"Forrest Gump", directed by Robert Zemeckis (1994)

I know this was a very popular film, but not with me. I thought it was excruciating, in extremely bad taste and almost embarrassing to watch. For some inexplicable reason I watched it for a second time, and this only confirmed how I originally felt. Tom Hanks plays a slow-witted boy who bumbles his way through his life without a clue of what is really happening and yet manages to be around for a whole lot of very important events - like the Vietnam War for example. If this is meant as a satire, it doesn't work. It's certainly not a comedy, which I suppose is one thing in its favour because the story of a mentally retarded man is not funny. Neither is it a tragedy - at least it's not written as one. So what is it ? Hanks acts the part very well, and the movie was awarded some Oscars I believe, but to me - give it a miss ! Yuk !