Forrest Gump: An American Eagle

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Forrest Gump: On Wings like an Eagle

Forrest Gump the Movie portrays a man with mental retardation, and takes place during the 1950’s to 1980’s, in Alabama.

Throughout his years, while growing up, Forrest was made fun of by many people. When he gets on the bus on his first day of school, for example, no one wants to sit beside him, because he looks different. Only one person socializes with him, becoming his best friend and the love of his life, Jenny. And even the older people sitting on a bench, while Forrest and his mom walk through town, also seem to stare at him because of his leg braces. There is also a group of four young boys who chase him in their car and call him names. The constant name calling continues even when he goes on to the Vietnam War. Lit. Dan also seems to treat him roughly because of his limited understanding.

While watching the movie Forrest Gump, I could not help but getting a sense of how every person with disabilities feels when people mock or treat them differently.

Forrest’s mother, was definitely an advocate for her son, and she becomes involved in her son’s education by wanting him to be included in a regular school even though it was around the 1950’s, a time when the law of Inclusion did not exist. However, despite Forrest’s limited IQ, he can accomplish many things like being able to re-assemble guns at high speed, his amazing ability to run, and also becomes a ping-pong champion. He was also able to meet famous people like Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy.

The main theme of the movie is the portrayal of someone at peace with himself, simply because he is not completely aware –due to his mental retardation– of the biased intent and evil conditioning of society. He always seems to be immersed as in the eye of a storm, seemly a kind of inner realization that no matter what his perception of good is unshakable. The movie reflects that we all perceive the world according to certain internal principles, which populate even the mechanics of the Universe. In other words, Forrest Gump is apparently at one with the Universe. As such, he is also beyond the conditioned meanings of good and evil established by a society swamped in emotional prejudice and hatred.

The movie also circles around the idea of a cosmic Karma, by which he seems to get his way in the world, and in the which he seems rewarded, no matter what. This is the law of retribution, or the belief in a preexistence and an afterlife. Nevertheless, due to his innocence and peace with himself, he experiences and, above all, perceives, the world as basically good. Therefore, he goes through life unimpeded by the barriers of a low self image.

In my opinion, the director of the Movie Forrest Gump portrayed, first and foremost, a Human Being with unique existential gifts, that happens to have a disability and that in spite of it, he breezes to life, high above like an eagle. That is why I consider this movie a kind of a celluloid icon of the American Dream, where even a disabled person can get away with many accomplishments mainly because he is not distracted by a low self image. Forrest actually dreams his life away, devoid of the emotional conditioning most human beings are born with.

There is a scene in the movie, where he is sitting in a park bench, and a feather happens to hover over his head for a while, to finally repose softly and tenderly over his body. This feather, white as it is –as is also Forrest Gump suit–, is representative of his pure consciousness and of the way he carries himself in life, pure and innocent, in a true oneness with the Universe.