1

ForrestGump
(Comedy/Drama)(1994)
1999byRaymondWeschler

"Lifeislikeaboxofchocolates:Youneverknowwhatyou'regoingtoget." MajorCharacters ForrestGump..........TomHanks Asomewhatslow(notsmart)person,whohappensto beincrediblykind,decent,andoverthecourseofhislife, quitelucky. Jenny..........................RobinWright Forrest'smostimportantfriendfromearlychildhood, remainshisfriendforover35yearsdespitethevery livesthattheywilllead. MamaGump............SallyField Forrest'slovingmotherwhowilldoallshecanto giveForrestagoodlifedespitehislackofintelligence. LieutenantDan........GarySiniese AnarmyofficerthatForrestmeetswhileservinginthe Vietnamwar,whoeventuallybecomesaloyalfriendof Forrest(A"Lieutenant"isamidlevelrankinthearmy). Bubba.........................MykeltiWilliamson Apoorblacksolider,andanotherfriendthatForrest makesinVietnam. PlotSummary ForrestGumpisthestoryofanincrediblykindandgentlepersonwhoisalso whatsomepeoplemightcall"mildlyretarded."It'struethatheisnottoosmart, butheisveryfortunate,becausehehasamotherandfriendwholovehim dearly.ForrestisbornandraisedinruralAlabama,intheSouthernUnited States.Hegrowsupwithhismother,whorentsoutroomsinthefamilyhouseto peopletravelingthroughthearea.

who different

2 Despitehislackofsophistication,andthefactthathewasraisedfarfromany majorcities,Forrestmanagestobecomepersonallyinvolvedinmostofthe criticaleventsthattakeplaceinAmericanHistoryfromthelate1950suntilthe early1980s.ThisincludestheVietnamWar,theWatergateScandal,theCivil RightsandAntiVietnamWarprotestmovements,andtheComputer Revolution.ForrestevenmeetsthreeAmericanPresidentsaswellasElvis PresleyandJohnLennon.Inaway,thismovieisalookataperiodofAmerican historythroughtheeyesofagentlesoulwholackscynicism, butsimplyacceptsthingsforwhattheyare. Ultimately,itisabouttherelationshipsthatForrestdevelopsthroughhislife. Withhismother,whowilldoanythingforhim,withhistwobestfriendsfrom hisdaysinthearmy,BubbaandLieutenantDan,andmostofall,withJenny,his truechildhoodsweetheart.JennyexperiencesthechangesinAmericanculture fromatotallydifferentperspectivethanForrest,eventuallyjoiningthevarious protestmovementsandsubculturesofthe1960sand70s.Butintheend,sheis faithfultoherchildhoodfriend,whosesincerity,kindnessandloyaltyshewould findinnootherperson. Aspecialnoteonlanguageusage:Sincemuchofthemovieisnarratedby Forrest,youshouldbecarefultonotinternalizetheungrammaticalaspects ofhispersonalwayofspeaking.Asidefromtheobvioususeof"double negatives,"Forrestalsotendstoconjugatethepasttenseof"tobe"incorrectly, saying"wewas"insteadof"wewere." WordsandExpressionsthatYoumaynotKnow

ForrestArrivesintowntoseeJenny,andsoontellshestoryof hisearlylifetoanyonewhohappenstobeonthebusstopbench...

I'llbetyoucanwalkalldayinshoeslikethatandneverfeelanything. Acommonwaytosay"I'msurethat..." Hisbackisascrookedasapolitician. Agoodplayonwords:"Crooked"canmeanmarkedby bendsorcurves,butitalsomeanscorruptanddishonest. TheywereintheKuKluxKlan.Theydresseduplikea bunchofghostsorspooksorsomething. The"KKK"isaninfamousgroupofviolentraciststhathas

3 existedintheUnitedStatessincethe1860s.A"Spook"isaghost. Whatareyouallstaringat? IntheSouthernUnitedStates,"youall"operatesasaform of"you,"butnotethatitisalwayspronounced"ya'all." Hehasbracesonhislegs. Aclamporbracethatholdtwoormorepiecestogether. GreenBough,Alabama TheCountyandStatewhereForrestgrewup.Statesaredividedinto counties,thoughmostpeoplearen'tparticularlyawareofthem. Alabamaisinthe"deepSouth"oftheUnitedStates. Mamadecidedtoletthoseroomsout. AratherBritishwaytosay"rentout." Yourboyisdifferent:HisIQis75. "IntelligenceQuotient,"whichisthestandardtesttomeasurea person'sintelligence.AnIQof100isconsiderednormal,whichmeans thatForresthasanIQwhichmaybecloseto"retarded,"orassome people sayinthe1990's,"mentallychallenged." Hemightbeabitontheslowside. "Hemightbealittledumb." He'snotgoingtoaspecialschooltoretreadtires! A"tread"istheoutercoveringofatire,andthus to"retreadatire"istoputanewcoveringonthetire. Yourmamasuredoescareaboutyourschooling. "Mama"isoftenusedformom,ormother,butoutsideoftheSouth, itisusuallyusedonlybychildren."Schooling"canbeanalternative wordforeducation. Meandmamawasonourown. "Wehadtoberesponsibleforourselves,since nooneelsewouldtakecareofus." Therewerealwaysfolkscomingandgoing. "Folks"isaverySouthernwaytosaypeople.Itcanalsomeanparents.

4 Suitcases,hotcases,samplecases. DifferenttypesofcasesthatForrestdiscoversexist.A"samplecase" maybeasmallboxforjewelryorsomeotherproductforsale,butI'm notsureiftherereallyissuchathingasa"hotcase." Hehadhimaguitarcase. UngrammaticalSouthernEnglish:Notetheuseoftheobjectpronoun "him"aftertheverb"had."Avoidthisgrammaticalconstruction, which isusedquiteabitthroughoutthemovie. That'snotforchildren'seyes. Mama'spoeticwayofsaying"childrenaretooyoungtoseethis." Itmustbehardbeingaking. ElvisPresleybecamefamousas"TheKingofRock'n'Roll."

Onthewaytoschool,Forrestmeetsthemost beautifulgirlhehadeverseen,oreverwould.

Mamasaidtonottobetakingridesfromstrangers. Animportantnoun,andtheoneyouusewhenyou wantafriendtodriveyousomewhere:"CanIgetaride?" (You'refluentnow,sostopsaying"CanIgointhecarwithyou?"!) It'sfunnywhatayoungmanrecollects. Asomewhatfancywordfor"remember." Myfirstoutdoorpicnic. Amealpreparedtoeatoutside,ofteninapark. Mylegsarejustfineanddandy. Acuriousandsomewhatoldfashionedexpression meaninggood,orwell. "Stupidisasstupiddoes." Anexpressionthatbecamefamousbecauseofthismovie.Ithinkthis ismama'swayofsaying"Justbecauseyoulookstupid,you'renot stupid unlessyoudostupidthings."Agreatthingtosaythenexttime your boyfriendcallsyouanidiot.Ormaybenot.

5 Wewaslikepeasandcarrots. Forrest'swayofsaying"wewenttogetherwell, andbecamebestfriends." Ishowedherhowtodangle. Aninterestinglittleverbmeaningtohangloosely,orswinggently back andforth.Childrenwilldanglefromaswingonatreebranch, butalsonote thataplanmaydangle,untilsomebodytakesaction.

Forrestrunsfromthelocalbullies,and soonlearnshecanrunlikethewind...

Heydummy! Aninsultwordmeaningdumborstupid. Icouldrunlikethewindblows. Apoeticexpression,usuallysaidwithouttheverbtoblow. Thatboysureisarunningfool. A"fool"canbesomebodywhoisconsidereddumb,oritcanbe someonewhowasmadetolookridiculousinaparticularsituation. HermamahadgonetoheavenwhenIwasfive. Forrest'sonlywaytosaythatsomebodyhasdied. Youbettergetbackhere,girl. Iputthisheresimplytotellyouthat"better"istheonlywordin Englishthatfunctionsasbothanadverb("Iplaybetterthanyou")anda auxiliaryverb(asinthesentenceabove).Shocking,buttrue! Jennywouldsneakoutandcometomyhouse. "Tosneakout"isausefulphrasalverbmeaningto leavesecretly.Notethatthepasttenseis"snuckout." Let'smoveit! Acommonalternativeto"Let'sgo!"Oftensaidbya personwithpowerorauthority,suchasateacherorcoach. ItusedtobeIrantogetwhereIwasgoing; Ineverthoughtitwouldtakemeanywhere.

6 Forrest'sphilosophyoflife Whointhehellisthat? Acommonadditionto"Whquestions"toshowaddedemotion suchassurpriseoranger,butthe"in"isusuallynotused. Justalocalidiot. Afunnywaytosay"amoronwholivesaroundhere." Hemustbethestupidestsonofabitchalive! Usuallyusedasacrudeinsulttodescribeameanorunpleasant person,buthereit'salmostusedasatermofpity.

Whileincollage,Forrestfindshimselfinvolvedinaworldgoing throughgreatsocialchanges,asJennypreparestofollowherdreams.

Federaltroops[are]enforcingacourtorder. Referencetotheincidentin1962,whenPresidentKennedyordered theUSarmytoforcetheauthoritiesofAlabamatoallowtwoblack studentsintotheUniversityofAlabama.Ajudgehadorderedthe admissionofblackstudents,andbecauseofresistanceintheSouthto suchorders,thePresidenthadtousearmysoldierstomakesure that theorderwasobeyed. Coons,Niggers. Verycruderacistinsultsreferringtoblacks. (Ithink"coon"wasshortfortheanimal"raccoon.") TheCommanderoftheNationalGuardandGovernorWallace. WallacewastheracistGovernorofAlabamain1962whorefusedto obeythecourtsbecauseheinsistedtheblacksmustnotbeallowedtogo toaStateUniversitywithwhites.The"NationalGuard"aresoldiers underthecommandofindividualGovernorsofthe50stateswhoare usedintimesofcivilunrest(riots).However,in1962,President Kennedy"nationalized"theguardsothatthetroopswouldfollow hisorders,andthusenforcethecourtordertoallowblacksintothe University.

TheUniversityofAlabamahadbeendesegregated. "Segregation"wastheactofseparatingblacksandwhite. "Todesegregate"istoendthelegalseparationthatexists, inthiscaseconcerningschools. Wasn'tthatGump?::Sureashellwas! Another"hell"expression,usedtoaddemotiontoasentence. Itwascoed. Shortforcoeducational:Animportantwordmeaningthatboth malesandfemalesarepresent.Itusuallyreferstoaschool. Hedidn'tknowanybetter Agoodwaytoexcuseastupidaction! Forest,lookatyou! Comeon! ThemostwonderfulandversatilephrasalverbintheEnglish language,signifyingeverythingfrom"Beserious"to"Please." Here,meaning"let'sgo!" IwanttobeasingerlikeJoanBaez. AfamousAmericanfolksingerwhosungsongs aboutinjustice,warandothersocialissues. Iwanttoreachpeopleonapersonallevel. Jenny'swayofsayingthatshewantsher songstotouchpeopleemotionally. Girls?Isitnexttotheminhomeeconomicsclassallthetime. Aclassinhighschoolwherestudentslearnsuchpractical thingsascookingandmanagingpersonalfinances. I'mdizzy. Thesensationapersongetsafterspinningaroundtoofast; Aconfusedfeelingcombinedwithafearyoumayfalldown. Ibetthatneverhappenedinhomeec. Ashortwaytorefertohomeeconomicsclass.

ForrestmeetshisfirstUS.President,andthensoonafter,

8 findshimselfintheUS.Armywithhisnewfriend,Bubba.

TheCollegiateAllAmericanfootballteam. Theteamcreatedattheendofeachyearthathasthebestfootball playersfromeverycollege.TheyoftengettovisittheWhiteHouse. Imusthavedrunkmeabout15Dr.Peppers. Dr.Pepperisafamousbrandofsoftdrink(sodapop) (Noteagaintheungrammaticaladditionof"me"thatForrestuses). Igottopee. Notehow"havegotto">"gotta"inrapidspeech. "Topee"istourinate.It'ssafertosay"gotothebathroom." Somebodyshothislittlebrother. Oftenusedasasubstitutefor"younger." You'renotevenascumsuckingmaggot! Averystronginsult:"Scum"iswastematerialsuchasthatfound insewersystems.A"maggot"isatypeofwormlikeinsect,or colloquially,adespicableorhorribleperson. ItwasmyinductiondayandIwasalreadygettingyelledat. Thefirstdayuponenteringanorganization.Inthiscase,theUS.army. Haveyoueverbeenonashrimpingboat? Aboatusedprimarilyforcatchingshrimp. IwaslookingtobuyaboatonmyownandthenIgotdrafted. Ifyouaredrafted,youareforcedbythegovernment toenterintothearmyorotherarmedforces. PeoplecallmeBubba,justlikeoneofthemredneckboys. "Bubba"isthestereotypicalnamefora"redneck,"whichisacommon slangwordforacrudeanduneducatedperson.Thestereotypeoften includesapersonwhoisracist,sexistandlikesguns,trucksandbeer. Whateveryoutellme,DrillSergeant! Thearmyofficerinchargeoftrainingnewsoldiers. You'regoddamngifted!

9 "Gifted"isaverycomplimentaryadjectiveforintelligent,orborn with greatabilityortalent.However,notethat"goddamn"isacrude butcommon wayofexpressingemotionsuchasanger(whichsuggests thattheentirephraseissarcastic). Ifitinthearmylikeoneofthoseroundpegs. "Ifitinthearmywell"(Aroundpegisasmallpinusedtoplugahole. Theoppositeof"fittingin"istobe"asquarepeginaroundhole"). JesusH.Christ...I'drecommendyoutoOCS. Forsomereason,themiddleinitialthatisoftenusedwhenpeoplesay "JesusChrist"toexpressvariousemotions.TheOCSwasadivisionof thearmy. Youcanboil,broil,saut....They'redeepfried,stirfried... Bubba'slistofthevariouswaysyoucancookshrimp. Shrimpkabob,Creole,gumbo,stew,salad,burgers. Bubba'slistofthewayshrimpcanbeserved.CreoleandGumbo aretypesofspicysoupthatarepopularintheSouth. Welaythereinourbunks. Anarrowbed,usedinplaceslikearmybarracks, whicharebuildingsusedtohousesoldiers. Getaloadofthetitsonher! "Getaloadof"somethingisacolloquialwaytosay"Lookat..." "Tits"iscolloquialandsomewhatcrudewordforbreasts (It'ssafertosay"boobs,"ifyouinsistonbeingcolloquial).

Jennygoesofftoliveherdreamasafolksinger, andForrestgoesofftotheVietnamWar.

Ourveryownbeatnikbeauty:Let'sgivearoundof applausetothelusciousBobbieDylan! A"beatnik"wasatypeofwriterorartistinthe1950swhorejected traditionalAmericansociety(Theywereatypeofearlyhippieor

10 bohemianwhowereknowntodiscussphilosophyincafes,andwere oftenassociatedwithJazzanddrugs)."Luscious"isaninteresting adjectiveforseductive,orperhapspleasanttothesenses.BobDylanis afolksingerwhobecameveryfamousinthe1960s. Herdreamhadcometrue.Shewasafolksinger. Apersonwhosingsaboutinjusticeandothersocialissues, usuallywithjustanacoustic(notelectric)guitar. Stupidjerk! Agoodwordforidiot,moron,orimbecile, andincertaincontexts,assholeorbastard. Theyweretryingtograbyou! "Tograb"meanstohold,restrainorperhapsseizesuddenly. Hangonaminute. Anotherwaytosay"wait." Justlikethat,shewasgone. Agoodwaytosay"suddenly"(Forrestsaysthisalot). Afterwewinthewar,wecanshrimpthesewaters. Notetheuseof"shrimp"asaverb(like"tofish") Donotsalute!There'sgoddamnsnipersallaround whowouldlovetogreaseanofficer. "Tosalute"istogreetwithagesturerequiredbymilitaryregulation, usuallybyplacingyourhanduptoyourforehead."Snipers"arepeople whoshootatothersfromahiddenplace."Togreaseanofficer"mustbe slangfor"toshootanofficer,"thoughI'veneverheardit. Youbettertuckthatinoryou'llgetitcaughtinatripwire. "Totuckin"istofoldunderneath,asintotuckinthesheetsofabed. (Here,LieutenantDanisreferringtothefactthatBubba'slipsare sobig).A"tripwire"isahiddenwirethatwhentouched,causesa bomb orminetoexplode. ThereisoneitemofGI.gearthatmakesthe differencebetweenagoodanddeadgruntsocks. A"GI."isasolider(Itstandsfor"generalinfantry.")."Gear"refersto equipmentsuchasclothes,helmets,guns,etc.A"grunt"isavery slangy

11 termforasolider,butthiswordwasprobablyonlyusedduring war. theVietnam

TheV.Cong. The"Vietcong,"whowereSouthVietnameseguerrillasfightingthe US. military.(A"guerrilla"isasoliderwhooftenhidesinthejungle). LieutenantDansureknewhisstuff . Averygeneralandcommonwordfor"things." Inthiscase,heknewalotaboutmilitarylife. Goddamnit!Kicksomeass! Here,acrudewaytosay"Gooutandkilltheenemy" Hehadalottoliveupto. Ifyouhaveparentsorotherfamilymembersthathaveaccomplisheda lotandpeopleexpectyoutodothesame,thenthisexpressionapplies toyou.

Forrestlearnsthehorrorofwar:Helosesonefriend,butsavesanother.

Twostandingordersinthisplatoon. A"standingorder"isanorderthatisalwaysinforceandtherefore doesn'tneedtoberepeated.A"platoon"isagroupofsoldiers. IsurehopeIwon'tlethimdown. "Toletsomeonedown"istodisappointthem. WewerealwayslookingforthisguynamedCharley. "Charleycompany"wasareferencetotheVietcong soldiersfightingtheAmericans. Hewasalwaysgettingfunnyfeelings. Inthiscase,suspicionsthattheenemywasnearby. Checkoutthathole. "Tocheckout"somethingisaveryusefulphrasalverb meaningtoinvestigate. Rainthatflewinsideways.

12 Fromoneside(asopposedtofromthetop,orfromthesky). We'reagoodpartnership.Webewatchingoutforeachother. NotethatinthegrammarofBlackEnglish,theprogressivetense ("wearewatching...")isconstructedwiththebaseoftheverb ("Webewatching"). I'llbethecaptainandspliteverythingrightdownthemiddle:Fiftyfifty. Averycommonwaytosaythatallprofits oranythingelsewillbeequallydivided. Andjustlikethat,somebodyturnedofftherain. Forrest'spoeticwayofsaying"Suddenly,itstoppedraining." Mayday!Pullback!Run,goddamnit! "Mayday"isamilitaryandnavigationalexpressionmeaninghelp!or emergency!"Topullback"isagoodphrasalverbmeaningretreat. Bubbawasmybestgoodfriend.IhadtomakesurehewasOK. Notethatthecorrectphraseissimply"mybestfriend." Igrabbedhimupandrunhimoutofthere. "Tograb"istoseizesuddenly,usuallywithyourhands. "Torunsomebodyoutofsomeplace"usuallymeanstochasethem out, butinthiscase,itmeanstocarrythemoutinordertosavethem. WegotCharleyalloverthisarea. "Thearmyhaslotsofsoldiersallaroundhere." Thewholegoddamnplatooniswipedout. "Towipeout"somethingisastrongphrasalverbwhich meanstodestroyit. They'regoingtonapethewholearea! "Nape"isshortfor"napalm,"thepoisongasthattheUS armyusedinVietnamtodestroytheVietnamesejungles. Goddamnit!Getyourassoutofhere! Acrudewaytotellsomeonetoleaveimmediately. Iwanttogotoheaven.::Thatisn't somethingyoucanfindjustaroundthecorner.

13 Ifsomethingisavailable"justaroundthecorner," thismeansthatitwillbeeasytofind.

ForrestreturnstoAmericaasawarhero,but LieutenantDanisnotevensurehewantstoreturn.

Itbitmedirectlyinthebuttocks. Thisisyourass,buttorifyoupreferaFrenchword,derriere.Forrest's pronunciationof"buttocks"isexaggeratedtothepointofridiculous. Nevertakeyoureyesofftheball. Agoodexpressionmeaning"alwayspaycarefulattention" PingPongmademelooklikeaduckinwater. Tobe"likeaduckinwater"istolooktotallynatural. I'mnothingbutaleglessfreak. Astrongwordmeaningaveryabnormalordeformedperson. Youcheatedme!Ihadadestiny . Averyimportantword,inthismovie,andinlifeingeneral: Apredeterminedcourseofevents,orfate,beyondhumancontrol. Iwassupposedtodieinthefieldswithhonor.Youcheatedmeoutofit. "Withhonor"becamecriticalwordstoAmericanpoliticiansinthe 1960s: PresidentNixonsaidhewantedpeace,butonly"withhonor." Honorisanotherwordforrespectordignity. You'vebeenawardedtheMedalofHonor. A"medal"isapieceofmetalthatservesasanaward:TheCongressional MedalofHonorisawardedtosoldiersforgreatcourage. AcandidspeechontheneedforescalationofthewarinVietnam. "Candid"isawaytosaycompletelyhonestorfrank.Inamilitary context,"escalation"isanotherwordforexpansionorincrease. ThisisareferencetoaspeechbyPresidentJohnson,whowasrarely candidabouttheVietnamWar. Goddamn,son,that'sasurprise.

14 Notethat"goddamn"canoccasionallystandwithout"it"oranoun, butit'sstillacrudewaytoexpressemotionssuchassurpriseoranger.

ForrestGoestoWashington,andfindsa nationinturmoil.HealsofindsJenny.

Someofthesepeoplewereloudandpushy. Agoodadjectivemeaningaggressive,ortooassertive. HelikestosaytheFwordalot. Theexpressionthatveryproperpeopleusetoreferto"fuck." Forsomereason,they'dcheer. Agoodexpressionimplyingthatitsnotclearwhysomethingwasdone. Comeon,man! Here,meaning"screamlouder!" ThewarinVietfuckingnam! Anothercolorfulexampleofhowversatilepeoplecanbe intheiruseofthe"Fword."It'srarelyusedasanintersyllabic adjective,butthereitis! That'srighton,man.Yousaiditall! "Righton"isavery60s(oldfashioned!)waytosaygreat,ormore colloquially,cool."Yousaiditall"isausefullittleexpressionmeaning "Yousaideverythingthatneedstobesaid." Getyourwhiteassawayfromthatwindow! Acrudewaytosimplysay"getawayfromthatwindow," inthiscasespokenbyaradicalblacknationalist. He'scool,man. A60scolloquialadjectivethatstillsurvives,meaningsimply"good." Wereheretoprotectourblackleaders fromtheracialonslaughtofthepigs. Radicalrhetoric:An"onslaught"isaviolentattack,anda"pig" isaveryinsultingbutnotuncommonwaytorefertothepolice.

15 Who'sthebabykiller? Inthe1960s,thoseopposedtotheVietnamWarmightusethisterm todescribeanyonefromPresidentJohnsontoindividualsoldiers. He'sthePresidentoftheBerkeleyChapterofSDS. The"StudentsforaDemocraticSociety,"awidelyactivepolitical inthe1960s.Manygroupshavelocal"chapters,"andmost political organizationshadachapterinBerkeley,California,which ishometotheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.

group

Yes,weareagainstanywarthatbrutalizesourblacksoldiers. "Tobrutalize"isaverypowerfulverbmeaningtotreatverycruelly. Ishouldhaveknownitwasjustgoingtobeabullshithassle. A"hassle"isanextremelyusefulwordfortrouble,oraproblem. Although"bullshit"isusuallyacrudenounforliesornonsense, thathereitfunctionsasanadjective.

note

Sorrythatwehadafight,BlackPantherParty. ThiswasaradicalnationalistpartyformedbyAfricanAmericansin the1960s(oneofseveralradicalpoliticalgroupsformedatthattime). Thatuniformisatrip,Forrest. Tosaythatsomethingis"atrip"isaveryslangy waytosaythatitisunusualorinteresting. Shediscoveredwaystoexpandhermindandliveinharmony. A1960swaytosay"shelearnedabouttheuniverseand Howtoliveinpeace." Thingsgotalittleoutofhand. Verycommon:Ifasituationgets"outofhand," itisnolongereasytocontrol. It'sjustthislyingsonofabitch,Johnson. ReferencetoPresidentJohnson,whogenerallylied (perhapseventohimself)aboutthewarinVietnam. That'sonesmallstepforman,onegiantleapformankind. ThefamouswordsofNeilArmstrong,whosaidthis whenhebecamethefirstmantosteponthemoon.

16

Iwasinspecialservices. ThiscanrefertoseveraltypesofforceswithintheUS.military, thoughitprobablyreferstosomekindofsecretspyingorganization.

LieutenantDanbeginstomakePeacewithhisdestiny,andwithForest.

WhenIgothome,Iwasanationalcelebrity, morefamousthanCaptainKangaroo. A"celebrity"isafamousperson."CaptainKangaroo"was afamouscharacterontelevisionwhotaughtchildren. Theygaveyouanimbecile,amoronwhomakesafoolofhimselfonnational TVTheCongressionalMedalofHonor. "Imbecile"isastrongandfunnywordforaverystupidperson. GoddamnblessAmerica! Anangryandsarcasticmodificationof"GodBlessAmerica," whichishowmostAmericanPresidentsendtheirTVspeeches. HaveyoufoundJesus?::Ididn'tknowIwassupposedtobelookingforhim. ManyAmericanChristiansusetheverb"tofind"asawaytodiscuss howoneconvertstoChristianity.Forrest'sresponseisacleverand typicallyinnocentthingforhimtosay. That'sallthesecripplesdownattheVAevertalkabout "Cripple"isaninsultinganddatedtermforapersonwhoisphysically handicapped.The"VA"referstotheVeteran'sAdministration, ortothehospitalsthattheVAruns. I'llgettowalkbesidehiminthekingdomofheaven. ThewayfundamentalistChristiansdiscusstheirliveswithJesus. Whatacrockofshit! Acrudebuttrulyinterestingandfunwaytosay"whatnonsense!" (A"crock"isatypeofpotorholder). Ripple. Abrandnameofhardliquor.

17 He'llbethecaptainandI'llbehisfirstmate. Inanavycontext,thisistheheadassistanttothecaptainoftheship. Nowhearthis,PrivateGump! APrivateisthelowestrankinthearmy(belowSergeant,General,etc.) Didyouloseyourpeckerinthewar? Thisisasillyslangwordforpenis. Loser!Youfreak! A"freak"isaveryabnormalorstrangeperson.Amonstrosity. I'msorryIruinedyourNewYear'seveparty. NewYear'seveistheeveningbeforeNewYear'sday. LieutenantDanfiguredthere'ssomethingsyoujustcan'tchange. "Tofigure"isacolloquialandcommonwaytosaythink ("Tofigureout"isarelatedphrasalverbmeaningtounderstand).

Youmightwanttosendamaintenancemanacrosstheway.Thelights areoutbutthey'reusingflashlightsthatarekeepingmeawake. The"maintenanceman"inabuildingtakescareofthingsliketheheat, lights,etc.Inthisscene,Forrestisreferringtomenwhoareusing flashlightsintheWatergateHotel,which,ofcourse,isareferenceto thebreakinatthathotelwhicheventuallyledtotheentireWatergate scandal,andtheresignationofPresidentNixon.Forrestwas everywhereinmodernAmericanhistory...

Forrestleavesthearmy,buysaShrimpBoatinordertokeephis promisetoBubba,andthengetsveryluckywithLieutenantDan.

Yourdischargepapers.Yourserviceisup. Papersthatofficiallyterminateyourserviceinanorganization. Inthiscase,Forrest'sserviceintheUS.army. Mamahadallsortsofvisitors. Agoodexpressionmeaningvarious,ordifferenttypesof.

18 For$25,000,youcanuseitandseeifitgrowsonyou. Ifsomething"growsonyou,"itmeansthatyoubegintolikeit. Areyoucrazyorjustplainstupid? Aninterestinglittleadverbmeaning"simply,"thatcanadd asenseofdisbeliefandcynicismtothespeakersvoice. IpaidmyrespectstoBubbahimself. "Topayonesrespects"tosomebodyistohonortheirmemory, anditisoftenusedinthecontextofvisitingtheirgrave. Ijustlovedplayingwithmyflexolite. ThenameofthepingpongpaddlethatForrestagreed tosayheusedinordertomake$25,000forpromotingit. Everyoneknewitwasn'ttrue:Itwasjustalittlewhitelie. Acutelittleexpressionforaliethatisbasicallyharmless. Shrimpingistough. Anybusinessthatis"tough"meansthat Itsdifficult,andhardtomakemoneyin. Ionlycaughtfiveshrimp.Enoughforacocktail. A"shrimpcocktail"isadeliciousglassfullof shrimpand(usually)atomatobasedsauce. IthoughtI'dtryoutmysealegs. "Totryout"somethingisgoodphrasalverb meaningtotest,ortoseeifitworkswell. I'llbeyourfirstmate.Iamamanofmyword. Averyformalwaytosay"Ikeepmypromises" I'llbecallingyou"Sir" Theuseof"Sir"isoftenseenasasignofrespect. Helefttheprayinguptome. Toleavesomething"upto"somebodyistoletthemtakecareofit. WherethehellisthisGodofyours? Aninterestingsentencethatexpressescynicismintwoways: Theadditionofboth"thehell"and"ofyours."

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Rightthen,Godshowedup. "Toshowup"isaverycommonphrasalverbmeaningtoarrive. Youcallthisastorm?! Anothergrammaticalconstructionthatimpliescynicism. Inthiscase,itimpliesthatthespeakerisreallysaying "Thisiswaytoosmalltobeconsideredarealstorm." TheentireshippingindustryhasfallenvictimtoHurricaneCarmen. Avaguewaytosaydestroyed(Youcouldalsosay thattheindustrywas"victimizedby..."). BubbaGumpShrimp:It'sahouseholdname. Aninterestinglittleexpressionthatmeanswidelyknown, orinfactsofamousthatitisknowninmosthomes. I'veheardsomestories,butthattopsthemall. Here,meaning"That'sthemostincrediblestoryI'veeverheard." IthinkhemadehispeacewithGod. AgentleandpoeticobservationbyForrest. Heisindisposedatthemoment. Ifsomeoneis"indisposed,"thismeansthattheyarenotavailable (Often saidwhenapersondoesn'twanttocometothephoneordoor).

ForrestreturnshometobewithMama. Wesuregotyoustraightenedout,didn'twe,boy? "Tostraightenout"somebodycanmeantohelpthemintellectually oremotionally,buthereitmightalsoimplyphysically,sinceForrest hadaverycrookedbackasachildthatneededtobestraightened. Don'tyoubeafraid,sweetheart. Agentleandcommontermofendearment.Notetheuseof"you" after "don't"isagrammaticallysuspiciousbutcommonwaytoimply anadded senseofpersonalconcern.

20 Deathispartoflife.Somethingwe'realldestinedtodo. Ifapersonis"destined"todosomething,thismeansthat itiscertainthattheywilldoitsometimeinthefuture. Youhavetofigurethatoutforyourself. "Tofigureout"somethingistotryandunderstandit.Verycommon. Hegotmeinvestedinsomekindoffruitcompany. AclassicmisunderstandingbyForrest:LieutenantDaninvestedthe moneythatForrestandhimmadewiththeshrimpboatsinApple ComputerCompany,alegendaryAmericancorporationthathelped createthepersonalcomputerbusinessinthelate1970s. EventhoughBubbawasdeadandLieutenantDan saidIwasnuts,IgavehismomBubba'sshare. Ifsomebodyis"nuts,"they'recrazy.Inthiscase,his"share"refersto theshareorpartofthecompanythatBubbawouldhaveownedifhe hadlived.

JennyreturnstobewithForrest,onlytoleaveagain,andthusForrest beginshiscrosscountryjourneytodiscoverthemeaningoflife.

Iwouldjabberonlikeamonkeyinatree. Aninterestinglittlewaytosaytalkrapidly,andinanunclearway. Sometimes,Iguesstherejustaren'tenoughrocks. AtypicallyinsightfullinebyForrestontheangerthat Jennyfeelsbecauseofallthepainfromherchildhood.

Shegavemethebestgiftinthewideworld. "Thebestgiftinthewholewideworld"isasetphraseusingthe superlativegrammaticalconstruction,oftenusedbylittlekids. Whereareyourunningoffto? "Torunoffto"somewheresimplymeanstogo. IranclearacrossAlabama. Anunnecessarybutstylisticadverbmeaning"completely."

21 IfiguredImightaswelljustkeepongoing. Acommonwaytosay"allthingsconsidered,Ishould..." YouknowwhenIhadtogo....Ijustwent. Intherightcontext"Ihavetogo"impliestogotothebathroom. I'llbedamned! Acuriousbutnotuncommonlittlephrasetoexpresssurpriseorshock. Itwaslikeanalarmwentoffinmyhead: Here'ssomebodywhohasgothisacttogether. Ifan"alarmgoesoffinyourhead,"youmayhavejustthoughtof somethingincrediblysignificant.Somebodywhohas"gothisact together"issomeonewhoisessentiallylivingtheirlifewellwhile makingapositivecontributiontoeitherthemselves,theirfriends orthecommunity. I'minthebumperstickerbusiness.Canyouthinkofanyslogans? Abumperstickeristhelittlesignthatpeopleputonthebackoftheir cars(onthe"bumper"),thatoftenhasacleverslogan:A"slogan"isa shortphraseexpressingapoliticalorcommercialopinion,suchas "Questionauthority." Shithappens. Aninterestingsloganthatbecameverypopularinthe1980s. Accordingto themovie,Forresthelpedcreateitbysteppinginsome dogshit.Itmeans approximately"Badthingshappeninlife." Haveaniceday. Anothercommonclichfromthe1970s,thatbecameso overusedthatpeopleoftengrewirritatedwhenhearingit! ThisphraseisseenonpostersandTshirtswithasmilingface.

Mamasaidyouhavetoputthe pastbehindyoubeforeyoucouldmoveon MoreGumpfamilywisdom:Youmustaccept thepastbeforeyoulooktothefuture. Onedayoutoftheclearbluesky...

22 Ifsomethinghappens"outoftheblue," ithappenssuddenlyandunexpectedly.

ForrestandJennyreuniteforthelasttime.Forrestsoon suffershisgreatestsadness,andreceiveshisgreatestgift...

Ikeptascrapbookofyourclippings. A"scrapbook"isapersonalbookofmemories,photographs,articles andsoon."Clippings"refertonewspaperclippings,whichareagroup ofspecificarticlesaboutsomeoneorsomething. Iwasmessedupforalongtime. Acommoncolloquialwaytosaytroubled,ordoingpoorly. ("Tomessup"isalsoacommonphrasalverb). Ihavegottogo.I'mdoubleparked. Whenacaris"doubleparked,"itisparkedillegally, ofteninthemiddleofthestreet. He'soneofthesmartestinhisclass. Acommonwayparentscomparetheirkidstoothers. Ihavesomekindofvirus.Thedoctorsdon'tknowwhatitis. Animportantwordinbiology:Atypeoftinyparasiteorbacteria thatoftencausesdiseaseinpeople.Inthiscase,thevirusisasubtle referencetotheAIDSvirus(HIV),whichappearedintheUnitedStates intheearly1980s. Ihavecustommadelegsmadeoftitaniumalloy. Anythingthatis"custommade"ismadespecificallyforoneperson (asopposedtobeingmassproduced)."Titaniumalloy"isatypeof verystrongmetal,usedinthingslikerocketsandothermachines. Itwaslikebeforethesungoesdowntobedonthebayou. Theplacewhereariverentersintoalarge bodyofwater,suchasalakeorocean.

Ihadthathouseofyourfather'sbulldozedtotheground.

23 A"bulldozer"isahugetypeoftruckthatlevels(orrazes)entire buildingstotheground.Thisisapassivegrammaticalconstruction oftherelatedverb. Idon'tknowifweeachhaveadestinyorifwere justfloatingaroundaccidentallike,onabreeze. "Floatingaroundaccidentallikeonabreeze"isForrest'swayof expressingabitofexistentialphilosophy:Tofloatwithoutaparticular direction,inauniversenotofourmaking,fornoparticularreason... I'mgoingtoshowthatatshowandtell. "Showandtell"isthepartofclasstimewheresmallchildrenbring things fromtheirhousesinordertodiscussitwiththeirfellowclass mates(A longstandingtraditioninAmericanelementaryschools).

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ForrestGump
Possible Topics for ESL Class Discussion 1)HowwouldyoudescribeForresttoafriend?Whatarehisbestfeatures?Does hehaveanybadones?

2)Whatwerethemostimportanthistoricaleventsthat ForrestandJennylivedthrough?

3)HowwerethelivesofForrestandJennydifferent?

4)ThisfilmshowsmuchofthesocialchangethattheUnitedStateswentthrough betweenthe1950sandthe1980s:Didyourcountrygothroughsimilarchanges?

5)HowislifedifferentinGreenBoughCounty,Alabama,fromSanFrancisco, California?

6)Whatdidyoulikeandnotlikeaboutthismovie?

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