We’ve reached the second half of Season 3, and this week’s episode brought us to one of the most iconic films of the ’90s: Forrest Gump. This was Cade’s pick for our “Coming of Age” theme—an unexpected but undeniably powerful choice. While it’s easy to remember the memes, the lines, and the run, we wanted to revisit Forrest Gump with fresh eyes and talk about whether it still holds up as a story about growing into yourself in a complicated world.
The film follows Forrest (Tom Hanks), a man with a low IQ and a kind heart, as he stumbles through a life shaped by love, war, ping pong, and accidental brushes with history. From growing up in small-town Alabama with a fiercely loving mother to unintentionally changing the course of American culture, Forrest’s life unfolds in chapters that feel both surreal and deeply human.
What surprised both of us, watching it now, is how much Forrest Gump doesn’t try to explain or justify itself. The movie just… happens. It unfolds the way memories do: out of order, overlapping, filled with details that matter more emotionally than logically. Cade noted that the film’s strength is its refusal to be clever. It isn’t ironic or self-aware. It’s earnest—and in a time when most films are trying to say something smart, Forrest Gump chooses to say something simple.
We talked at length about the characters who orbit Forrest’s world, especially his mother and Jenny. Mrs. Gump (Sally Field) is a force. She doesn’t try to change Forrest—she moves the world around him to make space for who he is. That kind of unconditional love is rare in film, and it anchors Forrest’s entire journey.
And then there’s Jenny.
Jenny is a character who often divides viewers. Kit pointed out how deeply tragic her story is—a life shaped by early trauma, marked by moments of rebellion and escape. Forrest’s unwavering love for her is a throughline that keeps the movie emotionally grounded. Even when she disappears, she never really leaves the story. Cade described her as the person Forrest runs toward, even when he doesn’t know it.
The movie’s visual style also stood out. Scenes linger longer than you expect. Silence is used meaningfully. There’s one moment after Jenny leaves where Forrest is sitting alone at home, and the stillness says more than dialogue ever could. That quiet grief is what makes the film so resonant.
But we’d be lying if we said we didn’t also talk about the wild, absurd parts. Elvis learns to dance from Forrest. He survives the Vietnam War, becomes a ping pong champion, starts a shrimp empire, invests in Apple, and runs across America multiple times. It’s all ridiculous. And yet, none of it feels out of place. That’s the magic of the movie—it makes chaos feel like destiny.
Cade gave Forrest Gump an 8.5, calling it a classic for a reason. Kit gave it a 7.5, loving the emotional beats but feeling that the runtime and sheer volume of plot sometimes overshadow the film’s quieter coming-of-age elements.
What we both agreed on is that Forrest is a character who teaches by being. He doesn’t try to change people. He simply stays kind. In a world full of noise, his presence is what stays with you. His story isn’t about triumph in the traditional sense—it’s about resilience, and about loving people even when they don’t love you back the way you expect.
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