FORREST GUMP (1994) // FIRST TIME WATCHING // Reaction & Commentary // IS this the best movie ever?
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
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*A small portion of this video is muted since CZcams flagged one of the songs* You only miss me saying "this is so beautiful" when Forrest and Jenny are in the tree. I like transparency y'all!
Happy Thanksgiving!! --This week was my first time watching Forrest Gump, I knew a bunch of stuff thanks to pop culture, but it most definitely did NOT affect this ride!
Do you love this one?!
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intros
02:13- Surfshark's Black Friday deal!!
03:50 - Start Watching
35:55 - Wrap it up + trivia!
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Wish they would go back making films like this. The Green Mile and The Shawshank redemption are also great movies.
Hi from Lyon - France Shanelle ^^ i dont know if that the same in your country but In France we have an expression to say that nothing is ever finished, we say "Never two........without three".
Did you say that you only cried twice on this channel? I have your third ( never two without three lol ) #THEGREENLINE with another great Tom Hanks
Shanelle Riccio Your reactions to the films are great but your commentaries are even better . This really sets you apart and above the other reaction Channels . If you haven't already see it , I would love to see and hear your reactions and commentary about the
Ridley Scott Movie " The Kingdom of Heaven " The Directors cut .
I'm so hoping that you will do a reaction to Dune (2021).
I was just joking about a VPN sponsor when I commented on your Fifth Element video. Now look at you lol. You go girl :).
"Is he smart? Or is he... is he.. like me?" Will never NOT make me cry.
I'm a 40 year old man and that gets me EVERY TIME.. geeze lol
The whole weight of the movie comes down at once. All the times you thought "Maybe he doesn't fully understand the terribleness of that or this" comes crashing down. He understood. He fully understood how people view him. And for God's sake he doesn't want his son having to endure that
It's the first time in the whole movie that Forrest himself acknowledges that there's anything wrong with him, and it hits harder because it's at the end where we have seen Forrest Gump have a life a hundred times more amazing, remarkable, and successful then people three times his intelligence, where we've seen him positively affect almost everyone in his wake, but Forrest still feels like that little boy who can't walk, and doesn't understand things other people find easy.
It's just crazy that EVERY time I watch this movie there's someone cutting onions right next to me!
The thing is, it probably isn't even his kid. Jenny probably got knocked up by one of her sorry one-night-stand boyfriends, and when she found out she had AIDS she figured the best thing to do for her son was tell sweet, gullible Forrest that he was the father and thus guarantee her son would be brought up with lots of love and money.
This film changed Gary Sinese's life. He took to the cause of raising funds for wounded veterans and his Lt Dan Band plays multiple concerts for charity and USO shows. Truly a great American. Nominated for this role and to this day I am split over if he should have beaten Martin Landau for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood.
Samuel L. Jackson was nominated for Pulp Fiction that year as well, so the Best Supporting Actor category was stacked with great performances. It must have been a tough call for the voters
Sinese is just a great human being
@@peppyd Yup, I'm from Beaufort, SC where the shrimp boat/Vietnam parts were filmed. He still comes to town every few years and plays for us. After, he hangs with locals at the waterfront bars. Dude is great.
Sam Jackson should have won.
@@NostalgiNorden No, you GD cretin... Morgan Freeman should have won. Shawshank. Obviously.
What I find most heartbreaking is that his army drill sergeant treated him with more respect than just about anyone else in the movie.
“Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don't go home at all."
That's what Forrest had to say about the war in Vietnam.
"I guess sometimes there just aren't enough rocks," is one of the most relatable lines in a movie ever, and it gets overlooked by nearly everyone.
what does this line mean to you?
@@binghamguevara6814 if the house is a problem or situation, the rocks represent possible solutions to that problem or situation. "Not enough rocks" represents the feeling of being so overwhelmed that no more solutions are possible. What other options do you have?
It's one of the simple lines that Hanks manages to fill with so much emotion.
I agree. One of my favorites in movie history...
Thats “I gotta pee” for me
I have always thought that moment Forrest asks, "Is he smart or...", is one of the finest pieces of acting ever put on film.
YES. That and the scene at Jenny's grave. Absolutely the best acting I've ever seen.
"Forrest Gump is like a feather in the wind"
--Shanelle, nailing the symbolism of the movie
Or he is like a whipped simp in family court who has been tricked and baby trapped.
- Coach Greg Adams, nailing the reality of Paternity Fraud.
He's like a candle in the wind who can paint with all the colors of the wind. And Windy has stormy eyes that flash at the sound of lies, and Windy has wings to fly above the clouds .
@@godmagnus and men who think like that, while entering family court, prepare themselves to be raked across the coals.
I relate so much to Jenny in this movie. And just a word to those who dump on Jenny so much. This is exactly how this unfolded in my case. After my experience I ran away from home 3 times, got caught up in drugs and alcohol, just to drown out those terrible images and nightmares from my head. Broken relationships and a complete inability to get too close to anyone.
This went on for decades. When I reached my 40’s and 50’s I finally started to come to terms with all my inner struggles. Still, to this day, I have periodic nightmares. So maybe cut her character some slack as she had her own journey to go through. Was it fair to Forest. No, but you see she said “ you don’t want to marry me.” When you don’t love yourself, it’s impossible to truly give yourself to someone else. She many times an abuse victim repeats this trauma over and over again in their own relationships. It is so difficult to break the chain. Sorry this was so long. It’s personal
IM so happy you commented! Anyone who hates on Jenny doesn't understand this trauma response and it's honestly upsetting! She is so broken and doesn't love herself so she runs. I just love her, and she's not doing anything to deliberately hurt Forrest, she needs to learn to love herself and in this movie she does. It's breathtaking and I'm very happy you relate to her (though not happy you've suffered) Wishing you well :)
I used to hate Jenny at first but on repeated viewings I began to not only feel sympathy but understand Jenny. Like Forrest she never really got a fair shot in life but luckily found peace in the end.
I sympathize with Jenny... I even empathize and understand Jenny. That still doesn't remove or excuse the fact she was a bad person in terms of what we saw depicted. Just because there is a Jenny, it doesn't mean people like Forrest deserve the blowback. As someone who's had to deal with personal stuff, still do, I also realize it is not an excuse to hurt others. That even if you have trauma, you're still responsible for doing your best to not let that spread to others through you. People hate on Jenny because she kept Forrest at arms length, but still close enough, randomly showed up, left without saying a word after their moment, and then kept his kid from him for at least 6-7 years? Until she _needs_ him again. Reverse the roles and it wouldn't even be contested.
In a way, sure. It's kinda romantic. But it's also tragic. Her doing what she did is enough to throw any "normal abled" person into a spiral. Especially, when it's "the one".... Even in the movie he straight up runs across the country, coast to coast. A running bender, if you will. All because Jenny couldn't afford him a single word without dipping. "What did I do? Everything was perfect until I asked her to marry me... I shouldn't have done x... Or maybe it was y... Or did I do it wrong?" Etc, etc.
It's like being caught in the wake while in a small boat. If you steer into it and the other person is conscientious enough to slow down in time, it just gets a little bumpy. No big. But just tearing through with no warning or regard? You tip the boat just sitting there over. A, "shouldn't have been in the way, I guess...", look on things.
That isn't to take away identifying with Jenny's side of things, but just to say that hurt people... hurt people. So it's on some of us, more than others, to make sure we do as best we can not to pass that along. It _will_ happen, but we still have to try and keep things... "normal" in proportion. People are always going to get hurt, but we can still affect the damage we do. And if we go too far, we're just as responsible as anyone else.
@Random Username
For the majority of Little Forrest's life, Big Forrest was running across America. He was only 4 or 5 when he met his dad... 6 and 7 year olds don't watch much Bert and Ernie.
I've known so many "Jennys" and have fallen in love with one or two. Being on the receiving end of things going so beautifully and then being ghosted when you get too close can hurt, absolutely. But trying to see their side, while it doesn't excuse bad behavior, helps you to see the person and not just label them as bad or cold-hearted. In fact, if you take the time to hear them out if they're willing to talk about it, or just observe how they really are with you, despite disappearing from time to time, you might notice how much they really do care for you, they just can't care for themselves, or think they don't deserve you, or that they're even trying to protect you. They love you so much, but their brains keep telling them to run. At least that's often been my observation, and I've even received confirmation in some cases. And in the end it's impossible to be mad when you see how heartbreaking their situation is. And the fact that I've experienced this more than once just tells me how many girls deal with this trauma, and I hate that so much.
In NO WAY is this movie overrated!! It is one of the best examples of a perfect movie. And a truly awesome soundtrack as well!
I certainly feel everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I strongly disagree. While it is a good movie, it isn't even the best film of that year, imo. That honor goes to The Shawshank Redemption...a film that I feel if far closer to perfect than Forrest Gump.
You're fully entitled to be wrong. Well-made pap is still pap.
I used to think that. The more I thought and read about it, the higher regard I had. As a character drama, which is the first way I saw it, i thought it was a bit over rated. Now I see it as a social commentary and I give it a 10/10.
@@FreeTheGingers Shawshank Redemption is easily one of the most over-rated movies in history, it's NOTHING compared to the epic story that is Forrest Gump.
@@FreeTheGingers I agree with you about Forrest Gump, it's a really good movie, but a bit overrated. Shawshank Redemption however, is really overrated. It's another really good movie but no way should it be the #1 ranked movie on IMDB.
The “Is he smart” scene gets me every time…I think it’s the first (and maybe only) time in the movie where he acknowledges that he’s not as smart as a normal person 😢
Yup. Every single time.
Earlier he says 'I''m not a smart man, but I know what love is'.
"...Or is he... like me?" EVERY SINGLE TIME, goosebumps and tears.
@@blacktronlego this is true, I stand corrected!
@@rickmoskal2458 I do think the "I'm not a smart man but I know what love is" line still doesn't reflect how aware Forrest really is of his situation. I mean, you can be a man who's not smart but still be "normal," so to speak, and he also mentions earlier in the movie that he can empathize with Lt. Dan not liking being called a cripple because he doesn't like being called stupid. But that scene you mention when he asks Jenny about little Forrest really makes it crystal clear that he is keenly aware that he's well below the norm and not just "not smart."
Of all the sad parts of this movie, watching Tom Hanks tear up when he asks about his son "Is he smart, or is he [like me] ... ?", is one of the most well acted moments in any of his movies in my opinion, cause you can tell Forrest has never really let his intelligence hold him back in his own life, but he doesn't want his son to have to deal with it; it's heartbreaking.
"Is he smart? Or is he like... me?" Is possibly the most emotional line in movie history.
When he asks, "Is he smart, or..." breaks my damn heart every single time!
Amen. EVERY. DAMN. TIME 😭
My favorite bit of trivia: Tom Hanks was originally to play the role with his regular accent. After hearing the actor playing young Forrest speak, he studied him for hours and recorded their conversations so he could base his accent off the young actor.
True story.
@@windsorkid7069 Toy Story
Looked for this comment before I made one, amazing story to hear straight from Tom.
Here is Tom Hanks telling the story
czcams.com/video/QmMHP6JxU4s/video.html
As awesome as how Forrest’s story is told the one I didn’t noticed also being told was Lieutenant Dan, he first appears as a gruff and ruthless soldier and after losing his legs is reduced to a ridiculed veteran and someone who felt cheated out of what he considered to be his family’s legacy, it isn’t until he joins the shrimping business with Gump that he finds a new purpose in life and climbs the societal ladder to be the co owner of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Corporation that he is essentially reborn as a new man, and finally with his appearance at Forrest and Jenny’s wedding that he has shaved his beard and cut his hair, he has steel legs allowing him to stand and metaphorically rise like a Phoenix and most importantly to me he overcame his bias and what he was instructed to believe about a specific demographic and he ends up marrying an Asian woman (most likely Vietnamese) which to me is such a cool and detailed story within Forrest’s own story it’s a genius way of developing a ‘side’ character
The actress who played Lt. Dan's fiancee is of Korean heritage.
@@thomasbrown9402 each but it's 1994 and they just picked someone Asian regardless of actual ethnicity
Definitely a movie that gets better with repeat viewing.
@@summeronio9751 if the people who cast “Black Hawk Down” decided that a bunch of random people of West African heritage could play Somali people…. I’m unfortunately not surprised that THESE casting people think someone of Korean heritage could play a Vietnamese woman 😒
@@thomasbrown9402 But it in movie is supposed to portray a Vietnamese.
I'm not even 8 minutes into this and I've already got tears because I know the wild ride Shanelle is in for.
The day after I saw Forrest Gump I was talking to a customer ( I managed a coffeehouse) about the movie . He served in the Infantry and later as helicopter pilot in Vietnam . This guy was an executive bank officer and not prone to hyperbole. He said the scene were the rain stopped and all hell broke loose was EXACTLY what it was like in Vietnam. Great reaction! You made me cry.
My grandfather served in the Military during our country National Revolution. Indonesia is a SE Asian country and have similar climate to that of Vietnam. He said that the Dutch colonials would walk deep inside the forest not knowing that they are already surrounded. They do not know what lies inside the jungle. The rain was blinding to the Dutch forces and it bogged down their progress, meanwhile the locals sees the rain as salvation as they are less likely to be spotted when planning an ambush.
It was refreshing to watch a reaction to this where the reactor doesn't hate on Jenny the entire time. She is a complex and troubled character and while it's sad and frustrating that she pushes Forrest away for so long, it has way more to do with her than it does him. At least we get the closure that she really does love him, and they do get married and start to raise a child together before she passes. The scene at her grave destroys me every time.
Some of the misogynistic poison I've seen directed towards the character of Jenny on other channels (in the comments, not generally in the reactions) is quite disgusting.
"it has way more to do with her than it does him" doesn't really change anything though. Being hurt doesn't give you a license to hurt others. I think Jenny is a very well done character, and you can certainly sympathize with her, but there's a reason people are generally so negative towards her and it's (for her character) well enough deserved.
You can't even really say she redeems herself towards the end. She only contacts and marries Forrest after she becomes terminally ill, having had his child for many years without saying anything at that point.
@@PhilipZeplinDK Jenny is a very complex character and many people ignore her issues and the fact that she's very clearly on drugs for much of the movie to demean her for simply staying in contact with Forrest. No one's excusing Jennys shitty actions, but ignoring the reasons behind those actions and dismissing her realizations simply because of when she came to them is plain ignorant.
Let's be real. She loved his success and baby trapped him but got aids from being a thot. Run Forrest Run!!!!
@@Fraktacular Lets be real. She had Hep C, not aids. She loved him but had a LOT of issues to work through. She never talked down to him or physically abused him because of those problems. She simply distanced herself.
One of the messages I took from Hanks performance is how the external things people would admire him for (heroism, running, ping pong, etc) he gives no weight, but the “real” things that matter in life are the heaviest (momma’s and bubba’s deaths, everything Jenny, LT Dan, and his son).
YES! When he just stops running one day just because it wasn't for him anymore... chills. None of the accolades meant a thing to him
Because Shanelle Riccio is so young I thought half the elements in this movie would go unnoticed or not understood. I'm delighted how she picked up all the wonderful details of historical context, music selection, writing and movie making art. I'm feeling better to know there are young people like her out there. 2 cents. This movie is a treasure not to be missed.
“Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That’s all I have to say about that.”
- Forest Gump's speech at the peace rally
So simple, so strong.
I’ve been trying for YEARS to figure out what he said in that scene. Thank you!
@@laurenjones1660 Me too! Was so curious what he said, and it makes sense.
"You said it all man."
Lt. Dan's 'magic legs' scene always makes me cry. 😭😭😭 He has the best arc in the film.
People never mention that his fiance is Asian, most likely Vietnamese.
@@dr.burtgummerfan439 Yeah, it's a pretty heavy-handed bit of symbolism, if I'm being honest, but I like that it shows he's made his peace with his past. It's a little extra bit of payoff that gives us information without anyone having to drop a bunch of exposition. A lesser filmmaker would've had Lt. Dan pull Forrest aside and tell him that he's made his peace with his time in Vietnam. Instead, we see it in his cleaner look, Susan, and his "magic legs," no exposition-drop needed.
Ironically Dan told forest if he’s ever a shrimp boat captain he’ll be an astronaut & then he went & got legs made of the same metal that’s on a space shuttle & he also married a Vietnamese woman even tho Vietnam took soo much from him. He made his peace.
And played an astronaut the next year in Apollo 13.
One of the greatest movies ever made. Absolutely timeless
Forrest makes me want to be a better human being to almost everyone I encounter.
Forrest, in his SIMPLICITY, represents everything we COULD be if we just make the best of everything life gives us. Obviously, he's so good-natured that he's almost too good to be true.
And he also shows us the value of perseverance and single-minded focus.
Two parts in this movie that are my favorite; One is when Forest asks Jenny if little Forest is smart. Which means he is fully aware of himself and who he is. Which is one of the smartest things a person can know. And second, is when Lt Dan asks Forest if he's found Jesus yet. And Forest answers "I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him." Which shows how pure of heart Forest was. It shown that everything he did in the movie was for the purpose of doing it to no benefit to him.
Absolutely.....The scene with Little Forrest breaks my heart he's so happy
I like more when Lt. Dan tells the chick "Dont you ever call him stupid!".. And kicks the women out his apartment. It shows how much he really appreciates Forrest as a friend who looks out for him.. Hes a dude in a wheelchair who probably doesnt see much action, yet he throws the 😺 away immediately after she disrespected Forrest
the book is a little different than the movie.
some of the differences between forrest gump the novel and the movie are; in the book forrest is a big scrapping "lil abner" type but blonde headed. but still dimwitted. among his many adventures he goes into space with an orangutan named "sue" who makes another appearence when gump is hired to play tarzan in a movie and sue appears on the set. gump's co-star in this film is raquel welch! gump and sue tear up the set and tear off welch's clothes and she runs down the street naked.
never been a fan of movies with monkeys in them. so, for once, the changes actually improved the movie. but i wouldn't entirely object to a raquel welch nude scene.
@@jaydouglas8845 ... ya, tell me about it. in this case at least, the "forrest gump" producers certainly improved upon the source material. but the book is still worth a read. its silly and fun.
Robin Wright went from Princess Buttercup to General Antiope. Add messy, depressed, free-spirited Jenny and you have the evolution of female characters in film 🌟
Jenny was real smooth how she tricked Forrest into believing that kid was his.
@@davidanthony1477 Ha! But it really was, and they telegraphed that when Forrest and Jr tilt their heads the same while watching the kids show.
@@OgreProgrammer I used to impersonate Fonzo from Happy Days, however I’m not a white Italian. Jenny was Hoe smart tricking Forrest into marrying her and taking in her illegitimate child. The other men who ran thru her, like the Holland Tunnel, would’ve never bought her story of paternity ( fraud).
A man, like Forrest, whose is a College All American, War Veteran, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, International Ping Pong champion, Millionaire business owner should never marry a raw dogged skank like Jenny. She only got him because Forrest has a simple mind and doesn’t know better. Forrest would run on a stage and slap a comedian for Jenny’s so called honor.
This plays like a Greek tragedy. All these amazing things happens to him, but all he cares about is Jenny. When he finally gets her, she dies. So sad, but so good.
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie, Shanelle, maybe 20, but I cried right along with you. Thank you for a great review!
Ditto 😥
I saw it in the theater 17 times in the first month it was released. I saw it in the theater again when it was re-released. I knew the first time I saw it, it was one of the ten best movies ever made.
You nailed it from the beginning. This movie truly is “Magic.”
Great reaction! Tom Hanks' monologue over Jenny's grave is one of the greatest tearjerking moments in the history of cinema. It got me too.
Makes me weep like a baby...
The tear jerking moment is how women like Jenny are able to baby trap men like Forrest with paternity fraud.
@@davidanthony1477 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It was the first time I ever cried when watching a movie for the first time. I was 22 when the movie came out. Of course, since then, I have shed tears during many other movies. The older I get, the more experiences I have had, the more emotional I get during certain types of scenes. Now as someone who has lost friends, one of my brothers and both parents, the Bubba death scene, the Mama death scene, the "is he smart" scene, all have been added to the eye leak category, along with the Jenny's tree scene.
The deep and interesting characters made the movie. Its the deepness of the characters that made the emotional impacts. Lieutenant Dan and Jenny being the prime examples. Forest was just being blown in their emotional storms. And people hate Jenny because they dont understand her. Running away from every relationship she had, was her defensive mechanism from her father.
Its always deep. complex, and emotional characters that make movies great. See: Apocalypse Now, The Green Mile, The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption.
I have been spending much of my retirement so far watching Forest Gump Reaction videos. Now, here, finally, your reaction gives the movie the credit it is due.
YES! Thanks for watching Robert, I cannot believe how good this movie is!!
“I don’t know how much more I can take.” I was like “Oh girl just wait..prepare to be emotionally wrecked!” Lol
First time I saw this movie I was fine, right up until Forrest breaks down. There’s just something about when Tom Hanks cries, you kind of have to as well. This movie really showed how much talent he has before then he had done mostly comedies, but Forrest Gump totally put him on the map.
Yeah, I saw this in the theatre when it came out, I was 22, about to turn 23. I had never cried watching a movie but when Forrest broke down at Jenny's tree/grave, I finally broke my movie tears cherry. Now, as someone with more life experiences, there are many scenes in that movie and many others that start the waterworks.
I happily enjoyed crying with you for 48 minutes. Two of my high school buddies and I went to see this movie on opening night when we were like fifteen years old. I'll be honest, this movie changed me. Now looking back as I get older (I am at this time 42) and after suffering the losses that inevitably come with growing older I am pleasantly suprised how much more sense this story means to me now. Thank you for bringing me back. And those two high school buddies... still my best friends.
I have a very similar story with this movie. Only difference is that I’m 41 now instead of 42, and I haven’t seen those two high school buddies of mine in about 15 years. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Oh totally, this movie has changed me forever as well!! Cant wait to revisit it in the coming years. Thanks for watching with me I’m so happy to take you back 🥲
Free Bird playing while she contemplates jumping is insane cinema in my opinion.. That solo unleashing what Jenny was feeling in her head, which is extremely hard to pin down
Imagine little Forrest going to school and learning his dad had the most amazing life ever
In my humble opinion, this movie is one of the greatest movies ever made. It tells a story through a completely unbiased lens as Gump himself was unconcerned with political matters or telling others how to live their lives. He merely focused on living his own life to the best of his ability. You have no choice but to love a man that harbored no hate or ill will toward anyone, ever. Doing so only serves to unearth one's own shortcomings and says far more about us than it does about him.
And what it takes to live a successful life: possibly single mindedness and maybe an amazing mama.
According to Tom Hanks this was what Forrest said at the Lincoln Monument
“Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That’s all I have to say about that.”
I was 11 when this came out and I thought it was overrated. I’m 39 now and I think age has made me appreciate it more.
My dad who was a Vietnam vet passed away from COVID last year. Rewatching the attack scene just now hits different because my dad, who wrote an autobiography, almost never talked about the actual fighting. He’d tell you about friends and officers and camp life, but I struggle to remember a single mention of being in combat. He always enjoyed this film.
"I feel personally victimized by Forest Gump" literally made me laugh out loud. Great reaction to a great movie.
I've seen the movie countless times, and seen countless reactions, and I still bawl like a baby when Forrest is talking to Jenny's grave at the end.
The way he puckers his lips is sob inducing
"She looks like Princess Buttercup" haha... True. Your comment about Forrest being the feather on the wind was rather insightful too. Something else to consider is Jenny's motive for always telling Forest to run. That's always her solution. Just run.
Tom Hanks explained in an interview that he modeled his speech completely after the natural speech pattern of the young Forrest.
I haven't been huge fan, but this wasn't just the best Forest Gump reaction, but the best reaction period. The Forest Gump of reactions. I shed tears with you on this incredible journey and you've won a major fan. Great job. Thank you.
Great reaction. As a victim of childhood trauma my own personal favorite line in this movie is "Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks". If you know you know. Much love and keep on keepin on J.
Jenny is the one who doesn't know what love is, but it's hard to really blame her (though people love to). She equates love with abuse and abandonment. She feels if she actually let's Forrest "in" he's gonna do what every other man in her life does. Unfortunately the only person that can show her she's wrong is Forrest, who she consistently pushes away the second she starts to let him in.
Beautifully said.
I’ve never understood why so many people have so much hate for Jenny, who is obviously scarred and broken from childhood abuse.
@@kjmorley Because they think a woman's not allowed to have her own shit to deal with if it makes a man sad.
I never thought Jenny feared that Forrest would be like every other man. It was more the opposite. She had been taken advantage of as a little child, she lost her innocence so early on, but Forrest still had his. As a sexually jaded adult, for her to have gotten intimately involved with someone as innocent and childlike as Forrest, I imagine it may have felt like an unsettling parallel to her own innocence being taken, she felt so horribly dirty and used that she feared she'd be spoiling Forrest's purity. She really needed to get herself sorted out first. Maybe she got into some kind of program, it seems like her contacting him was her trying to make amends, and she'd finally recovered enough to not feel conflicted anymore about accepting his love.
i used to have that negative opinion about her until i realized i have alot of the same damage she does. she probably didnt feel worthy of Forrest's love.
When I saw Shanelle teary-eyed right at the beginning of Forrest Gump, I was concerned for what was going to happen to her during and at the end of this wonderful movie 😭
After having seen this movie in a theater when it came out in '94, I went to see it in another theater few days later (each time with another female friend of mine). This movie is on my top-5 list of all time.
😂😂😂
To me Jenny was the second most important person in the movie. The movie showed her life from basically the same time as it started with Forest. She truly loved Forest and had the same deep down kind nature as he. She was the only one to befriend him on the bus at the very start to show her good nature. [and continued to be his good friend through high school, imagine how hard that was with all the bullies still on Forrest's case, so to speak] I know others have commented on the trauma she would have had to deal with [an obviously very deep wounding of her] so I won't go into that, just point out that they [as the two main subjects of the plot] were basically two kind hearted and worthy people from two different upbringings. She talks of how their lives are so different. [recognizing her flaws] She repeatedly tells Forrest She Does Love Him [telling him in one way or another] [always in a sad tone, knowing she could hurt the one true constant good in her life if she let him into hers then]. And not wanting to hurt the only true one she did love would say "You don't want to marry me" [imagine how it must have hurt her to have to tell him that!]. She had to fix herself [with no help from anyone in those days -totally on her own to heal herself] before worthiness could take place. Forrest helped everyone! And the way he helped her was finally to let her find the first true lovemaking she had ever done after she recovered at his house. [her choice finally to see it's OK to have a good man watch over her as she obviously made the best decision of her life to "clean up" -with all the sleeping that was needed] When she agreed with Forrest that he would make a good husband on those stairs it led to the final "fix" that happened when she would have felt so badly when he thought she didn't love him. She finally allowed herself to express to him [and herself] the lovemaking she had never known and was always afraid to accept. It was real. It was good. [for both of them] And it was time to leave [yes, once again] but this time Not Running. It was time to make herself a good clean life without his help to be sure she wouldn't hurt him to be with him. [remember she was really new to the clean life, with just those few weeks or so clean so far] She proved it to herself and I believe would have contacted Forrest about his child even if she had not come down with Hepatitis C [a not defined or understood illness back then] Two deep down Good People, with very different lives who non the less helped each other throughout their life's even as differently as it went for them. One finding it very easy to let the deep-down good person show, the other struggling greatly to let that nature show. Together it showed in both of them easily. It was a true love story from beginning to end. That's all I got to say about that.
So yeah, I never get tired of it and I can never make through a reaction with out sympathetically crying.
I saw this in the theater, thank goodness I wasn't the only 25 year old dude with issues there at the time, lol.
Everyone was crying.
Great reaction, I was wondering if you were going to be all professional and not cry.
Good to know you are an actual human.
Thank you for all the content.
I wasn’t prepared to cry today, but here we are. This is my favorite movie from my early childhood. I wish that we were all a little more like Forrest.
Saw Gump years ago, but could never bring myself to revisit it (too sad)... until today, with your help & a box of tissues.
It meant everything that you were so touched by this film, as I can completely relate. Thanks so much!
I cry every time, too. That scene where Forrest asks if his son is smart or dumb is one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of cinema history, IMHO.
"Is he smart or is he like me?" might just be the single greatest line delivery in the history of film acting. It rips my soul apart even after 27 years and literally hundreds of viewings. Thank you for sharing the heartbreak and magic with us, Shan!
Hanks delivered so many simple lines that conveyed so much emotion. "Is he smart or...", "I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is", "Mama caught the cancer and died on a Tuesday", he even makes "That's all I got to say about that" sound profound.
@@dr.burtgummerfan439 Agreed! It's a phenomenal performance well deserving of the Oscar he won. Fine dialogue that could have sounded banal, but his delivery is so deep and nuanced, every word is beautiful. But I've never seen anyone get past "Is he smart or..." without at least catching their breath. Great film, eh? :)
@@paulonius42 the greatest! Thanks for watching with me 🥰
It's so refreshing when someone can really appreciate this movie from the intent to the product put on screen. Seen way too many reactors just react to the funny little moments and not appreciate the movie as a whole. Dope reaction Shanelle.. likeeee always.
Even though I watched this whole movie along with you on Patreon, Shanelle, I had to watch this recap again! It was such a great reaction from you the whole way through the movie!
Oh yay! It’s really such a relief when the movie is amazing 😂
Saying it's overrated is the "cool" thing to say. I love this movie and stop and watch it every time it is on.
I absolutely love your reactions. Always interesting to hear your perspectives as a film aficionado. You are also amazingly observant of things that others might miss (except when you're writing things down 😂). Keep up the great work!
It's a classic. I won't apologise for it. It's cheesy, incredibly sentimental, and absolutely wonderful. Loved watching this with you this cold and rainy morning in the UK!
Zemeckis is one of my favourite American directors, he's never afraid of pushing the boundaries to get the results he wants. Next stop for you, "Contact" (1997). A must watch if you enjoy his work.
Loved this movie! I watched it in a theater with a date who told me on the way out that she hated it. I asked her why, and she said "because all the women, like Jenny and his Mom, get treated like shit while this idiot keeps bumbling into all these great experiences". I couldn't believe it and soon broke up with her. Lol.
I was gonna say I hope you didn't marry that heartless idiot.. lmaoooo 😂😂
Wise choice!
By far one of the best reaction videos are yours.
I appeciate that you don't miss much, you catch a lot of little details that most other reaction channels do. Not only about the moving making but what's happening in the movies too. Also, you are beautiful. I said it, it may be weird, I stand by it.
Oh boy. This became my favorite movie this year. Especially after watching Just SUMM Reaction watching this. I heard that Mister Rogers had seen this movie 40 times after it came out, and that Tom Hanks was his favorite actor.
You can thank the magic of digital editing to incorporate Tom Hanks into historical footage, making it look like he met these celebs. This film was groundbreaking in terms of such tech, at the time.
In my opinion the only one that doesn’t look good is the John Lennon one, the rest of them hold up flawlessly
Watch the "making of" on CZcams. It explains all of that technical stuff.
It is so wonderfully adorable and refreshing how you become so emotionally invested in a film's character(s).
I was almost offended when i saw that you did this in under an hour. But i was pleasantly surprised at the way you honored this epic film. Great reaction!
This movie is so close to home for me! Because my father is a Vietnam war veteran who served in the US Army between 1969-1972(during the Agent Orange fiasco)😢😢 he's currently 74, and I am SO proud of him and everyone else who served and serves! 🫡🫡
The "is he smart" line broke me. Great movie with great characters.
Watch Fried Green Tomatoes. I view that and Forrest Gump as spiritual sister movies. They’re both epic masterpieces in every way, hitting every emotional high and low. I’ve watched them both many, many times.
I agree!
I love both movies. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Agreed!!
YES! Came to the comments to say the same thing. Both decade-spanning coming-of-age emotional masterpieces. Shanelle would love it so much.
I love this movie. I saw it in the theater when I was 13 with a group of friends. I love re-watching it over the years and noticing things I didn't notice before and getting different perspectives on the characters as I get older. So, good - truly a classic and always a good watch to give you the feels. Glad you enjoyed it!
Two of my all time favourite movies: Forrest Gump and Back To The Future. Both movies are absolutely perfect. I watch Forrest Gump when I'm feeling sad and it gives me hope.
But this movie just hits ALL the emotions. I don't care that it's an obvious 'favourite movie'. There are other GREAT films, but this is one of the handful of movies that I come back to regularly and still love every single time.
SO glad I got to watch this with you for the first time 😊
Those are literally my top 4 movies ever.
I never laughed and cried so much during a movie. A true classic!!!
Steel Magnolias comes close! Yeah it's great when a movie can take you to both extremes, genuinely.
I just found you this morning and I really loved you genuine, heartfelt reaction to this movie! I’ll be checking out the rest of your videos today! Thank you!
yay happy to have you!
According to Tom Hanks, when they unplug his mic when he’s giving his speech about Vietnam, he said "Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don't go home at all. That's a bad thing. That's all I have to say about that."
Full belly-jiggling chortle when I saw the thumbnail...no one is immune to the power of Gump. It's oddly fulfilling to know that this narrative is now part of your experience archive. Hanks' acting portraying fear and anxiety regarding his son's intelligence is the payoff because it clearly identifies his self-awareness. All through the movie it's implied that he benefits from a sort of blissful ignorance but that moment proves exactly the opposite...that his world view is chosen, not arbitrary or inherent.
Wow! Yeah, I never realized that in tons of viewings. Forest is self aware, but chooses to see the best in things. Well said!
great comment 🙌🏻
This is one of those movies that made me feel like Dorothy returning from Oz after it was over. A weird kind of cinema-induced culture shock. :) I remember feeling changed somehow when I emerged, as if I'd lived an entire life in another world and could hardly remember how to be myself again.
The soundtrack is amazing, too.
I know how you feel. I experienced it with Jurassic Park and The Matrix too. It's a special kind of movie that can so completely immerse you like that.
He started running as a coping mechanism - to help keep himself sane. Jenny ripped his heart out…
Tom Hanks in the "Is he smart" scene is probably the best acting ever? He delivers EVERYTHING that moment requires. I don't even like this film and I am blown away and in tears every time.
"Forest Gump" reminds me of the film "Zelig" . In both movies we are introduced to a fantasy individual that leads us through a succession of actual historical events .
Yep, Zelig and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, where Steve Martin acts "alongside" film icons of the past.
24:09 A really smart choice was recording all of the voiceover dialogue on the bench with the other actors, instead of the usual ADR. It meant Hanks was giving a full performance, while they recorded it.
Can't believe its been 20 years or so since I've seen this film and still I cry watching your recap of it. One of the best films ever made.
I have watched tons and tons of reactors react to this outstanding film. You, I want to say, have the most intelligent comments, thoughts, and reactions to this iconic picture. I have got to thank you. I like your style and wit very much, Shanelle Riccio. Big shoutout from this old, longhaired, hippy dude in the mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Peace. Later.
Dosnt matter how many times I watch this movie. It always makes me cry.
“Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That’s all I have to say about that.”
Tom Hanks said that's what Forrest said about Vietnam
She literally says it in the video.
The book author has stated that Jenny died of Hepatitis C, but there's conflicting material online that says the movie version died of Aids, despite aids being known and documented at that time whereas Hep C was still relatively unknown.
This just continues to be my favourite movie. I may go a long time without watching, but it will always be there and will always be incredible! Thanks for the reaction! I loved seeing it. I grew up watching Forrest Gump in the 90's, so I can never go watch it for the first time as an adult. I do remember missing a lot of things back then and now realizing what they mean.
I also love that as soon as he sees Forrest Jr., he says he's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Up until that point, it was Jenny. When he first met her, that's what he thought about her.
So glad you chose this movie. Please also watch “Good Will Hunting”
Absolutely 👍👍
It’s not your fault
Great movie but GOD, NO! I'm tired of all reactors watching the same 2 god damned movies at the same time, it gets sooo repetitive.
Definitely one of my all time favorite movies! People who claim this movie to be overrated are missing the true meaning of living. More trivia for you: With every transition of Forrest's age, one thing remains the same. In the first scene of each transition, he wears a blue plaid shirt. Tom Hanks' younger brother, Jim Hanks, doubled for him in many of his numerous running sequences. The filming schedule wouldn’t allow for Tom Hanks to be flown to most of these locations.
Shanelle. Thank you so much for one of the most enjoyable afternoons I’ve spent in ages binge watching your reviews of American graffiti ( my favourite childhood movie ) the back to the future trilogy and finally Forrest Gump ( my all time favourite movie). The engagement,emotion, and analysis you have provided is infectious. Keep up the great work. You are amazing 👌. I am so looking forward to seeing more of your videos. ❤️👍
I was in 7th grade when this film came out. It had a different meaning for me at that age, and as I've gotten older that meaning has changed. I've always been a history buff, so originally it was all about the history, and I thought it was taking us on a journey of the United States from the 1950s until 1981.
As I've gotten older, gaining more life experience, what the movie is about has changed for me. For a time I viewed "Forrest Gump" as a film about how two people's lives turn out based on choices they make, and also seeing one's upbringing can play a role in that (Forrest was raised with love and positivity, while Jenny was raised in an abusive household).
The past few years that view has also changed. I still see both earlier views when I watch "Forrest Gump", however I've come to view it as a love story (at least for the movie). Forrest is always thinking of Jenny. She keeps pushing him away throughout the film as she doesn't feel worthy enough for his love (this stemming back to her abuse by her father growing up... I suspect sexual abuse was part of that). She had to learn to love herself before she would fully let Forrest completely in.
Anyway that's my take on it. It's been in my top five since it came out.
As an aside here is my top five:
1. Princess Bride
2. Driving Miss Daisey
3. A Christmas Story
4. Forrest Gump
5.The Great Dictator
I think I do cry every time I watch this movie but the artificial "sharing" of the experience with this reactor definitely got me to she da tear and laugh when I saw her crying. Damn react channels. I am addicted.
I love all of your reactions and insights into movies. You know a movie is good when it makes you speechless in the end. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your next video.
You're my new favorite Reactor!!!! I love both your reactions AND your trivia/re-cap at the end. I am going to go through and watch all my favorite movies with you now!! :) :)
Your reaction was absolutely beautiful. I’ve seen this movie at least a dozen times and you made me cry all over again. Thank you!!!
Wow, thank you!
@@ShanelleRiccio More than welcome. You make watching movies fun. Can’t wait for the next one.
The older I get the more that I realize that being "not ok" actually means that you're ok. Is there a meaning to life? Who knows... But every once in a while you'll find art with a purpose.
Great job Shanelle. Hope you keep doing these. That moment of Forrest's concern for his sons intelligence was 1 thing when I was a kid, but something ENTIRELY DIFFERENT since I've become a parent. I just can't
Loved your reaction, and I appreciate your deep appreciation for the music of the time. I think it adds SO MUCH to the experience of watching this film. Forest Gump, Pulp Fiction, and The Shawshank Redemption. An amazing year for epic films!
I’m crying with you, Forrest Gump is one of my all time favourite movies. It’s was simply beautiful and was so deep without even trying. I cry every time. Your reaction was absolutely beautiful 🤍
thanks Lauren!!
YESSSS Shanelle, keep it chatty and heavy on commentary, you hit it right on the head in your intro, your purpose is to grace our ears with your beautifully soft raspy voice, thats why we come back! you are definitely here to talk!
Since this movie takes a trip from the 50's to early '80's, it isn't much of a leap to say Jenny died of AIDS because she said her doctors don't know why she's sick.
I tend to doubt that. Zemeckis was careful about detail and Jenny, while bedridden, showed no symptomatic evidence of AIDS.
@@RTSOB1 She was an injecting drug addict and sleeping with men for hits during the 70's and early 80's, it would have almost certainly have been HIV AIDS or Hepatitis.