# Why do some people dislike Forrest Gump so much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775 "2011-02-27T04:32:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/41 "2011-02-27T23:22:26Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The story of Forrest (and Jenny, and Dan, and Bubba, and Mrs. Gump) is nothing more than an allegory for the story of America post-WWII. The generation before the war provides moral support but is gone. The other characters symbolize America’s strengths - Forrest is honestly, virtue and hard work; Dan is honor and bravery and sacrifice; Jenny is adventure and risk. There’s no good or bad there, there’s just what America is, and how those things come together and sometimes work and sometimes don’t. I agree with this analysis - and it’s why I hate the movie. The allegory is silly and simplistic. The same reason I hate \*\*American Beauty \*\*- it thinks it’s saying something profound… ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/42 "2011-02-27T23:37:00Z")
American Beauty is worthwhile for this alone: Brad Dupree: [reading Lester’s job description] “My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men’s room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn’t so closely resemble Hell.” ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/43 "2011-02-27T23:42:34Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I haven’t seen the movie since it first came out, so take this with a grain of salt, but I recall the film presenting at least some of these character’s flaws as virtues. Certainly not Jenny’s drug addiction, but Forest’s limited capacity, and his mother’s defense of him in front of the school administrator seemed to be offered up as reasons why we should like these characters. To tie it back to **Lemur** ’s snark, I don’t think _Star Wars_ would have been terribly popular if it had presented Darth Vader as an admirable figure. > > Like I said, though, it’s been more than fifteen years since I’ve seen the film, so my recollection may not be correct. As I said, I’ve tried to watch the movie several times. Each time, I got the impression that we should admire Gump’s mental challenges, and like him because of them. And we were supposed to admire Momma’s efforts to get him mainstreamed, which didn’t benefit him OR the kids he was put in with. I don’t like or admire people because they’re mentally challenged, in real life or in the movies. I might like and admire a mentally challenged person DESPITE his/her challenges, but not because of them. Basically, I was bored by the movie, and I don’t like Tom Hanks in it. It’s possible that I would have liked the movie with another actor in the title role, and if the slant had been different. But I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/44 "2011-02-27T23:43:19Z")
The thing is, unless you died before things got underway, you have an opinion about the events of the 1960s. People who lived through it had baggage going in, and those who came after inherited baggage that was heavily influenced by it. What if someone experienced many of the key events of the 60s without any understanding of the broader context surrounding them? I think the contrast between Forrest’s naive experiencing of the 60s with our own over-analysis of its issues are what makes the movie interesting. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/45 "2011-02-28T00:13:19Z")
[QUOTE=Lynn Bodoni] As I said, I’ve tried to watch the movie several times. Each time, I got the impression that we should admire Gump’s mental challenges, and like him because of them. And we were supposed to admire Momma’s efforts to get him mainstreamed, which didn’t benefit him OR the kids he was put in with. [/QUOTE] We aren’t supposed to like him because of his mental challenges…we are supposed to sympathize with him and also find it funny and interesting that, despite his challenges he is actually able to get an astounding number of things accomplished. It actually makes more sense in the book, to be honest. In the book, basically Forrest is not the nice innocent he is in the movie. They sort of turned everything around, making Jenny the somewhat bad guy and Gump the innocent. In the book, Forrest actually goes from disaster to disaster, losing all his money, drinking and doing drugs and getting into all sorts of problems. But he manages to get out of a lot of them as well, and generally like in the movie he always seems to be in the right place at the right time to be in on some pivotal events in history. I highly encourage anyone who hasn’t read it to give it a try. It was much more interesting than the movie, and parts of it are a total crackup. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/46 "2011-02-28T00:31:29Z")
I’m glad you started this thread, Shagnasty. Reading it has certainly shed some light on why so many dopers are impossible to argue with. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/47 "2011-02-28T01:35:46Z")
The movie is genius. Its the latter half of 20th century America in a microcosm. The soundtrack is perfect. This film should be in the Smithsonian. It is politics, music, and social issues from the period all rolled into one very entertaining package. Bad things happen to good people; good things happen to idiots. Some people are hard-working and unfortunate; some people just seem to float through life with no game plan and end up rich and well-off. I put it alongside “American Graffiti.” ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/48 "2011-02-28T01:41:56Z")
**Why do some people dislike Forrest Gump so much?** Because they like to let reality get in the way of a nice story or movie that portrays a decent human being? I dunno. Some people can suspend their disbelief for violent orgies like the aforementioned _Pulp Fiction_(which was a stylish, cool movie!) but not for a movie like\* Forrest Gump\*. I blame cynicism and bitterness. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/49 "2011-02-28T01:44:05Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Each time, I got the impression that we should admire Gump’s mental challenges, and like him because of them. And we were supposed to admire Momma’s efforts to get him mainstreamed, which didn’t benefit him OR the kids he was put in with. > > . So, You think him going to tard school woulda been better for him? Or you think all the good and important things he did or influenced woulda happened if he was holed up in tard school? Your confusing what would have a fair chance of happening in reality with what the premise of the movie was. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/50 "2011-02-28T02:24:51Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > **Why do some people dislike Forrest Gump so much?** > > Because they like to let reality get in the way of a nice story or movie that portrays a decent human being? > > I dunno. Some people can suspend their disbelief for violent orgies like the aforementioned _Pulp Fiction_(which was a stylish, cool movie!) but not for a movie like\* Forrest Gump\*. I blame cynicism and bitterness. It is a strange thing. Some people pop giant boners for The Shawshank Redemption and it couldn’t withstand this type of character scrutiny at all. I liked it too but you have a black murderer turned completely introspective, a wise on one side a masochistic prison warden with evil minions, and a white man unjustly accused who outsmarts the entire system. He wore down a hardened, metal rock pick digging a tunnel over the years yet one paper poster could withstand being taken up and down that many times without it tearing or anyone noticing to cover the whole thing up. His cell never needed maintenance once and was always bone dry? Pulp Fiction was full of ridiculous scenarios too. I haven’t seen a Gimp in real-life for years. If only there was some type of media where people could act out a contrived story just to entertain the audience and nothing more, we could get beyond all this one day. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/51 "2011-02-28T02:38:31Z")
I say this alot, but I hate Jenny. The way she treats Gump is despicable, and then only comes to him when she’s dying and nobody else wants her. Other than Jenny, the rest of the movie doesn’t have a plot. Gump just falls into things by accident. There’s no structure, just random events that turn out for the best, bookended by Jenny rejecting Gump to send him to the next adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/52 "2011-02-28T02:42:53Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > If only there was some type of media where people could act out a contrived story just to entertain the audience and nothing more, we could get beyond all this one day. You know, if you don’t want to hear people explain why they disliked a movie, it might not be a good idea to start a thread asking people to explain why they disliked the movie. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/53 "2011-02-28T02:45:00Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Gump just falls into things by accident. There’s no structure, just random events that turn out for the best, bookended by Jenny rejecting Gump to send him to the next adventure. Dude - you don’t get it: that’s the \*profound \*part ;). Again, I say :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/54 "2011-02-28T02:47:45Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You know, if you don’t want to hear people explain why they disliked a movie, it might not be a good idea to start a thread asking people to explain why they disliked the movie. Fair enough. I really did want to know but I am more confused than ever now (which is hard to do). I never saw or reacted to any the messages in the movie and I have seen it a bunch of times. I didn’t even know people saw some of the things they were complaining about. It is just a simple and entertaining story laid to a good soundtrack to me. Many people love the Princess Bride too. Cool movie. I couldn’t tell you any character’s opinion on the political situation today though or a greater message that I should learn from it. I am more than a few credits shy of a film degree though so I can’t see things other people seem to in these moving pictures. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/55 "2011-02-28T02:58:26Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Fair enough. I really did want to know but I am more confused than ever now (which is hard to do). I never saw or reacted to any the messages in the movie and I have seen it a bunch of times. I didn’t even know people saw some of the things they were complaining about. It is just a simple and entertaining story laid to a good soundtrack to me. Many people love the Princess Bride too. Cool movie. I couldn’t tell you any character’s opinion on the political situation today though or a greater message that I should learn from it. I am more than a few credits shy of a film degree though so I can’t see things other people seem to in these moving pictures. The Princess Bride is simply trying to entertain - you can decide you don’t like its silly/Yiddish/self-aware take on a standard fairy tale - your call. However, Forrest Gump was trying to make a Big Statement about America. So it is playing for higher stakes, and, clearly IMHO, it failed miserably. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/56 "2011-02-28T03:06:36Z")
I liked _Forrest Gump_ well enough, but I don’t think it was this big profound epic. The best part was the soundtrack. (I was disappointed that a few songs were left off) As for “mainstreaming” – did they HAVE special schools for the mentally retarded back then, or special ed? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/57 "2011-02-28T03:07:53Z")
Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. sometimes it’s a box of sour quince logs. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/58 "2011-02-28T03:10:25Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > [I dunno. Some people can suspend their disbelief for violent orgies like the aforementioned _Pulp Fiction_(which was a stylish, cool movie!) but not for a movie like\* Forrest Gump\*.. A huge contributing factor to the backlash against _Gump_ was that a lot of people pretended that Forrest Gump represented a plausible role model, and that audiences could actually _learn something about life_ from the movie - and further that they frequently invoked _Pulp Fiction_ as a counter example of crass, debased, an amoral filmmaking. This rankled on a lot of levels. The movie was exceedingly trite and any who feels they can take anything practical away from it probably has an I.Q. of ~75. Second, calling _Pulp Fiction_ amoral is idiotic, as it was a by-the-numbers morality play - the only principal characters who walk away unpunished are those who made the correct choices when presented with a difficult moral choice, and the entire thing is framed around Jules’ crisis of conscience and how that ultimately leads him to dissuade a random pair from starting down the wrong path. Of course, that doesn’t make _Pulp Fiction_ an edifying and uplifting movie, but it could much more plausibly be argued that it is than _Forrest Gump_ is, as the fates of the various characters were more concretely linked to their decisions, where the “message” (if there is one) of _Forrest Gump_ is more along the lines of “If you can hold onto a plucky and optimistic outlook, maybe an Act of God will wipe out all of your competitors and leave you in the pink.” I was finally able to get something out of _Forest Gump_ by sitting down to it as a bit of mindless entertainment. For sure it has some merit in that department, and there is some technical work that is simply spectacular. And that’s fine - this is how you’re supposed to watch a movie, generally. But imagine if before you watched _Pulp Fiction_, you were subjected to a couple of months of vapid morons going on at length about how watching it was going to make you a better person. How would this affect your experience of it? After working through this thought experiment, the bulk of the antipathy to _Forrest Gump_ you come across should be pretty easy to understand. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/59 "2011-02-28T03:12:00Z")
Well stated,\*\* Larry Mudd\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775/60 "2011-02-28T03:47:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Dude - you don’t get it: that’s the \*profound \*part ;). Again, I say :rolleyes: Oh I get it. I just don’t like it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-dislike-forrest-gump-so-much/572775.md?page=4)