My favourite film - Mój ulubiony film

My favourite film of all times is 'Forrest Gump', a Robert Zemeckis movie based on a Winston Groom novel of the same name. Released in 1994 the film was well received by the critics and the audience alike. It became a commercial success for weeks being on the top of the American box office. It also garnered numerous awards and nominations including Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.

Forrest Gump is a comedy-drama film. It is about a simple man who, sitting at the bus stop, tells us the story of his life.

It all begins when Forrest goes to school for the first time. He meets a girl named Jenny who becomes his best friend and probably the most important person in his whole life. They spend all their time together and Jenny defends Forest when he is bullied by other boys. He is being  consequently persecuted because of his low IQ and inability to defend himself. Fortunately it turns out that Forrest is a great runner and the bullies are not able to catch up with him.

In spite of his low IQ Forest's unusual ability to run enables him to get a football scholarship at the University of Alabama. On graduating from the college he decides to enlist in the army where makes friends with Bubba – a very strong recruit whose family owns a shrimping business. Bubba convinces Forrest that having left the army they should run the company together. When both friends are sent to Vietnam it turns out that Bubba’s plans will never be put into practice. Forrest’s friend dies in an ambush. At the same time Forrest thanks to his running skills becomes a hero saving much of his platoon, along with his platoon leader.

Forrest, while in recovery after being shot, realises that his running skills are not his only ones. Playing ping-pong most of the time he reaches an international level gaining popularity and becoming a real celebrity. This is not the thing that he is really longing for though. He still thinks about Jenny and finally, at an anti-war demonstration in Washington, he reunites with her. Unfortunately he loses her once again.

After coming from Vietnam Forrest needs to start a new life. As a popular sportsman he achieves success running a company that makes ping-pong paddles. He earns enough to buy a shrimping boat, what he finally does, willing to fulfil his promise given to Bubba. His former platoon leader joins Forrest and although they are initially not successful finally make lots of money out of it. 
 
One day when Jenny comes back to visit Forrest he proposes to her. She is not willing to marry him though. Therefore she rejects his proposition but wants to show him her love and does it by having sex with him. The next day Forrest wakes up all alone. Unexpectedly he hits the road and keeps running across the country what takes him more than three years and makes him famous.

At the end of the film it turns out that his presence at the bus stop is not accidental. Jenny saw him running on TV and asks him to visit her. When he is already there she introduces him to their son also named Forrest. Jenny and Forrest finally move back to Alabama and get married but their happiness is not about to last long. Jenny dies soon afterwards and Forrest stays with his son waiting for his first day at school.

The story of a simple man called Forrest makes me laugh and cry almost at the same time. I find his journey through life more involving than any other I am familiar with. It’s really amazing to accompany him - observe him influencing popular culture and taking part in the most important historical events of his times. When he tells us the story the listeners at the bus stop change. Their attitude is different – some of them are bored with his words, some fascinated. I’m pretty sure that most of those who have ever seen the movie reacted like the last ones while watching it.