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Must Go!
Avg. Critic Score: 82 out of 100 Universal acclaim Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 OK for kids 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    What a magical movie. Read full review

  • 90
    Washington Post | Rita Kempley

    Zemeckis, an undisputed master of film technology, shows off an equal aptitude for vivid storytelling. Read full review

  • 90
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    A movie heart-breaker of oddball wit and startling grace. Read full review

  • 90
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Manages the difficult feat of being an intimate, even delicate tale played with an appealingly light touch against an epic backdrop. Read full review

  • 88
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    Doesn't sound like a very prepossessing title, but prepare to be taken aback by "what's in a name." [6 July 1994, Life, p.1D] Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    This is a captivating experience. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Edward Guthmann

    At its best, Forrest Gump is a gentle, elegiac fantasy about love and trust. Read full review

  • 70
    The New York Times | Elvis Mitchell

    Has the elements of an emotionally gripping story. Yet is feels less like a romance than like a coffee-table book celebrating the magic of special effect. [6 July 1994, p. C9] Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    It's most successful when it is being off-center, a state of grace it doesn't quite have the nerve to maintain. [6 July 1994, Calendar, p. F-1] Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    It is also glib, shallow, and monotonous, a movie that spends so much time sanctifying its hero that, despite his "innocence," he ends up seeming about as vulnerable as Superman. Read full review

View more reviews for Forrest Gump on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 13+ Moving and wonderful, but parent preview a good idea.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that though this Oscar winner's strong language, violence, and sexual situations make it questionable for young kids, its ultimately positive messages and entertaining take on three decades of American history make it a good choice for family viewing if you have mature teens. Parents may want to preview the movie for its realistic treatment of serious issues like child abuse, the civil rights movement, drugs, and war.
  • Families can talk about American history and how it's seen through Forrest's eyes. What are his impressions of the Vietnam War? Of a young Elvis? Of the hippie movement?
  • What would you say the movie's main message is? Are viewers meant to admire Forrest? To sympathize with him?
  • If you've read the book the movie is based on, how do the two differ? Why do you think the filmmakers made the changes that they did?
The good stuff
  • message true3 Positive messages: The movie stresses the importance of family, friendship, and loyalty. Some historic events and figures are questioned, but generally not in too much detail. Serious issues like child abuse and war are dealt with.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: Forrest, through his extreme naivety and big heart, seems to bring out the best in people. He stumbles into much of his good luck serendipitously, but he also works hard and devotes himself to whatever he's focused on. Other characters have more complex motivations and back stories -- and sometimes fall victim to their own personal demons -- but Forrest helps keep them pointed in the right direction.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Young Forrest has rocks thrown at him by some bullies. There are also some fistfights and an explosive/bloody Vietnam War combat scene. The scene in which young Jenny hides from her abusive father is disturbing, as are a couple of major characters' deaths.
  • sex false3 Sex: Jenny works as a stripper at one point. No nudity, but there's one scene of foreplay and a non-explicit scene in which two adult characters make love.
  • language false3 Language: The movie contains its fair share of strong four-letter words.
  • consumerism false1 Consumerism: Some brand names (like Apple computers) are mentioned, but generally within a specific historic/cultural context.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: A central character takes lots of drugs during one part of the movie, with cocaine visible. Other characters drink, sometimes to numb pain/anger.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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