I don't think most people are going to movies to learn life lessons. I don't like the film, but that's because I think it's gimmicky and schmaltzy.

I will beat you with your own shoes!

I don't really so how the film is "dangerous"....I mean, did a lot of people come away from it thinking, "damn, I want to be like that mentally retarded guy, who was totally a nice chap, but never questioned anything he was told and also had the IQ of a stump grinder"

I know where you live, fucker.

Wow, harsh.

Forrest Gump's character shows us there are other ways to question than to be the smartest guy in the room, other ways to lead than to be out in front, other ways to influence than to preach.

He's the rock throughout the film. He doesn't have all the answers on most things, and tries his best to be an agreeable and loyal person if he's "on your team," but on the things that are most important to him, he doesn't waiver for a second.

Don't question? Don't question?

Who wasn't the least bit enamored by the Black Panther scene, but recognized an abusive, corrupt environment when he saw it? Who wasn't phased by the attention of those girls, but didn't wan't to be with the girl who "tasted of cigarettes?" When his commanding officer gave him a direct order to leave him there and let him die -- he didn't, because that wasn't right in his worldview. You save people when you can if you're Forrest Gump.

I can't believe someone could watch Forrest Gump and come away with an idea that it's good to conform, to do whatever everybody else around you is doing or suggests you do. The guy marches to the beat of a different drummer the entire film, with basically two things that are important to him -- (1) be loyal to those people in life who have been good to you; and (2) Jenny. He never compromises a single iota of his integrity throughout the film. And all the while, being kind to everyone he can.

Jay said it better than I could, but yeah. Exactly.

Bad movie = dangerous

Advocating shooting people with different taste from yours = ?

= profit?

I liked the part about the shooting.

Jay can disassemble and reassemble a gun very very quickly.

I'll bring the tarp and the baby oil...

Although I thought the story was good, not great, I believe that the CGI was stunning and the 3-D was worth the headache.

Avatar didn't suck because James Cameron directed it in 3-D or that he directed it at all. It sucked because he wouldn't let someone else write the screenplay.

Okay. You look into that. I will be waiting.

what you and I do on Saturday nights is no one else's business, Frank!

I shall PM you with results, forthwith! Good day sir!

You should never understand the power of media. It is an entertaining flick, but that is the problem. People do learn life lessons from movies, television, or literature. That is what they are there for, but Forrest Gump's message is so ass-backwards. Forrest Gump ended up becoming a millionaire through sheer luck and by being a generally nice guy, not hard work or talent. I remember reading an article that went into this a whole lot more.

I don't really see the problem with him getting lucky and becoming rich. He doesn't let it change him, still mows the lawn at the football field for free, even.
And it's not like "dopey good guy stumbles through life, does nothing important, wins lottery, end".
He saved his fellow soldiers, tried to save Jenny from herself, tried to save Dan from his bad habits, and always treated his momma right.
And I don't think that Jenny's hard luck was a result of "questioning authority"...I think that those things can be mutually exclusive. I agree more with Jilerb's interpretation - she was abused as a kid, broken down, and had a lot of bad habits as an adult. Those bad habits are why she got AIDS, not because she opposed the war.
I think there is a lot more to the movie than Forrest wins, Jenny loses, therefore, you should be like Forrest.

I guess what Evans and Bubbles are trying to say is that there are certain... unfortunate implications in Forrest Gump.

They can be ignored, or they can be interpreted in different ways. But they are there.

I'm not saying they make Forrest Gump a bad film, though.

What makes Forrest Gump a bad film is that is incredibly corny, banal, trite and melodramatic.