When you first hear about the movie Forrest Gump, you seem to think that it is merely a movie that pokes fun at a man who has some disabilities. Then the minute you start watching the movie your whole outlook changes drastically. You see a young boy, not quite as bright as the rest. A boy who needs braces on his legs. Right away you begin to feel sorry for this boy. Anger fills you as the bullies throw rocks at him and chase him on their bikes. It is not long before you begin to feel you know this boy, Forrest Gump. You somehow realize that this boy is definitely not destined for worthlessness.

Throughout his childhood, Forrest only really had one friend -- a girl named Jenny. Unfortunately she heads down the wrong road. Not all by her own fault though. Her father was abusive and she hated him. And as is sadly typical of our society, she ends up tangled in a frightening web of dangerous drugs and bad influences. Throughout the movie she rejects Forrest. Not because she doesn’t love him, but because she doesn’t want to involve him in her misery. Unfortunately Forrest doesn’t really understand this. His simple outlook on the world prevents him from seeing the truth. So he only ends up confused.

The whole movie puts Forrest in major events in our history. It shows Forrest teaching Elvis Presely how to dance. Forrest goes to Vietnam and fights there. In fact he saves a good deal of his platoon from an ambush. Forrest shakes hands with the president. Forrest is at the world famous Ping-Pong championships in China. And the thing that is in common with all these events is the fact that Forrest is the hero of the scene. It probably surprises people that a “simpleton” such as Forrest Gump could be so successful. That is most likely why Forrest Gump was created; trying to make people break their prejudices and see through the haze that is the status quo.

In a way Forrest resembles a sort of superhero. Instilled in him are the values of the American society. Those same values have been deteriorating since the birth of our country. The very same values we are so desperately trying to reclaim. Perhaps Forrest Gump is an attempt to spark that hope and kindness that we all want to regain so very much. In his own simple outlook on life, Forrest Gump does not think he is doing extraordinary things. Then when we take the time to pay attention to all the little things he does, it seems so wonderful. To be able to find everything so simple and wonderful; that would be great.

If everybody would take time out of their busy lives to appreciate the little things; our world would be so much more peaceful and friendly. If we could take time to appreciate the myriad of colors in the sunrise, the simple perfection of a rose, the crisp are on a winters morning, and such a huge amount of other things we take for-granted on a daily basis. Surely we would be better off than we are now.