THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407140061
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TAMAR ANITAI, TEENOLOGY MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
``FORREST GUMP'' is a magical story about one man's uncanny ability to alter the events of the world in the strangest ways possible.
Forrest, played by Tom Hanks, is a less than bright Southerner. He uses his dim bulb to his advantage and always manages to beat the odds. As a child, Forrest was close to his mother (Sally Field) and used her words of wisdom and careful explanations to develop his basic beliefs.
``Life is like a box of chocolates,'' she advised him, ``You never know what you're going to get.''
This in mind, Forrest sets out to ``accidentally'' conquer the world. We follow his life from childhood on as he becomes an all-American football player, fights in Vietnam, becomes an international pingpong champion, runs across the country, meets presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, and makes his dear Mama very proud.
His lack of knowledge and common sense is a little sad but is no way pathetic. He simply stumbles along creating miracles - justifying the bizarre ends by the amazing means. His oblivious nature is comical but was somewhat of a facade. His true soul is revealed in the most climactic and trying scenes, and strangely it comes as no surprise.
Tom Hanks' performance is a classic, once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece. His obvious compassion and love for his character makes him totally believable. Where an inexperienced actor would have played a trite, contrived version, Hanks' Gump was a natural - truly his own. His talent also allows others in this powerful cast to shine.
The movie is highlighted by beautiful scenic shots, amazing computer-generated images allowing Hanks to interact with past presidents and participate in historical events. These scenes alone are incredible as are the perfectly chosen musical selections and random elements of comic relief.
Through Forrest Gump, we are presented pure innocence, the absence of self-corruption and all that is artificial.
Forrest is the stuff of angels and through his actions and relevant maxims, we ultimately ask, ``What if we live our lives like they're supposed to be lived?'' Rarely does a movie ever embody such characteristics or handle them in such an effective manner.
This world needs more Forrest Gumps. MEMO: ``Forrest Gump'' is rated PG-13. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Tamar Anitai is a rising junior at First Colonial.
by CNB