Columnist Kaitlyn McGarvey argues that the movie is a subtle reminder that the key to success in life is simplicity.
All of us have much to celebrate this Thanksgiving. Despite whatever may have ailed you this semester — maybe you caught the “OU Plague,” had a tough class or had a couple of bad hangovers — whatever it is, you got through it! You’ve nearly made it to the end. Good for you.
I think one of the most important things to remember this season is to not let the problems in your life dwarf your accomplishments. Things can seem really rough at times, some more so than others. Just remember the good things. You have the ability to attain the necessary means to get a higher education at one of the best schools in the state. Do not let that opportunity pass you by.
It seems fitting that I would give something like that thought now that Thanksgiving is upon us, but I only really started considered it after watching Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. How, exactly, I have been able to go so long without watching that movie, I am not sure, but after watching it, I’ve started to give a lot of thought to the boundaries we set up for ourselves.
I think you will be hard-pressed to find someone that has never heard of Forrest Gump, but, in case you did not know, the movie focuses on the life and times of the titular character who was born with both physical and mental problems. By following the wise and simple words of his mother, he is able to live an extraordinary life. Forrest sees nothing particularly special about his time as a collegiate football player, a medal of honor recipient and a multimillionaire. The only person he loves more than his mom is Jenny, his childhood friend, who, despite her absence later on, is the light of his life.
The purpose of the movie is to give a candid view of what was going on in the ‘70s: war, activism, free love. That is very interesting because usually in movies that try to input some kind of commentary about pivotal moments in history, the views are usually heavily sided in favor of one side. Either you have the stories that glorify the counterculture hippies, like in the musical Hair, or you have hard, gripping war movies about the soldiers that endured Vietnam, like Full Metal Jacket.
Forrest Gump, however, may benefit from the fact that it came years after Vietnam, Hair and Full Metal Jacket. There was little necessity for it to side with either the hippies or the soldiers. I believe that the movie's strength is its minimal focus. The movie is the story of an extraordinary, and yet somehow unextraordinary, man. The movie does not seem to be trying to make any kind of seriously profound statement, and I think therein lies its success.
Forrest stayed true to himself and the advice, and, eventually, he was rewarded for doing what he wanted to do. All of us wish money, fame and success would come so easily to us as it did to Forrest.
However, despite how much money, fame and success he had, Forrest only wanted things that money cannot buy. Remember that this holiday season.
While people are stampeding into Wal-Mart, crushing each other in attempts to get their hands on the latest knick-nacks and thingamabobs mere hours after expressing their thanks for the simpler things in life, consider what actually will benefit you more: consumerism or simplicity.
I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday! Get ready for finals week!
Kaitlyn McGarvey is a freshman studying journalism. What do you think about Forrest Gump? Email her at km451814@ohio.edu or tweet @McGarveyKaitlyn.
