion. While not much, some depth to him makes for the more effecting moments when Hanks can draw them out (talking to Jenny's grave). Gump is a simple man, but he’s not played simply. He’s such an endearing character, and what makes him so iconic and linked to Hanks is because there’s no one else who could’ve played him except for Hanks. But as an actor, we’ve seen Hanks push himself so much further, and CAST AWAY is perhaps the best example.

Throughout the 80s and going into the 90s Robert Zemeckis made a name for himself with acclaimed, successful adventure movies that remain classics today (ROMANCING THE STONE, BACK TO THE FUTURE), and some that may not be perfect but are incredibly fun nonetheless (BACK TO THE FUTURE sequels, DEATH BECOMES HER). Despite the more dramatic themes, this made him a perfect choice (although not the first) to take on the adaptation of Groom’s novel. To GUMP Zemeckis brought a playfulness and energy that keeps things moving breezily – and even as things feel monotonous the movie is always entertaining in some fashion. No stranger to visual effects, Zemeckis makes use of then-state-of-the-art effects to bring Gump’s journey through history to life, such as showing him meeting various presidents, running ahead of explosions in Vietnam, and addressing a crowd in Washington D.C., with a relatively small amount of people digitally made to appear like tens of thousands. These effects don’t hold up as well, but back then did the trick to get this sweet tale a bit of scope. But what is perhaps seen as the movie’s largest claim to success – the vision of making this film something that goes down so easy – Zemeckis’ approach can’t help but seem more and more dated as the years go by, with the downsides of being as affable and simple as the main character showing major flaws. The intent to show things from Gump’s perspective and to ideologize a certain time period with a blissful sense of ignorance and hope means avoiding the very real issues and challenges that came from the 50s, 60s and onward – favoring more gags and enjoyable pleasures than tackling anything real. Even scenes meant to have some emotional impact can feel flat as Zemeckis tries to keep the pacing go ever-so-fast and onto the next grand, fun moment. In a movie meant to show the power of humanity, the moments of struggle that can give meaning to Gump's successes feel washed over tonally. Vietnam has no bite, his speech on the Mall is cut too short, and only good things happen to Gump when tragedy seems to befall everyone else. Even a character like Jenny is never more than the dark other side of the coin to Gump’s ideal, stumbled-upon life. But it’s all so quirky, so it must be okay! The movie has endeared so long thanks to Zemeckis’ unwavering approach to telling a sweet and charming tale across a large canvas that take more pride in having fun with history than having a responsibility, and that’s something audiences may always want.

Eric Roth’s Oscar-winning script for FORREST GUMP is a pretty huge mixed bag for me. Adapted from Winston Groom’s novel, Roth’s story streamlined a ton of the massive odyssey of Gump and chopped off even more (the man went to space!). What remains is a love letter to the Boomer period of American history, with Gump succeeding at everything he tries across the decades, becoming a star athlete, a decorated war hero, shrimping tycoon and champion ping-pong player – meeting most of the presidents of his lifetime in the process (and seemingly never aging, to boot). Simple to a fault, the entertaining story plays like a dream as Gump glides from one achievement to the next, dishing out quiet wisdoms that remain accessible and thoughtful even today. Recalling a repeated line of his, “Momma had a way of explaining things so that I could understand them,” audiences of all ages can take something from his truth bombs like “Life is like a box of chocolates,” and “Stupid is as stupid does.” The simplicity of it all makes for a canvas that’s easy to be swept in to, including both the epic story and Gump’s personality, for which Roth does deserve some praise. But it’s in that approach where GUMP is both an easy, enjoyable pill to swallow as it is an undoubtedly flawed one. While they each have their quotables, many of the characters around Gump are written thinly – including Gump’s loving mom (as much a beam of positivity as she is), Bubba (who talks about literally nothing but shrimp) and Gump’s love, Jenny. As Gump bounces across American history played like a fairy tale, he talks ceaselessly about Jenny, even though we don’t have much reason to want to love her. Many of their moments are defined by Gump beating the hell out of other abusive men like a good ol’ American boy, with Jenny treating him like the simple but sweet man he is by not taking him all that seriously, all before ditching him, only calling on him in the end when it becomes clear she does need him. We're supposed to empathize with her given her rocky childhood, but Roth's script never gives her opportunities to open up about herself, her struggles, or really much else. More than enough has been written about this flick, but what I’m getting at is that for all its sweetness, wise truths and an unabashedly fun journey, there are basic structures and character developments that range from poorly executed to problematic, resulting in a script that boasts heart and plenty of memorable lines, but has flaws in storytelling that come out more and more on repeat viewings.

Bits:

Meet Forrest

Magic Shoes

The Elvis Dance

Jenny

Run, Forrest!!

Football Forrest

Jenny and Forrest in the Dorm

Meeting JFK

Meet Bubba

Jenny Sings

Hero Soldier Forrest

Lieutenant Dan's Rage

Forrest's “Speech”

Ping Pong Forrest

New Year's Eve with Dan

Bubba Gump Shrimp

Bye, Momma

Jenny and Forrest's Night

Running

Daddy Forrest

Bye, Jenny

Off to School

Lines:

Forrest: “My momma always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.'”

—–

Jenny: “Run, Forrest! Run!”

—–

Forrest: “Lieutenant Dan, ice cream!”

—–

Forrest: “I'm not a smart man… but I know what love is.”

—–

Forrest: “Momma said they was my magic shoes.”

—–

Forrest: “Stupid is as stupid does.”

—–

Jenny: “I named him after his daddy.”
Forrest: “He got a daddy named Forrest, too?”
Jenny: “You're his daddy, Forrest.”

—–

Forrest: “You died on a Saturday morning. And I had you placed here under our tree…”

—–

Jenny: “I wish I could've been there with you.”
Forrest: “You were.”

—–

Lieutenant Dan: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?
Forrest: I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.

—–

Forrest: [narrating] “If I'd a known that was the last time I was gonna talk to Bubba, I would've thought of something better to say.

[to Bubba] “Hi Bubba.”

—–

Forrest: “I'm pretty tired… I think I'll go home now.”

—–

Young Forrest: “I'm Forrest, Forrest Gump.”
Dorothy Harris: “I'm Dorothy Harris.”
Young Forrest: “Well, now we ain't strangers anymore.”

—–

Drill Seargent: “Gump! Why did you put that weapon together so quickly, Gump?”
Forrest: “You told me to, Drill Sergeant?

—-

And many, many more…

Sweet, gentle, and all that other gooey stuff, Alan Silvestri’s work on GUMP lends a heartwarming sensation to the whole flick, giving a bit of magic to the simplicity of a feather flowing in the breeze, and triumph to a little boy running like a madman. You can throw a dart at the tracklist and find a piece that highlights all the tenderness that the movie has to offer and can arguably stand as the poster child for all 90s-era dramas that tried to emulate GUMP’s charm and heart (“That’s My Boat,” “I Had a Destiny”, “Forrest Meets Forrest”). But Silvestri also peppers in some excitement and energy into the score – the biggest and best when he’s running like me towards cake (“Run Forrest Run”, “The Crimson Gump”). Like Gump himself, the music is simple and can so easily win you over with its charm, and no matter how schmaltzy everything gets it's with an earnestness to it that can tug at the heartstrings, and by the time certain themes come around again at the end, you could easily be a teary-eyed mess. Silvestri is a master at hitting the emotional notes of a movie through either big, cresendoing piece or soft, melodic ones, and GUMP stands as one of the ultimate showcases of his talent. I defy you to watch a feather in the wind and not instantly start playing a piano theme in your head.

If GUMP has anything at all it’s a big, fat heart. Thanks to the work from Hanks, the music, and the pure charm of many moments it’s hard not to fall in love with the mind of Gump and how he throws himself into any scenario with an unbreakable spirit and a lesson from his momma to make sense of it all. The movie is endearing from start to finish, and even if the supporting character development is sorely lacking it’s a testament to the movie’s sweetness that you can genuinely care about everyone as much as Gump does. I mean, as much time as Jenny doesn't get to be a great character you can't help but want Forrest to win over the love of his life. Again, a large part of that is thanks to Hanks, who injects humor and warmth into any moment. As sweet as a box of chocolates, GUMP has remained a classic because of how undeniably endearing it is, which is just enough to make up for some fundamental flaws and instead leave you with a big “Awww.” Yes, I went there. 

Awards

Oscars:

• Won – Best Picture
• Won – Best Director – Robert Zemeckis
• Won – Best Adapted Screenplay – Eric Roth
• Won- Best Actor – Tom Hanks
• Won – Best Editing 
• Won – Best Visual Effects
• Nominated – Best Supporting Actor – Gary Sinise
• Nominated – Best Cinematography
• Nominated – Best Art Direction
• Nominated – Best Sound
• Nominated – Best Sound Effect
• Nominated – Best Score 
• Nominated – Best Makeup

Golden Globes:

• Won – Best Actor – Tom Hanks
• Won – Best Picture – Drama
• Won – Best Director – Robert Zemeckis
• Nominated – Best Adapted Screenplay – Eric Roth
• Nominated – Best Supporting Actress – Robin Wright
• Nominated – Best Supporting Actor – Gary Sinise
• Nominated – Best Score

**Another 38 Wins and 57 Nominations**

Praise

• Rotten Tomatoes: 72% (95% Audience)
• IMDb: 8.8 (Top Rated Movie #12) 
• Metacritic: 82 (7.7 Audience)

Money:

• $330 million ($678 million globally)

At the time of release, the visual effects of GUMP were extraordinary, using archival footage of famous figures and blending footage of Hanks (done against blue screen) in them to make it look like Gump was shaking their hands and speaking to them. These moments, in particular, don’t hold stand the test of time as well as, say, the BACK TO THE FUTURE effects, and they’re only somewhat as terrifying now as the visuals in THE POLAR EXPRESS. But otherwise the sheer canvas of GUMP holds up rather well, like the massive crowd in Washington, or the action in Vietnam, the effects are small enough to not show their age but are filmed with such breadth by Zemeckis that they still have a sense of scope. But this isn’t a big action-adventure story or a whacky adventure with a cartoon rabbit, so while the visual effects come second to everything else, they do go a long way in making this simple-minded odyssey feel expansive.