Forrest Gump: 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Review

THE MOVIE — 4.5/5

Plot Synopsis: Slow-witted Forrest Gump (TOM HANKS) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (SALLY FIELD), he leads anything but a restricted life. Whether dominating on the gridiron as a college football star, fighting in Vietnam or captaining a shrimp boat, Forrest inspires people with his childlike optimism. But one person Forrest cares about most may be the most difficult to save – his childhood love, the sweet but troubled Jenny (ROBIN WRIGHT).

Review: Forrest Gump is an oddly controversial film, some calling it a brilliant masterpiece and many others absolutely hating it, with few in the middle. I was part of the few upon my first viewing years ago but this subsequent one, for whatever reason, something clicked. This isn’t a movie that works because of the screenplay, even though it did win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, but Tom Hanks’ almost childlike innocence performance he brought to the role, juxtaposed opposite the dark times the country was going through from segregation to Vietnam and its aftermath, political turmoil with a presidential resignation and assassination and attempts. His simplistic viewpoint actually brought both tremendous weight yet also a certain charm, although from what I read those who disliked the movie, his Pollyanna viewpoint is a bone of contention, which I actually can see.

What also excels beyond Tom Hanks is Gary Sinise who was brilliant as a strong-willed-turned-broken Vietnam veteran whose legs were lost after a strike, saved, against his orders, by Forrest. His scenes were some of the more moving ones of the film and really were great showing off a wide range of emotions. And not to be forgotten, Robin Wright also has some wonderfully strong scenes on her character’s own journey from a brutal childhood through drug use, all the while Forrest loved her looking past, or likely oblivious, to her struggles.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the novel by Winston Groom and adapted by Eric Roth, Forrest Gump is just an all around well made, feel-good movie that I’d guess might not play all that well in an ever-growing cynical society. For me, this viewing was better after many years when I originally was only ‘fine’.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 5.0/5

This release comes with a title-embossed slip cover. Inside is a code for the Digital HD copy.

Discs 1:
Audio Commentaries

• Director Robert Zemeckis, Producer Steve Starkey and Production Designer Rick Carter
• Producer Wendy Finerman

Musical Signposts to History (3:54; HD) is a featurette from a music journalist talking about how the songs were used to full effect in the movie.

Disc 2:
Greenbow Diary (25:59; HD) is a behind-the-scenes featurette looking at the various locations in and around South Carolina and Georgia that doubled for Alabama and Vietnam. Includes interviews with Zemeckis, Hanks, Sinise and others.

The Art of Screenplay Adaptation (26:58; HD) – This is on adapting the novel for the big screen and what goes into the process.

Getting Past Impossible: Forrest Gump and the Visual Effects Revolution (27:04; HD) delves into the effects work, including inserting Gump into historical videos (like with Kennedy).

Little Forrest (14:48; HD) is a featurette on developing the character and how the young actor who played the young Forrest Gump helped in how Tom Hanks would portray the role. Includes newer interviews with the now older actor, Michael Conner Humphreys.

An Evening with Forrest Gump (55:08; HD) is an event held at USC and discussion about the film with Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Screenwriter Eric Roth and Director Robert Zemeckis.

Archival Special Features has some older and straightforward featurettes: The Make-Up of Forrest Gump (8:03); Through the Ears of Forrest Gump: Sound Design (TRT 15:34) which looks at five scenes; Building the World of Gump: Production Design (7:18); Seeing is Believing: The Visual Effects of Forrest Gump (TRT 30:23) looks at nine scenes (a couple not used in the film) and how they were accomplished; there are several Screen Tests for Michael Conner Humpreys & Hanna R. Hall, Robin Wright and Haley Joel Osment; and last up the Theatrical Trailer and Remember Trailer.

VIDEO – 4.5/5

AUDIO – 4.5/5

OVERALL – 4.0/5

Forrest Gump is a wonderful and uplifting drama-comedy that lets viewers see the world through the eyes of an innocent and completely sincere man. Was it Best Picture good, especially over The Shawshank Redemption? Probably not, but I have no problem with it winning. Tom Hanks gives a superb performance as does Gary Sinise and Robin Wright. This 25^th Anniversary release is a solid release but if you are really only upgrading the picture and nothing else, though with the small MSRP, you’ll probably be able to nab it for <$10 in few months time.