Analysis of Sociologically Relevant Film: Forrest Gump
Introduction
"The world will never be the same once you 've seen it through the eyes of..." Forrest Gump: a film chronicling the life of a mentally challenged man present during three of the most distinctive and dynamic decades in American history. While on the surface lies a heartwarming and inspirational story, the underlying narrative tends to explore progression of American society while depoliticizing history. Throughout the film Forrest is directly involved in major events of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, yet he never shows any initiative of his own. What is the filmmaker trying to insinuate?
Sociological analysis
An understanding of Forrest 's background in an important and characterizing element in the film. Disadvantaged by a terrible spine condition and a low IQ, Forrest struggles through childhood in small-minded Greenbow, Alabama. Due to his mental disabilities, Forrest becomes the victim of academic discrimination, which his mother fights desperately to resolve. "He might be a bit on the slow side, but my boy Forrest is going to get the same opportunities as everyone else," she stated to the principal of Greenbow County Central School. "He 's not going to some special school to learn to how to re-tread tires." (Gump 1995) Forrest 's mother was determined. Taking advantage of this, the principal coerced Forrest 's mother into trading a sexual favor for enrollment in school. In addition to these unsettling events, Forrest finds himself tormented and isolated by neighborhood children and townspeople who seem incapable of treating him with anything but reproach and disdain.
Forrest was also an active part of many important events, including protests lead by George Wallace against desegregation, the Vietnam War, the Ping Pong Diplomacy period, anti-war activism lead by Abbie Hoffman, Black Panther Party meetings, and the Watergate scandal. It would be reasonable to say that being part of such important events and would make him vulnerable to the
"The world will never be the same once you 've seen it through the eyes of..." Forrest Gump: a film chronicling the life of a mentally challenged man present during three of the most distinctive and dynamic decades in American history. While on the surface lies a heartwarming and inspirational story, the underlying narrative tends to explore progression of American society while depoliticizing history. Throughout the film Forrest is directly involved in major events of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, yet he never shows any initiative of his own. What is the filmmaker trying to insinuate?
Sociological analysis
An understanding of Forrest 's background in an important and characterizing element in the film. Disadvantaged by a terrible spine condition and a low IQ, Forrest struggles through childhood in small-minded Greenbow, Alabama. Due to his mental disabilities, Forrest becomes the victim of academic discrimination, which his mother fights desperately to resolve. "He might be a bit on the slow side, but my boy Forrest is going to get the same opportunities as everyone else," she stated to the principal of Greenbow County Central School. "He 's not going to some special school to learn to how to re-tread tires." (Gump 1995) Forrest 's mother was determined. Taking advantage of this, the principal coerced Forrest 's mother into trading a sexual favor for enrollment in school. In addition to these unsettling events, Forrest finds himself tormented and isolated by neighborhood children and townspeople who seem incapable of treating him with anything but reproach and disdain.
Forrest was also an active part of many important events, including protests lead by George Wallace against desegregation, the Vietnam War, the Ping Pong Diplomacy period, anti-war activism lead by Abbie Hoffman, Black Panther Party meetings, and the Watergate scandal. It would be reasonable to say that being part of such important events and would make him vulnerable to the
References: Forrest Gump. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. Paramount Pictures, 1994.