Forrest Gump

The American version of the greatest Czech, Jára Cimrman. And he runs too. He runs a lot. Forrest’s mom always told him to do this and that. My Mom always told me that this is a darn good movie. And I absolutely agree with my Mom. This is the kind of a movie which whenever you start watching you always say to yourself “I’ll watch just this one scene, oh, and then this one and…" And you end up after watching one scene after the other till once again you find yourself at the end of the movie. It’s moving, funny and sad like almost nothing else (especially if you, like me, believe that the child isn’t his) brilliant acting (not only from Hanks) and unforgettable scenes in every other minute of footage. But what am I saying, in every minute of footage. (11/20/2003)

For me, it’s in the same weight category as the favored The Shawshank Redemption. The film is brilliantly designed to grab you by your soul. It is a film with well-hidden manipulation and cheap gestures, which at first glance completely disappear in a refined game with the audience's emotions. The well-arranged narrative, which is licked like a good ice cream, is pleasantly sweet and smells like strawberries. But like any ice cream, it's more of a tasty dessert. True, Zemeckis and Hanks are master confectioners, and Forrest is a spoiled dessert in every way. With its readability, well-created illusion of intimacy and nicely wrapped thought structure, Forrest Gump is simply a treat for the masses. But I simply prefer the main film courses, and that is why this touching sweetness is only a four-star affair. In a Hollywood feature film, however, the story of a lame boy who goes through modern American history with the ease and foresight of a genius idiot is a truly rare phenomenon that will stick in your memories for a long time. But for me it will never be as intense as it was when I first watched it as a boy... (11/27/2006)

I could write almost the same thing for this film as I did for Pulp Fiction. When it premiered, I was studying in České Budějovice and I couldn't miss the screening in the local cinema, especially after reading the enthusiastic review in Cinema (at that time, under the guidance of Iva Hejlíčková, it was still worth something). There were about twenty of us in the cinema, and at the end there was a chorus of sniffling, accompanied by wiping tears on handkerchiefs. And what happened next? Then, full of enthusiasm, I recommended Forrest Gump to all my friends and acquaintances at the uni, and it’s admirable how word of mouth worked at a time when there was no internet (and mobile phones were the size of a small suitcase and owned only by a select few). Five days later, on the day before the last screening, I wanted to repeat the experience and I was unlucky – it was sold out! Back then, premieres and films in general were screened only for a week, unlike today's multiplexes, but with Forrest Gump they made an exception and extended the screenings for another week and almost all the screenings were full. As far as I know, Forrest continued to fill cinemas across the country for at least another year and a half after its premiere. You know, back then it you couldn't download a hideous screen-rip from the internet, you had go to the cinema for the experience. (02/03/2014)

Zemeckis's masterpiece, which is an American variation of our fairy tales about Czech Honza, or how a simpleton came to happiness without his own effort. A comical walk through the history of modern America, where the main hero, an innocent boy with a disability, goes through life and encounters famous figures of American history, and several times influences the country's history, among other things, being involved in the Watergate scandal. Excellent casting, situational and verbal humor. Americans like happy endings, but Zemeckis parodied the effortless achievement of happiness by his protagonist to such an extent that the whole film actually comes across as a mockery of the traditional American way of life and the American dream. Tom Hanks excels in the main role. Overall impression: 95%. (06/16/2006)

What should I write in a review of a film that hasn’t already been said a thousand times? In short, if you walk down the street and ask a hundred random people about the best movie of their lives, the most common answer will be Forrest Gump. A masterpiece in the history of cinema, funny, depressing, impressive, inspiring, with impeccable direction and performances that leave you amazed. I have a bit more distinctive film exhibitions in my top list, but this beauty still has a privileged and unshakable position in my heart... (04/18/2011)