Stupid is as stupid does, says Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks in an O scar-winning performance) as he discusses his relative level of intelli gence with a stranger while waiting for a bus. Despite his sub-normal IQ , Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringsid e seat for many of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Entirely without trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a footba ll star, meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honor in Vietnam, meets Lynd on Johnson, speaks at an a nti-war rally at the Washington Monument, han gs out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tenn is, meets Richa rd Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Comp uters, and decides to run back and forth across the country for sev eral years. Meanwhile, as the remarkable parade of his life goes by, For rest never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy , who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 197 0s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon. Feature d alongside Tom Hanks are Sally Field as F orrest’s mother; Gary Sinise as his commanding officer in Vietnam; Mykelti Williamson as his ill-fate d Army buddy who is familiar wi th every recipe that involves shrimp; an d the special effects artists whose digital magic place Forrest amidst a remarkable array of historical events and people.

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REVIEW
At its best, Forest Gump is a gentle, elegiac fantasty about love and trust. –Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Passionate and magical, Forrest Gump is a tonic for the weary of spirit –James Berardinelli, ReelViews

If Forrest is a holy fool, Mr. Hanks makes his holiness very apparent. Only in this touching, imaginatively childlike performance does the film display any emotional weight. Sitting on a bench at a bus stop during most of the film, eagerly recounting his life story for a succession of strangers, Mr. Hanks’s Forrest has an unerring sincerity and charm. If it’s difficult to reconcile this sweet, guileless performance with the film’s technical obsessiveness (a special satellite was used to track the sun’s position and determine optimum lighting for the film’s outdoor scenes), well, maybe it should be. –New York Times, Janet Maslin