Um, couldn’t that be said for just about every film ever made. All films tell a story about what life is like in the world within the film. Some of them are portraying a fantasy world, others are portraying a “real” world.
Besides, movies are supposed to be an escape from reality. Supposed to be fun. Forrest Gump didn’t say that its based on a true story or that its a documentary. It was simply telling story for fun.
I will go on record and say I am a fan of Ewoks. They freaking brought down a legion of the Empire’s best troops, they were going to eat Luke and Han, they have a whole bunch of weapons and siege equipment just lying around available on a moment’s notice. They are bad ass!
Can say the same for Rambo which now evokes the cartoonish image of someone running round with a knife in their teeth, mowing down legions of bad guys with a machine gun in each hand rather than the excellent first film.
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I think Forrest Gump works as a tragedy; all of those incredible events happening to someone who can’t appreciate the scope and success of his own life.
Well, the first film was a Vietnam war allegory and story about veterans.
The second film was a showcase for Sylvester Stallone to look badass in.
And by the time of the third film, there was already an actual CARTOON series, wasn’t there?
But in this case, it was the protagonist who decayed, not the movie. First movie’s still as awesome as ever.
Well, there was a video game.
I see what you’re saying, but my point is that I don’t think Forrest Gump was trying to show that this is what life is really like in the real world.
Ikari Warriors? Pffft. At one point, for the NES, there was an actual Rambo game. Which was notable for how Rambo would instantly drop dead if he touched anything.
Have you seen the fourth? 
I think people liked Avatar despite its clichéd plot – certainly there was no shortage of comments to that effect at the time. What might have decayed over time is that reaction to the 3D effects which were very much over-done for several years afterwards. But then, I couldn’t make it all the way through the movie – once the interstellar hippie Snoo-Snoo started, I got bored and turned off the Tivo.
I’m equally baffled as to the criticism that “Forrest Gump shows you what life is like.” You haven’t even really explained what you mean… is it supposed to be a realistic depiction of the typical life of a Baby Boomer with a learning disability? Well, quite obviously not; the movie is deliberately fantastical and unrealistic in terms of the life of the protagonist. So what do you mean that “it shows you what life is like”?
The Tim Burton one from 1989. I started to watch that again recently, and it was terrible (though I was never a huge fan to begin with, and I did see it in the theater). I think that’s a movie that somewhat quickly and justifiably descended from the hype, though it still has many defenders.
I’ve always hated the Forrest Gump movie with a capital H, but it does illustrate one truism I have been forced to accept over the years: never underestimate the effect dumb luck is an individual’s success. Forrest is mentally retarded (and I find him annoying as hell), but through sheer coincidence of being at the right place at the right time (even in the condition of not realizing what he’s doing most of the time) he manages to be very successful. In real life circumstance unfortunately sometimes trumps merit.
Because they’re all directed by Kirk Cameron.
You’re thinking of the adult parody.
I agree, just quoted your post as the last in the sequence about Forrest Gump. I think most of the criticism of it doesn’t go quite deep enough.
A case in point.
Forrest isn’t a success, not in any sense that he would define it. I don’t think the message of Forrest Gump is “be stupid and lucky and you’ll be rich”, rather it’s “being rich won’t make you happy”. On those terms, it’s a tragedy. Forrest seems to spend a lot of his life lonely and sad.
[snipped, by me for brevity]
I keep saying, “Tango and Cash” was a landmark film in gay cinema.
I have not. The first one was an allegory, and quite good. The second one was goofy violent blowemupGOOD kinda fun. The third one was inane. I never got as far as the fourth one, assuming it would be much like the children’s cartoon, except with more blood and guts, literally and figuratively.
Weirdly enough, the Rambo children’s cartoon has not aged well, seeming rather hyperpatriotically fascist in a uniquely eighties kind of way… I notice it doesn’t seem to get much in the way of reruns nowadays.
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Aw man…I wanted to be the one to say this…
Count me in on the hating of Juno. Just a flash-in-the-pan movie that carved its niche with the too-cool-for-school writing. I found the language grating after the first 10 min.
I love Forrest Gump however. I still say it’s not my favorite movie of all time, but if you ask me what the best made movie is (writing, acting, directing, etc.) I say Forrest Gump.
Titanic is an interesting case because I (seriously) wonder how much we would really care about the tragedy if not for the movie. Especially as we get further and further away from it happening
