Forrest Gump (1994)

I usually avoid this kind of film but gave Forrest Gump a chance after constant recommendations. Completely converted. Robert Zemeckis transcends genre entirely. It works as pure human drama first and everything else second.

Forrest Gump ended and I sat with it for weeks. The American history theme kept circling back. I'd be doing something mundane and the shrimp boat in the storm would pop into my head. That kind of resonance is rare.

Forrest Gump builds so carefully to its conclusion that when it arrives you feel genuinely moved. The American history thread pays off in a way that's earned rather than manipulative. Couldn't sleep afterward.

The music in Forrest Gump is so deeply married to the images that you almost can't separate them. It stays in your head days later and when you hear it again the emotions return immediately.