Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson
Story rating: 4 discs (out of 4)
Story review: Forrest Gump (Hanks), named after a civil war “hero,” grows up in Greenbow, Alabama, where his mother (Sally Field) runs a boarding house. Although Forrest is a little “slow” (his IQ is 75, 5 below the state’s definition of “normal”), his mental impairment doesn’t seem to bother him, his mother, or his best (and only) friend, Jenny Curran (played as an adult by Robin Wright). In fact, the naïveté that comes from a limited understanding of the world around him gives Forrest a uniquely positive perspective on life. During the next 30 years, Forrest becomes a star football player, a war hero, a successful businessman and even something of a pop icon. Through it all, however, there is one defining element in his life: his love for Jenny. She is never far from his thoughts, no matter what he’s doing or where he is. A trio of assets lifts Forrest Gump above the average life-story drama: its optimism, freshness and emotional honesty. Though the movie does not seek to reduce every member of the audience to tears, it has moments of power that comes from sheer simplicity. Equally as important is laughter, and Forrest Gump has moments of humor strewn throughout.
Features rating: 3 1/2 discs (out of 4)
Features review: Much like last week’s Hannibal, the Forrest Gump double DVD set is simply done right.
The first disc contains an audio commentary by director Robert Zemeckis, production designer Rick Carter and producer Steve Starkey, which is insightful and entertaining. There is another commentary by producer Wendy Finerman, which is the only minus of the set.
The second disc contains more than two hours of features, including a documentary (Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump) and five featurettes on the makeup used, the visual effects, sound design and production design. All of it is worth watching, but most rewarding are clips of the major players’ screen tests.
Despite the differences between what was tested and what is shown in the movie, you still get a sense of the range of ethos and pathos these actors can generate. Robin Wright‘s screen test with Tom Hanks is incredibly compelling, even with no set and no props to speak of.
Gems also reside elsewhere. In the visual effects featurette, Forrest saves civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. from attack by police attack dogs and smashes a ping pong ball into President George Bush the elder–neither scene was in the final cut of the movie.
Bottom line: The timelessness and sweetness of the story is the reason Forrest Gump is the fifth-highest grossing film of all time. The DVD only adds to the special quality of the story, and completes the tale. This is a must buy for any DVD collector.
Special features list:
Digitally mastered audio and anamorphic video
Widescreen and full screen presentation
Audio: English 5.1 (Dolby Digital) and 2-channel (Dolby Surround)
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English
Commentary by Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey and Rick Carter
Commentary by Wendy Finerman
Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump documentary
The Magic of Makeup featurette
Through the Ears of Forrest Gump sound design featurette
Building the World of Gump production design featurette
Seeing is Believing visual effects featurette
Photo gallery
Screen tests
Theatrical trailers
