Forrest, Forrest Gump

It was once again movie night at my house and my son picked another favorite, Forrest Gump. This is one heart wrenching film that provides the whole spectrum of human emotions and shows that even a man of limited intelligence can do well. At least in Hollywood. The aspect I got from watching it this time (I have seen it about a half a dozen times) it the unconditional commitment Forrest makes to his friends. He is treated poorly by everyone because he was not too bright and as a child he was in leg braces. Growing up he had two friends, his Mama and Jenny. One provided him wisdom and opportunities and the other provided companionship.

With Jenny, whenever she would come into his life, it was always the happiest time he ever had. That is what I call a friend. No matter what she did, he always welcomed her back with a smile and a hug. Can we say that about the ones we love?

His Mama was always there for him. When he got the leg braces so he wouldn’t be a cripple, when it was time to go to school, join the Army and even show dignity in death. There were always words of wisdom that Forrest would apply to some other area of his life.

Forrest viewed the world in a very simplistic fashion. It was either black or white. When the University of Alabama was integrated, he saw student starting school. When the anti-war protesters staged their rally, he saw folks assembled to express themselves. When the he saw Jenny singing on stage, he saw an entertainer and not someone hiding their body behind a guitar. If we could all just refrain from judging people based on how they appear and look at how they behave. Address the behavior and not the person. It is always their behavior that makes us upset. Forrest seemed to understand that.

I know I am not done with this movie yet but that is enough for now.

Icool

Cobb