I will embrace the cliché and open with the line, “Mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.’” It is one of the truest, most applicable movie lines I have heard during my lifetime. This makes sense, then, that such a line comes from a film about the variability and coincidences of life. Forrest Gump opens and closes by following a feather floating through the air, tossed this way and that as it rides the fickle currents of Mother Nature’s whimsy. While the feather is at the mercy of the elements, its previous owner, the bird, is the master navigator of the wind, often buffeted but seldom knocked down. That is the dichotomy of characters in Forrest Gump: many want to be the birds, but more often, we are the feather doing our best to land softly. The masterful exploration and portrayal of the human journey through life, with all the trials and unexpected joys, is what lands Forrest Gump at seventy-six on AFI’s Top 100.

Full disclosure, I have always loved Forrest Gump and adore the full breadth of Tom Hanks’ work. You can sit down, watch this movie, and simply enjoy Gump’s happy-go-lucky journey through significant American historical events. There is a balanced mix of joy and sorrow for a man who, simply put, does not know how to navigate the world other than putting his best foot forward and others before himself. Now, however, watching the film for the umpteenth time since its 1994 release, the artistry and imagery jumped off the screen to slap me across the face. I have already mentioned the importance of the feather; this had always been a vehicle to introduce and exit the titular character, nothing more. My perception, however, changed with this viewing; the feather now represents the unknown course life takes as it floats around under the influence of other forces. This film lives through happenstance, and while the characters’ choices lead to corresponding outcomes, they are simply reactions to the situations in which the characters find themselves. Those situations are too broad with too many variables to be controlled by one person; they are the aggregation of thousands of decisions and preceding events. It is a mirror to real life – we are feathers.

There is more to Forrest Gump than imagery and allegory (I am still digesting the importance of running as a pretty obvious theme); the acting, scene construction, and soundtrack are some of the best you can experience. Tom Hanks is a national treasure and one of the finest actors of his generation. While a significantly recognizable face in cinema, Hanks can adopt a new persona so adeptly, as a viewer you are helpless against the gravitational pull and become completely immersed in what you are watching. Gary Sinise and Robin Wright each bring impactful performances as key contributors to Gump’s life. Sinise will forever be Lieutenant Dan to me, and Wright, as Jenny, gives a haunting portrayal of a life in turmoil. As director, Robert Zemeckis found his muses in Hanks and Wright, teaming up with them again in other projects. Regardless how you feel about his uncanny valley experiments (The Polar Express, Beowulf), Zemeckis has a robust Hollywood résumé and created magic with each rich sequence and exchange in Forrest Gump. The film is gorgeously captivating and accompanied by a perfect soundtrack that follows the era in which each scene occurs. Forrest Gump is the complete package, engaging the senses to create an experience that lasts beyond the credits.

As mentioned, this viewing of Forrest Gump was different for me; it hit at a different level. I have always loved this film and have memories tied to it from the first time I watched it (on VHS, as a rental). Despite having seen the film many times and knowing what happens in each scene, I found something new in its message, so the movie became deeper and even more of a welcomed escape. It encapsulates everything I love about movies. Yet, it is only at seventy-six on AFI’s list, which I have to call out as an unjust slight. I am glad, however, I was given an excuse to see Forrest run once again.