After watching Forrest Gump again, for what was probably the third time, the film has really lost its allure. My dad is a big movie buff, and is always making sure I watch “the classics”, so I had seen Forrest Gump a few times with him before. It was never my favorite, but I did like it. While I still found certain parts of the film enjoyable, I found that I enjoyed it much less this time around. That was likely due to the fact that I really became aware of the unhealthy relationship between Forrest and Jenny after repeated viewings.

Overall, the movie is engaging, interesting, and dynamic. It’s easy to get invested in Forrest as a character, so all of his adventures and achievements make the movie enjoyable to watch. However, this can’t overshadow the pitfalls of the Forrest/Jenny relationship storyline. As you look closer at their interactions, it is clear how unhealthy and detrimental the relationship is to Forrest as they grow older. Jenny is a moderately unlikeable character to begin with, but the way she treats Forrest into adulthood really puts her over the edge. Ultimately, it ends up being kind of dangerous the way that the movie paints their relationship as a grand love story, when in fact it would be better described as emotionally abusive. Another smaller side note, the portrayal of the Black Panthers in the film is somewhat problematic. It presents them as caricatures of the party, and seems pretty reductionist/trivializing in its portrayal of their ideals and attitudes.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy the movie as I had in previous viewings. But I think this is why its important to think critically about the media we consume, even that which seems to be purely for entertainment value.