Forrest Gump

Tom Hanks spends most of Forrest Gump sitting on a bus stop bench in Savannah, Georgia, spinning out the strange tale of his life to anyone who happens to pass by. It's a narrative device as lightweight as the floating feather that opens and closes the film, but the movie is a substantial — and very off-beat — journey through 30 years of American history. It's also a surprisingly effective and sentimental odyssey, as Hanks' character stumbles through a life that's an odd combo of destiny and luck.

Forrest Gump is born with strong legs, a bad back and an IQ that's considered slight­ly below normal, even in his home state of Alabama. The only thing he has in his favor is a mother (Sally Field) who's determined to do anything to get him into a proper school. Well, that and his own blank-faced sense of self-confidence, which is firmly rooted in an ability to quietly accept anything that hap­pens. All of Gump's life turns into an acci­dental success story, as he inadvertently becomes a football star, a war hero, a lead­ing speaker for the peace movement and a millionaire.

Despite rising to such pinnacles, the only thing Gump wants is to be married to his childhood sweetie (Robin Wright), even though he sees her only once a decade. His phenomenal luck with history doesn't do him any good where his heart is concerned, so Gump wanders through most of the major social events of the '60s in search of his fiancee.

Forrest Gump is an exceedingly weird movie, and it walks a dangerously thin line between grim farce and warped melodrama. But it works — albeit it in a strange way — by presenting a baby boomer guide to mod­ern history. The icons of the age make their dutiful appearance as Gump naively cruises in and out of celebrities' lives. He teaches Elvis how to dance, trades barbs with John Lennon, innocently moons Lyndon Johnson and helps to set Richard Nixon on the road to impeachment. But the only thing that registers in Gump's mind as he retells the stories is that most of the famous people he knew were "shot by some guy."

Forrest Gump is blessed with a superb performance by Hanks. After his dramatic success in Philadelphia, Hanks appears deter­mined to hold onto his new status as a seri­ous actor; certainly he's one of the few "stars" who could pull off such a quirky lead role.

Robert Zemeckis' unexpectedly intelli­gent direction is the real surprise in Forrest Gump. Best known for the Back to the Future trilogy and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the filmmaker has rarely displayed the emotion­al skill or personal touches that run through Forrest Gump so strongly. It's as if he's been sitting on his own talent for years, and final­ly is cutting loose with a masterful and touching production.