It is a longish movie just under 2.5 hours, however it never feels like a "long" movie. This is in part due to the events as seen from Forest's point of view and the amount of events he experiences directly during his life.
While he is at school his mum rents out the spare room for some extra money, one of the people that stays with them is a "truck driver" whom also plays the guitar. This musician asks Forest to show him his "moves", something that he hasn't seen before as Forest is restricted by his metal leg braces. The musician turns out to be Elvis, and Forest sees him on TV imitating the moves that Forest showed him.
After school finishes, Forest ends up joining the army, where he meets two new friends. This is during the late 60's and the Vietnam war breaks out, so Forest and his friends do a tour of Vietnam. During the tour of Vietnam his squad comes under attack and Forest manages to carry most of his squad to safety, one by one, hence, he is awarded the medal of honor and meets the president.
After the war Forest plays ping pong, meets Lennon after a tour of China with whom he discusses the Chinese people and remarks that they don't have religion to which Lennon replies "no religion too". Hence planting the seed in Lennon's mind for one of his iconic songs.
Forest is briefly reunited with Jenny, whom is off finding herself and "expanding" her mind with her group of like minded anti government, anti war, ant establishment friends.
At about this point Forest buys a shrimping boat in honor of one of his friends "Bubba" whom didn't make it back from the war but taught him everything he knew about the shrimping business. The business is ultimately a success, and his money is invested in "some fruit company" (Apple).
Jenny returns home to see Forest, Forest proposes to her, but she turns him down and leaves shortly after. This is when Forest goes for a run, during his run which lasts for a few years he manages to invent the smiley, the slogan "Shit happens", and a few other items.
After a while he stops running and returns home, shortly after Jenny writes Forest asking him to visit her. Here he is introduced to Forest Junior, his son. The three of them move back to Alabama where Forest and Jenny finally marry, however, Jenny is terminally ill with a new "virus" and passes away about a year later.
The movie is one that everyone should watch as it is excellently acted, directed with a re-telling of some of histories events as seen through someone that is trying to find his place in life and only has one true love.
