Sorry guys, I have been distracted as of late with my home life.
My son has been off school, and my wife is having problems with the aftermath of Covid. Alas, I am hoping that by Monday my time will free up significantly again to get on with the stuff the needs doing.
A little late to the show, but I did enjoy reading your reviews and personal takes on Good Will Hunting. I'm pleased that so many came together to watch that and write something about it, whether that was personal thoughts, or just a straight up review. Anyway, I'm sure our curators have done a fantastic job on getting you guys.
That being said, it's time now to choose another movie to watch. It was initially @themarkymark's idea for a movie watch, so I would be honoured if he can choose next weeks movie and then nominate someone else.
This week I would like all of you to cast your eyes onto:
Forrest Gump
I chose Forrest Gump because this is a film that owns a part of me. Here is a film with a lead character that in the face of all adversity, just keeps going. I always admired him as a young man; no matter what he was faced with, he would just do whatever it was that was required of him. His path of accepting everything that came his way served him really well.
I was always too shy and scared to accept everything that came my way. I was adverse to risk, I liked to hang too much in my safety net zone, and this film was almost like a bright beacon to my desire to be more forthright in myself. More open, more engaging.
Anyway, it's up to you. You may write a review, or you can comment on the impact a film like this had on your life, or just tell us what the film means to you -- even if you thought it was a load of trash. I'm all up for the diversity of opinion.
Anyway, I'll go first!
Forrest Gump was quite the revelation to me at the time it was released. I was a young boy, stuck in his own secure safety net, always too frightened to venture out into the big wide world of not knowing what's out there. If it sounded too scary then I was probably going to hide rather than stay and fight it.
Forrest Gump showed me a different meaning to life, and I'd say after watching this movie it largely convinced me to make the big leap from being in the comfort of my own mothers safety to living with someone I barely knew in an entirely different country. Sure, back then I was still stuck in the blame mindset where nothing was my fault it was the big bad world's, but at least it encouraged me to make baby steps to get myself out there.
There were also a lot of traits in Gump that I admired. Gump only ever had three friends in his entire life. Jenny, Bubba, and Lt Dan. Not only did he treat them with the utmost care and respect but he was such a loyal friend to them. Always excited when he saw them, and always eager to please them. When I think of that it makes me well up with Joy. My three oldest friends I've had are from Primary School and I've known them since I was 7. That's like 34 years, and we are still in regular contact.
I think most of all I admired the way in which Forrest would see everything placed in front of him not as an opportunity, but as an order. Strange way to think of it like that but in actual fact if you rewatch the film then he had a lot of opportunities heading his way after graduating from the all American football team after High School but he chose to be cannon fodder in the army. Why? Because it was suggested to him, and I think he saw it as an order. I mean who else would actively choose that over the opportunities he would have. But, I could be wrong.
Anyway, I loved this film, and it was a big part of my life shaping quite a few situations I found myself in. What does it mean to you? If anything at all?