*Gump for President* FIRST TIME WATCHING: Forrest Gump (1994) REACTION (Movie Commentary)

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[@Sal_Sal27]

When Forrest was at the microphone, he said, "Well, there's only one thing that I can say about the war in Vietnam. In Vietnam, your best good friend can get shot. Sometimes, when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes, they don't go home at all. That's a bad thing. And that's all I have to say about that."

[@eibbor171]

you lip read ? or just crank up the volume ? lol

[@Sal_Sal27]

@@eibbor171 🤦‍♂️

[@msdarby515]

@@eibbor171 according to Tom Hanks, that's what Forrest said. I wish they'd have left it in the film.

[@selah5241]

@@msdarby515 i know. i wish it was in the movie gosh

[@Naruto31132]

Missed a sentence: "..at all. That's a bad thing. And thats all I..." pretty crucial for the whole message.

[@dubbleplusgood]

It took me a few rewatches over the years before I really clued in to how badly messed up Jenny's traumatic childhood affected her adult life. It wasn't so much that Forrest was too good for Jenny but more that she never felt good enough to be with Forrest.

[@clevelandbci9562]

@x You're joking or missed the point entirely.

[@wfly81]

@x Wait, what? You are the first person I've ever seen try to vilify Forrest. Congratulations, you win the idiot award.

[@msdarby515]

Agree completely. Jenny told Forrest many times to stay away. When she tells Forrest that he doesn't know what love is, the truth is that Jenny doesn't know what love is. She believes love comes with being beaten and hurt and abused. When she does come to stay with Forrest she's suffering from a deep depression. Forest tells us that she sleeps all the time and that he does all the talking and she's just quiet. When she realizes that Forest wants to marry her she leaves because, like most abused people, she thinks she is the problem. She sadly tells him, "You don't want to marry me, Forrest." When I first began watching the "reaction community" I was shocked to learn there were so many Jenny haters. It's nice to see comments from people who've actually thought about the characters and considered their motivation. 💪❤️

[@clevelandbci9562]

@@msdarby515 I like this guy, but him bashing her repeatedly was killing me the entire reaction. Missed the entire point of their relationship.

[@pockit5107]

@x Did you even watch the movie? lol

[@mck318]

It’s Forrest’s son. Without ever meeting his dad, little Forrest had the same mannerisms as him. Jenny had a lot of issues but she wasn’t a manipulative liar. It was never her intention to manipulate or use Forrest and she kept pushing him away for his own good because he was such a pure soul and she was so messed up. But because she was nice to him at a time when no one else was, his loyalty to her was forever. When Forrest looked at her he saw the sweet little girl who said he could sit next to her on the bus.

[@theConquerersMama]

Exactly

[@Trenchcoat3]

So then I guess part of the reason she finally could marry him was because she had finally gotten her life together, I assume something she was forced to do once a baby came along. And I dont mean that in a harsh way. She had every reason for being messed up after what happened in her childhood, that's extreme trauma. But still having a child has a way of making you shift priorities.

[@CrazeeAdam]

mmm. I think a lot of girls who go through what jenny went through as a child believe they don't deserve someone good in their life like Forrest. So...yeah they do what you said. :(

[@thexrevelation05jw]

It's so nice to see someone getting her side of the story. Most just see her as a bad person.

[@msdarby515]

@@Trenchcoat3 exactly. Not only did she have to get her life together for a child, but I think the love she experienced for her child showed her that she had never really experienced love. And the love from Forrest was real love.

[@grendelz]

When he realises its his son, its one of the most tear jerking scenes in movie history.

[@rascality9714]

"Is he like me?" That line hits me harder than any line in the movie. He knew the whole time that he wasn't smart but made it seem like it just wasn't something that registered with him.

[@wittynamehere_]

I have seen this film countless times since it was released. The way Tom Hanks delivers that line makes me cry every time. It is the only time in the film where Forrest lets us know that he is aware of his differences and how much he has hidden his internal struggles all those years. Truly a masterfully well done scene.

[@jasonwall4349]

@@rascality9714 That line alone is what earned Tom the Oscar for this movie. He was brilliant in the whole movie but that exact line to is THE moment for me.

[@msdarby515]

@@wittynamehere_ Such a well written observation. Thank you. You put my thoughts into words just beautifully! ❤️

[@cincinnati6595]

When Tom Hanks' voice cracks when he asks "Is he smart?" Boom, waterworks.

[@5hanesBoard]

Jenny's behaviour is tragically common in childhood abuse victims. You grow up with no selfworth and serious trust issues. If only there were more Forests Gumps in the world to care for all the damaged Jenny's.

[@jannathompson2262]

You literally said the sweetest comment I ever heard😭

[@warrenstemphly5756]

Strip Clubs are filled with Forests.

[@raybrown5587]

Jenny was trash who tried to take advantage of Forrest after she had been run through. You simpin hard af

[@ridgedawson7717]

I'm currently going through this with my female best friend. I swear it couldn't be more similar if we tried. I'm no Forrest, but she's the best thing that has ever happened to me, but she's always running to bad situations like they may save her. I hope someday she can find some peace.

[@joshhill5932]

@CLester Because Dan cleaned himself up and became a better person. The movie is about free will vs. Destiny. If you believe in free will than Jenny is responsible for all of her bad decisions. The fact she was abused does not exonerate her from being a bad person. It might explain why but she still has a choice to change.

[@83gemm]

“That was a pretty good deep fake for back then.” This movie actually pioneered a lot of CGI stuff. It was the first time we had seen it so seamlessly done. Nowadays it’s a little cheesy to see the actor spliced in with real footage, but people were blown away when it came out. My mom was absolutely tickled to death when she saw the real footage with Tom Hanks spliced in. Those were historical clips to me, but she remembered them. She laughed out loud over the “I gotta pee,” thing because it looked so believable. She kept saying, “I don’t know how they did that!!” And then there were Gary Sinese’s legs missing, especially on that boat scene when he swings them over the side. I mentioned seeing him in an interview and how strange it was to see him walk. My dad said, “Well, sweetheart, you know he doesn’t really have legs. He’s walking on prosthetics.” I insisted that, no, they just removed his legs in the movie and my dad was convinced that that was impossible because it looked too real. He later checked and apologized to me for being wrong and he was equally as astounded. If you listen to the director commentary in Shawshank Redemption, they are talking about using a new computer technique to remove actor harnesses on a roof scene. The director said, “Then we saw Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan’s missing legs and we saw what the technology could REALLY do.” People today might not realize it, but Forest Gump was actually a technical wonder at the time.

[@andyg264]

Absolutely. I've said this to others - Forrest Gump is the best special effects film I've ever seen... because you don't even realise you've seen any special effects. I know people who were convinced Gary Sinese was an actor who didn't have legs. The making of documentaries to this and Apollo 13 are both just as entertaining and mesmerising as the films themselves.

[@linoarquiza5433]

I had something else blown when I watched Forrest Gump with my girlfriend.

[@83gemm]

@@linoarquiza5433 That’s hilarious. Not the joke. But the idea that you’ve ever had a girlfriend with a personality like that.

[@linoarquiza5433]

@@83gemm It's okay. I'm sure you know how it feels not to have a girlfriend nor to have something blown.

[@83gemm]

@@linoarquiza5433 I’m a straight female, so… accurate.

[@tazmom0]

People gotta go a little easier on Jenny. She was physically, mentally, and sexually abused as a little girl. She runs from people she's close to because as a child, people closest to her, hurt her.

[@kyraspikes7542]

@Rach I don't think thats the problem. I think that a lot of the narrative about Jenny is implied, and people generally aren't sharp enough or empathetic enough to look past Forest's experience; even though the movie makers provide us with enough material for any mature adult to see what actually going on with Jenny. I probably was fifteen when this movie came out, and I understood Jenny's plight from the get go. Its not hard to string together that Jenny was abused VERY badly throughout her childhood in every way possible by her father, and no one rescued her from it. She had to live with that trauma only to die before she was even thirty years old; the escape she had been seeking for the entire movie since she was five years old. In Indigenous Finnish lore and other Norse, Celtic, and Saxon lore, birds are the guides of birth, death, and the dream world. Jenny wanted to get away from her pain, and it was always the case that either of the latter options would do.

[@yuothineyesasian]

Jenny is in the top 5 movie villains of all time.

[@tazmom0]

@@yuothineyesasian you must be joking. If not, you are crazy.

[@mistercrockett]

I think people get it, she was abused and it’s sad but her behavior due to her upbringing is still a turnoff to everyone outside of her. It’s a true double edge sword

[@jackcinephile7554]

What people don't realize is that characters go through these things called arcs. It's when a character changes over the course of a story, and sometimes they aren't very good people as they change. But a lot of times, characters end up being better people towards the end than they were in the middle of the story. It's called conflict. You need it to tell a good story. In short, I agree with you on Jenny.

[@clevelandbci9562]

"She really needs help..... Bet I know the first person she's gonna ask..." You seriously missed the boat on Jenny, my friend. Forrest is the *LAST* person she'd ask. She was protecting him from her all along.

[@shaynegallagher6006]

Ive met a lot of people with past trauma like jenny had. A lot sink deeper into their mistakes and past traumas and a lot are able to move past them and use their trauma to fuel their need to be better people. It all depends on their character. Jenny's past does not excuse her actions but it does shine light on why she made the mistakes she did.

[@orangeman3220]

she tried to be with Forrest later in life but she discovered that he was way too good for her, and she felt inadequate, so she left him to avoid being a negative influence in his life, even though they loved each other.

[@justinwillingale2086]

@@shaynegallagher6006 A lot of people can’t move past the pain and hurt of the childhood trauma, because it is imbedded within the psych of the person, some permanently more then others. Use it as fuel with chronic depression that comes with it including quit a few mental health disorders, and the medications doctors push onto people to try and help zone them out as it’s the only way that society wants you to deal with it. As long as you self harm and stay away it’s all fine for society as long as no one sees. This of course is not verbalised out loud but it’s there clear as day. Just take a look at how people within each society operates towards indifference of those who have suffered the traumas of childhood sexual abuse and also mental illness that comes from it all. I have to say one thing though do people honestly care or do they care once it affects them and the best solution is to get rid of the problem by burying their bodies under a new foundation so the morally corrupt and without human empathy can dictate to all of us how to live as good citizens.

[@nickevans7477]

I have a theory that Jenny wanted to contact Forrest when she found out she was pregnant but couldn't contact him for over 2 years because he was running and hard to find, and she couldn't go looking because she had a child to care for. When Forrest finally got home, she was able to contact him. Perhaps, her scrap book was her notes to try to find out where he would be. I don't think she was just dumping Forrest Jr. on him just because she found out she was dying. Just a theory.

[@janeldavis905]

Great point!

[@rockerma1987]

Not really, he got letter after some time he was home. Letter will be collected or in mail if she send it before

[@wittynamehere_]

He was definitely Forrest's son. That is why they included the scene where they are watching TV and have the same physical mannerisms. Jenny did a lot of self-destructive things that hurt Forrest's feelings, but she was always his protector. Even while she was hurting herself, she was trying to protect him by pushing him away. She believed he was too good and too pure, and she was tarnished and not worthy of his love. I usually agree with your reactions, but I think that although you recognized Jenny's abuse by her father as a child, you didn't see how it shaped her as she grew up. In addition to all of that, this was not a time period where mental health was really even considered, even after a trauma. We are obviously still not 100% there yet in recognizing trauma and abuse, and we have not gone far enough in removing the stigmas surrounding mental health. But as it pertains to this film, Jenny is really a tragic character who wants love but feels she is unworthy of it. We are supposed to feel frustrated and disappointed by her choices and behavior because we know she is a good person and is worthy of love. That is why we see her through the lens of "reality" with Forrest's storytelling overlapping it. We can trust that Forrest wouldn't love Jenny if she weren't really a good person because he is drawn to good people. Lt. Dan was pretty awful to Forrest several times in the film, but it is excused because of his trauma and because we know he is ultimately a good person in tremendous pain. It is very frustrating when people don't recognize the same in the character of Jenny. The fact that being pregnant and having a child helped Jenny finally confront her abuse and start making healthy decisions, rather than perpetuating the abuse or sinking further into her trauma is something we are meant to be happy about. You are the second reactor I have seen that immediately questioned Forrest's paternity when it was something that was clearly portrayed as certain. Frankly, Jenny had no reason to lie. Forrest would have married her and loved her son as his own regardless of who his father was. Jenny would have known that, too.

[@SmallFryAmI92]

People seem to forget that Jenny was the victim of incest…it’s so frustrating. Only one reactor I’ve ever seen truly understood Jenny. Debating watching this one because I get so frustrated hearing peoples lack of understanding.

[@danielfortier2629]

Agreed!!!

[@that.ll_do_pig]

@@SmallFryAmI92 dang, I check the comments when they're going over the intro just for that particular reason. I've watched so many of these reactions; I just can't sit through Jenny bashing.

[@simsey1000]

Well said. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@kppodcast5698]

Lot of words to say "Yeah, she was a ho."

[@ilove6kies]

You know I totally understand your disdain for Jenny. I didn’t like her character at all when I watched the movie years ago for the first time. But then I understood her better. She was just really messed up and she felt she was unworthy of Forrest and happiness. She did love Forrest and unfortunately it took her a long time to find that out.

[@TangentOmega]

The identical head tilt by Forest and his son is supposed to illustrate that they are related.

[@LiveBeatsDrumBass-Techno-House]

The thing that people don't get about Jenny and her actions is she is a child of sexual abuse. People like Jenny are quite often self-destructive and unintentionally hurt those around them. It takes great strength to live with trauma like that.

[@LiveBeatsDrumBass-Techno-House]

People with this kind of trauma often feel they don't "deserve" to be truely loved by someone good. It's a sh*t world.

[@chrisellis3797]

So many reactors seem to not get this point at all. So maddening that she's so emotionally damaged and everyone seems to thinks she's being a bitch when she isn't. (Intentionally at least)

[@larrote6467]

@@LiveBeatsDrumBass-Techno-House while the first part you said is true the second is bs; it's not that they feel "they don't deserve" it's that they are accustomed to chaos. That second thing is the typical bs that people say to sound noble, and more than anything it shows a lack of respect

[@mailisparrott9186]

And in a time when you probably didn't talk about these things but just took it and let it define you and destroy you

[@djdeemz7651]

My Gf was abused and yeah 3 years into the really good relationship which was really good for her , she destroyed it and pushed me away and I know it was to protect me and her decision hurt her alot I had to just take all this on the chin because luckily I understand she is in destructive period and it's probably best to take a step back but keep in contact and let her know I'm not mad and I'm here if /when she needs me

[@PixelPro-4000]

Jenny wasn't a bad person. Forrest saw that. She was abused, it messed her up. She made poor decisions because of the impact of what she endured as a child. Much like Forrest, her journey took her through a number of challenges before she found her way.

[@psicogames5509]

Agreed, but she was still a bitch for not even trying to help herself until she was almost dead... To me it seems like she "said" "I'm almost dead, don't want to die alone and my son needs someone" if there was no kid... Maybe Jenny would have died alone

[@ryanhurley1298]

People also need to remember that Jenny loved Forrest but was afraid that being with him was akin to taking advantage of him because of his handicap much like she was as a child by her father.

[@deansamos7372]

uh... No. She is. As you get older regardless you know right from wrong so i dont want to hear that crap. Its all about taking advantage of somebody because you can. Billions live on this planet and suffer to no end. things so many of us dont even know but as a human you know the difference. Sorry to say for you shes a terrible human being because she does it more then once so she knows what shes doing!!!

[@chaosdimension6433]

Zero Accountability on her actions??? F*** that

[@haraldisdead]

You don't keep a man from his children. She was a horrible person.

[@msdarby515]

You nailed it, Forrest was too good for Jenny. At least Jenny thought so, and that's why she told him to go away, over and over again. She tells Forrest he doesn't know what love is, but the truth is, Jenny doesn't know what love is. It's important to remember that Jenny always discourages Forrest from having any romantic inclination towards her. Even tells him to stay away from her. When Jenny comes to stay with him she's suffering from depression. Forrest tells us she sleeps a lot, and says he did all the talking, "Jenny just stayed quiet." She finally tells him she does love him, but leaves because she doesn't feel worthy. She sadly tells him, "You don't want to marry me, Forrest." As though she feels she'll only ruin his life. Jenny thought a relationship meant being beaten and used for sex. She didn't understand real love until she had a child. That's when she realized that Forrest's love was the real thing. She can't contact him sooner because he's out running for years. So it's not that she waited until she got sick. She had no way to reach him. We see that little Forrest has the same mannerisms as his father in how they are sitting on the floor watching TV with their heads tilted. But at the end of the day, you're right, even if he wasn't his biological father, Jenny couldn't have picked anyone better to name her son after or to raise him. Regarding your comment about Jenny becoming a bird... *YES!* Do you know you are the first reactor to observe that? To be fair I had to watch the movie a couple times before I realized that birds and flying away defined Jenny so well. She always told Forrest to run because that was the only defense she had, to run away and we see her run away again and again and again. Before Forest goes to Vietnam we see her stand on the bridge, again referencing the bird, we later see her standing on a balcony. So having the birds at her grave was perfect symbolism.

[@GoodAvatar]

Or the feather. Or getting high at every opportunity with every manner of person.

[@LaMonicaWilliams]

I’m always saddened by peoples reaction to Jenny. People just ignore her trauma . Jenny knew she wasn’t fit to be with Forrest . Trauma is lifelong .. she had to fix herself .

[@psicogames5509]

Yeah... But she didn't even try to help herself until she was almost dead... So...

[@AbsoluteApril]

i always understood the motivations for her actions but that doesn't mean i have to like her

[@SmallFryAmI92]

She was the victim of incest. What don’t people understand about that?

[@oliviarogers2808]

@@psicogames5509 she did, once she had a baby. Motherhood is a HUGE motivator to get addicts to clean their act up (not always, but not unheard of).

[@psicogames5509]

@@oliviarogers2808 sure...

[@ReymundoCortez]

FYI Lt. Dan afterwards became huge I mean huge with the military so much the actor started the Lt. Dan Band and goes around honoring veterans

[@adamarens3520]

Gary Sinise, great actor and all around guy 👍

[@msdarby515]

He already supported causes for Viet Nam veterans as far back as the 80s, so it was meant to be for him to play Lt Dan and be so loved by the military community. He's raised millions for charity for the veterans and wounded soldiers. But, other than that, the Lt Dan Band is probably the coolest thing he does. 😎

[@JamesASharp]

Great reaction bro! Tom Hanks' monologue over Jenny's grave is one of the greatest tearjerking moments in the history of cinema. Some people are now saying that this film is overrated. But, it's undeniable that Forrest Gump is a classic.

[@MZ-bl6wg]

Important to remember Jenny and her sisters was abused most her childhood by her drunk father. That kind of stuff she experienced and saw stay with thst child their whole lives and very often create SO much emotional trauma their lives often are train wrecks full of horrible realtationships with the same type of people that her father was becasue of the psychological effect that hd on her in her development years. I’ve had some very close friends and even ex’s that have lived that life and it’s heartbreaking and your able to see the ripple affect of thst trauma in their lives, ALL of it, NO fault of their own , they were taken advantage of by horrible human beings and broken and damaged in their years of innocence. Jenny truly believed forest deserved more than her, she believed she was nothing becasue of how her father made her feel, she runs from horrible relationship to relationship, trusting nobody and always taking hurt and abuse jsut looking for male acceptance . The true daddy issues she and so many others experienced go on and on. It’s great this movie showed she eventually loved herself enough to be with Forrest for her final years. Just my opinion on this but the character Jenny always gets hate but she went through hell as so many do in this world with no help just taking that pain with them. 💔

[@ridgedawson7717]

I always hated Jenny growing up. It wasn't until I met my best friend, and saw the abuse and trauma she herself experienced growing up, and how she went from bad relationship to bad relationship trying to find some kind of love in all the wrong places, that I truly understood Jenny. Now I don't hate her, I feel so terrible for her. Forrest didn't deserve her running away all the time, and the sadness from that, but she wasn't doing it to him on purpose.

[@Trenchcoat3]

Ya the over the top hate for her has always annoyed me a little. I get she can be especially frustrating at certain points in the movie, but its like most people completely forget or dismiss the extreme trauma done to her as a child with how unforgivably harsh their judgements can be. None of this is directed at Caped Informer btw or even any comment I've seen yet in here, I've just seen some really horrible comments about her over the years some of which really didn't seem fair.

[@staple55]

I came here to say the exact same thing.

[@vicentegeonix]

Meh, I understand both sides I understand hating her and understanding her.

[@rodciferri9626]

True - Jenny turned it around completely, despite all those challenges.

[@derekarmunendua5991]

WOW.. There's so much hate in these comments for Jenny. I don't think people understand the long term, life long affects of the things she went through has a on a person.. She was literally treated like a doll, to be used, abused, played with and discarded her entire childhood.. Also, in that era there wasn't a massive platform for victims of sexual abuse to be heard, or support groups to turn to the way there are today. People tried to outrun their demons and lock everything away because of the shame and hate they felt toward themselves. Jenny was a tortured soul who loved Forrest, deeply. Telling Forrest he didn't know what love is was actually her saying "I know you love me, and I love you too, but I also hate myself because because I was never loved and my soul was trampled, therefore I haven't the slightest idea how to love you the way you deserve to be loved" One of the most beautiful scenes in the whole movie is when Forrest says goodbye to her after her death and as he walks away, the flock of birds fly directly to their childhood tree. Like a call back to the scene when they are praying to God to make her into a bird so she can fly far far away.. Jenny became her bird and was finally at peace. Loved and cherished by the one person who was always there for her.. If you walked away from this hating Jenny I would say you missed the entire point of the movie and the entire point of the character of Forrest Gump.

[@wolfkniteX]

One of the neat details in the movie that I heard of recently was that if you notice Forrest's Jersey when he's playing football, you'll notice that it's completely clean compared to the other players because no one's been able to tackle him to the ground.

[@PixelPro-4000]

The movie creators signal that little Forrest is intended to be Forrest's son. You see it when they are watching Bert and Ernie together, and when they go fishing together. They have the same head-tiling quirk, which is meant to imply they are connected.

[@justmeeagainn]

Nonsense. That was not his kid. She conned Forrest into think it was so she could die with the kid financially set.

[@xxsolxx23]

That's what I've always taken from that head tilt. I think it's a jaded and cynical view to have that be a possibility in your mind. Jenny was made the way she was by the people and experience of her life. Forrest was born the way he was. I like to believe that she didn't want to place the burden of fixing her upon him, but then motherhood takes the front seat cause now she has the be responsible for another's life.

[@linoarquiza5433]

@@xxsolxx23 And I think she realized that Forrest had to meet his father before she passed away. On another note, Forrest is a lot smarter than PixelPro 4000.

[@cflournoy1529]

@@justmeeagainn 🙄🤦🏽‍♀️

[@wfly81]

@@justmeeagainn Wrong...that's just your cynicism.

[@monicapyle]

I loved Jenny's character. She was broken from childhood and as most victims do, she struggled with drugs and low self-worth. Unlike many others in her situation, she pulled out of it and realized the love that others truly had for her and became a good mother and loving wife.

[@bipolarewok]

I used to think jenny was the worst but then I realized she's a character that tests your empathy. Even when the bread crumbs are perfectly positioned for people to, probably not justify, but at least understand her decisions and her mistakes, it took a while for me. And I've seen this movie a dozen times. People are a whole world.

[@theartofflying3580]

Jenny was never the villain of the film… her father was. Stole the life she was meant to have with him. She was predestined to run from love… in favour of all the wrong shit. Broken compass.

[@1971tallica]

Jenny's problem is how she was used and abused, 1st by her father, then by every man she met except Forrest. She felt like she was worth nothing and was never going to be worth anything and would just bring Forrest down with her , she had no idea how to love anyone. It wasn't until she had little Forrest and was given one pure good thing in her life she was able to find her self worth to a point and then accepted that she loved Forrest and always had and it was OK to love someone and not expect them to hurt her. It is very complicated and you get snippets of it in every scene she is in. The first thing you see is all she knows how to do is run from anything as she keeps telling Forrest to do , she doesn't know any other way to deal with the pain and bad and it takes her so long to finally figure it out ( unfortunately this is true for too many and some never get to figure anything out) , Jenny deserves pity not hate , she didn't know how to love until it was too late but she gave Forrest 2 gifts before she left, true love and what it feels like , and someone to love and give his life meaning in Forrest Jr. . Forest might not be a genius but I would lay any bet he is an incredibly loving and good father.

[@dene39]

Beat me to it, she knew no better, no love.

[@iceman1833]

Pity? Absolutely not. Sometimes we go through horrible things in our childhood that should only affect our adult lives to a point. If she would’ve seek some help, shake it off, put the past behind her, she would’ve been a very wealthy woman and partially in charge of an empire with the man that has always loved her.

[@dene39]

@@iceman1833 shake it off? You have no clue do you

[@rustyshackleford3939]

Using your own pain to justify hurting others is fucked up.... really pathetic no matter who you are or what happened to you.

[@hollyodell4012]

You know, also, for all these guys who are bashing Jenny, what would they really do if the shoe was on the other foot? Say they had some childhood friend who was the female equivalent of Forrest Gump? Very nice, good person, but had a very innocent, childlike mentality. And maybe they care about her, feel protective of her, but simply don't have romantic or sexual feelings towards her. And if it turned out that girl had romantic/sexual feelings for them, would they automatically just marry her? Would they be *obligated* to marry her simply to keep from hurting her feelings? Would they be allowed to feel conflicted or torn? Should they be called a jerk or an asshole for not returning the same feelings she has for them? I know the dynamic is more complicated than that in the movie, but on a very basic level just because Forrest is the hero of this story doesn't mean he's entitled to get the girl he loves, in the time-frame that he would've liked, just because he's nice and good-hearted. Jenny wasn't just a trophy, she was a full, very complex character going through her own shit, and she's not evil simply because she was unable to give Forrest what he wanted at the times he wanted it.

[@MrQuinn-tc3uo]

One thing you young folks have to realize about 90's films, they were pretty straight forward. And they really dont try to trick you. So, yes, he was his son.

[@Oshidorinohina]

Some did if it was written to be a mystery/drama or a thriller. Look at films like The Pelican Brief or Se7en. But Forest Gump lays it out and that's it because it's intentional.

[@garycollins7750]

At least twice Jenny says to Forrest, “you don’t know what love is” but it was Jenny who didn’t know. She spent her life chasing after men who used and beat her,she went back to Berkeley with Wes

[@k_salter]

I think you hit the nail on the head; it's not that Jenny thought she didn't deserve love, she didn't even know what it was (until she had a child).

[@smokeyverton7981]

Please consider APOLLO 13 (1995) starring Tom Hanks, Gary Sinese, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon

[@governorboltz]

Also, Philadelphia and The 'Burbs.

[@Dad3xyplusx2]

And I love the connection when you remember the line Lt. Dan says that when Forrest becomes a shrimp boat captain, that's the day he's astronaut. 😆

[@clevelandbci9562]

@@Dad3xyplusx2 How the hell did I never catch that??? 👍👍

[@sammybear7100]

@@governorboltz the Burbs is definitely one of my favorites

[@joshgellis3292]

@smokey verton Well, many of the really great media reactor channels do that one. It’s a fantastic movie- But, let it sink in that there’s probably been something like, _half a million_ movies that have been made, since after the 1890s.☺️👍

[@adambedard8641]

One of the only movies I have seen where a packed house gave a standing ovation for almost 2 minutes

[@jimtatro6550]

The scene at Jenny’s grave kills me every time. 😢

[@babysluss68]

same, onion chopping ninjas roll into my house at that exact point every time

[@petemcfeet28]

What most people don't get about Jenny is that her spirit was way more broken and bent than Forrest's spine ever was. The two of them meeting on the bus for the first time and Forrest thinking she was an angel, well Jenny felt his purity and innocence even more. Because hers was lost to her lowlife scuzbucket of a father. JENNY LOVED FORREST WAY MORE THAN FORREST LOVED HER. but. She never felt good enough for him because, in her mind she wasn't pure like him. She loved him so much, that she protected Forrest from his one and only weakness. Herself. And years and years later, she finally figured out it wasn't her fault. Years after that, she found it in herself to forgive herself for not being pure because that was never her fault. It was only then that she could look Forrest in the eye and feel worthy of his love and reciprocate it. That is how absolutely fucking damaging abuse is. It can completely fuck up multiple lives for decades and even generations. That's the true story of Forrest Gump. Don't ever judge Jenny. She was just a sweet little abused girl that no one but Forrest could see how soft and pure her heart was. Pure enough to deny herself of a life and a love she truly deserved and allow Forrest to blossom simply because she had to straighten it all out in her mind, heart, soul and body first. She suffered for years to protect Forrest from her. That, is true love.

[@persephonebonner5733]

There is a saying that I feel fits Jenny so well. "Hurt people hurt people."

[@bixgirl1703]

100% THIS. Im continuously shocked by how few reactors seem to understand the reasons behind Jenny's actions - as an abuse victim, she's gravitating towards the unhealthy kinds of "love" she learned and rejecting all of the real love her formative years taught her to feel unworthy of. She adores Forrest, and has from the start.

[@VelkanAngels]

"What most people don't get about Jenny is that" and then you proceed to repeat what 90% of the comment section is saying, lol. Clearly that's what most people DO get about Jenny. Most of the people who don't are first-time watchers. I hated Jenny when I watched it as a kid. Even still when I watched it as a teen, while being sexually abused by my father myself. It wasn't until I re-watched it as an adult, that I saw it with different eyes. I still hold her accountable for her own actions just as I hold me accountable to mine, but I'm also well aware of how little control one really does have over those self-destructive behaviours (which in turn becomes destructive to those around you, in Jenny's case, mostly Forrest, cause he was the only one who truly cared about her). There's more nuance to it than "she breaks his heart, therefore she's a bad person" or "she was abused as a child, therefore she's not responsible for anything she does". I disagree with both.

[@ryu-ken]

lol no

[@nohbodyhughno1121]

"I want to go home Forrest." One of the most haunting lines EVER...

[@ToniMcGinty]

I echo everyone´s defence here of Jenny. It´s not that she´s too good for Forrest. She thinks Forrest is too pure for her. He is basically the feather from the bookends of the film, floating through time and space, going wherever the wind blows, whereas she, while wanting to be a bird, something that the end symbolises her becoming, spends her life represented by her house: surrounded by evil and tragedy, unable to move, until Forrest tears the walls down. However, ironically, it is her encouraging Forrest to "run", which is basically her life philosophy, that sets him off on his incredible life.

[@brianthom6798]

I'm always surprised by how many people seem to hate Jenny. It seems to me quite obvious that that's not what the filmmakers were going for.

[@ToniMcGinty]

@@brianthom6798 Nor can I understand the reading that a lot of people took away when the film was first released, which made it loved and hated in equal measures (lucklily, not so much nowadays): namely, that the message of the film was "obey your country and everything will go well, disobey, and you´ll die of AIDS". To me, that is clearly not the message. If anything, the film satirises the notion of "the American dream" and the indoctrination involved, and, as I said in my other message, the tragedy of not being able to conform to "the norm", when that is actually what you want. Forrest deserves all he gets, not through his obedience, but through the purity of his spirit and his all-round decency. Whereas Jenny does not deserve what happens to her at all.

[@brianthom6798]

@@ToniMcGinty I didn't know it was taken that way. But, I was like 12 when this came out and I don't think I saw it until a few years after that.

[@ToniMcGinty]

@@brianthom6798 Yeah, sadly true. I was 18 when it came out and saw it opening night. And the film magazines were split right down the middle. The ironic part is the original Forrest, from the novel, wasn´t as pure as in the film. This film and Hanks´ performance are so ingrained in people´s minds that it would no doubt make people furious if they made a faithful adaptation, or one of the book´s sequel, Gump and Co.

[@derekarmunendua5991]

@@brianthom6798 People that bash Jenny have a major superiority complex and are usually narcissists, themselves. The type of people that hold others mistakes over them but never own up to their own, refuse to take accountability for their behavior and cover their ears when you call them out.

[@H2JUD]

I’m a huge fan of you’re good self and you’re channel bro. For the first time ever I’d suggest you rewatch this another 4-5 times. There was tons you overlooked. The assumption he inspired Lennon to write ‘Imagine’, the Watergate Scandal amongst others. You’ll come round to the Forrest & Jenny saga, it’s actually a beautiful love they have, she just didn’t know how to be pure enough for Forrest. Peace from England my man.

[@calliecooke1817]

I'm 61. The events in the story are actually the history of my life. Forrest is probably 10 years older than me, but I remember most of the historical stuff. There were some references that may have been a little before your time. But yeah, they had him in a lot of great historical situations. This is the only movie I have ever seen that could make me laugh and cry at the same time. For that reason, I think it's the best movie ever made. M Z(below) is right. You need to cut Jenny some slack. She is the true tragic figure that balances Forrest's unexpected success. I enjoyed your vid. Thanks.

[@quantumman555]

They never say what happened to Jenny's sisters or why her father went to prison. I think the two are related.

[@Lynn705Hal]

I've seen this movie many times but I never even thought about that. 😔

[@quantumman555]

@@Lynn705Hal pretty dark I know but I feel that even mentioning she had sisters was a strange choice.

[@GoodAvatar]

@@quantumman555 I second that. I *NEVER* thought about that before. They mentioned how *skeezy* he was and that she had sisters, and that scene in the corn fields... Nothing ever got directly stated about all of that, but now that you mention it, I think you're dead on the money.

[@cassieo]

Oh God how horrifying. You’re right. 🥺

[@patrickfoster8335]

Jenny never used Forest. She had issues. And destroyed her life due to them. She didn’t feel good enough to be with him.

[@tomsgrexit]

Thank you! I think she felt like she didn't deserve him and if they were ever together, she would ruin or sully him. Part of that was because of the damage done to her by her father, not only physical abuse but emotional and psychological as well. Then she thought she didn't really deserve anything better, so sought out men like him (whether subconsciously or not).. Sorry for going so in depth, I just think a lot of people mis-characterize or misjudge her (at least at first)!

[@RamsayboltonSnow]

And she did what she told Forrest to do. She was always running away from Her problems

[@jared3868]

She definitely used Forrest at times. In the end she got her life together and he didn't care and they loved each other.

[@hanksilman4016]

She was, in fact, running from her problems. Romantic irony all over the place.

[@Akiraspin]

The excuse all selfish damaged people use to abuse others in their lives. Pathetic. Abuse at childhood has never exonerated anyone from abusing others, and it never will.

[@dastemplar9681]

What’s really beautiful is that Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan) is now one of the most supportive celebrities for veterans. His role of Lt. Dan really opened his eyes to the reality that combat veterans, especially those from Vietnam had to face back in the states. Later on he founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, a non-profit organization that financially supports wounded veterans, first responders, and their families. Between 2011-2021, the foundation has raised over $282 million, built 75 homes for severely disabled veterans, served over 500,000 meals nationwide to the families of struggling veterans, and sponsored over 500 concerts for the troops.

[@petemcfeet28]

"That boy cleared that field in a pair of slacks. And a button up." Shit man, it's St. Patty's Day. That comment made beer shoot out my nose. Nice reaction! Cheers!

[@megdelany5688]

Jenny was physically, sexually & emotionally abused by her own father. A man who was supposed to protect, love & care for her upbringing. This shattered Jenny's self-worth. She never thought she was good enough or deserving of love, especially from a such an honest, caring person as Forrest. Is it your opinion that broken people aren't worth our time? It took Jenny a long time to heal. After she had little Forrest, she finally realized she had a life worth living. She did not immediately go to Forrest after she had the baby & ask for money or anything. She worked as waitress & scraped by. We do not know if she knew of her health condition before or after she wrote to Forrest. Jenny may have been running away from herself all this time, but she never lied to Forrest. He was definitely his son.

[@sannaolsson9106]

I agree. Bit the reason she didn't tell Forrest about his son is simply because he was out running at that time. She couldn't reach him.

[@Pakicetus_]

I would have preferred that she ended up as a friend but not as a wife yikes

[@samanthanickson6478]

@@Pakicetus_ this was her opportunity to do the proper thing in her life and forrest’s. marriage was the respectable union that forrest would’ve expected them to have. he wanted the absolute best for her and wouldn’t accept any less, and she was finally able to accept the best from him, and for herself. she was finally ready.

[@Sully2001]

Every time I watch someone react to this I gotta say it: 1) I fucking love this movie and 2) No matter when/where, Forrest talking to Jenny after she passed always makes me cry😭❤️

[@rayharley597]

It always breaks my heart that people so misjudge Jenny; abuse stays with you your whole life. Some people never get to break free enough to actually live. Jenny finally got to experience a little of that freedom before she died. I don't think I could ever have watched this a second time if she hadn't. and we got the metaphor of her getting to fly free like a bird at the end. My favourite moment though is when Bubba's mom gets that money from Forrest; sometimes I cry as well as grin like a loon, kerk

[@ellaphx]

I think I need to stop watching Forrest Gump reactions, I find it too upsetting to watch people consistently demonize Jenny 😥

[@mckill85]

Awwww. I haven't seen this film in years but I think that's because I know how emotionally draining it is so I always have to be in the right frame of mind to watch. Tom Hanks is such an incredible actor. Really nice seeing you react to this film 😀

[@theConquerersMama]

It's such an emotional thing for me I really have to prepare myself.

[@Vikinggirl1679]

Forest Gump dominated the Oscars that year. Tom Hanks won for best actor. Gary Sinese ( Liutenit Dan) got best supporting actor. I believe Robin Wright was nominated for best supporting actress. I was mad Sally Fields wasn't up for best supporting actress and bubba wasn't nominated for an award. Such a talented cast. The movie 2on best picture, best director, best cinematography, and best musical score. Tom Hanks has won several Oscars in his career. One hell of an actor. Thanks for reacting and take care.

[@alphamorion4314]

[18:48] "I think he's too much for her" Exactly, and most probably Jenny also felt that way. Remember that saying, "We all receive the love we think we deserve"? Because of her childood experiences, she probably felt like she only deserved abusive douches. Also, there's something else that's rarely discussed: when we are talking about someone like Forrest, what's the line of consent? Where you draw the line between accepting that kind of innocent love and take it to the 'next level', and when instead is morally complicated? In addition to her own childhood trauma, she always had to struggle also with that concept when it came to Forrest.

[@adriennerobinson8984]

Jenny never used Forrest, she loved him as a friend but wasn't in love with him as they were never a couple. She had her own issues with her child abuse trauma that led to her to make bad decisions and have unhealthy relationships with men. She felt like she didn't deserve the kind of love Forrest could offer her and couldn't give him what he needed and she kept running away because that's was her way of dealing with her issues. Also little Forrest is Forrest's son. She probably didn't tell him because she didn't want him to feel obligated. In the end, she told the him because she was sick and wanted to give her son a family and probably felt she might die so their son would have his father to take care of him. Jenny was a tragic character but I not a terrible person as many viewers make her out to be, she befriended Forrest when nobody else would, never judged him because of his disability and accepted him for who he was.

[@savagesupreme921]

Love your reaction bro. I think a lot of us who first watched this movie initially hated Jenny because all we saw was how hurt Forrest was but we didn't see how hurt Jenny was. It took a lot of rewatching and watching a bunch of reactions for me to ease up on Jenny so I don't blame you because a lot of us felt the same.

[@babyfry4775]

Love this movie. As others have said please don’t judge Jenny too harshly. She was so abused that she didn’t feel good enough for Forrest’s pureness of spirit. Usually sexually abused women keep choosing abusive men because they felt like they deserved the abuse. It’s hard for them to feel loved and Jenny probably couldn’t handle Forrest’s love for her, until she had her son and knew she was sick. It’s a beautiful ending because she finally got some happiness. I felt bad for Forrest because he lost Jenny but he gained a son. Good reaction CI. 😀

[@kdavidson1386]

When it came to Forrest and Bubba in the Army and being "targeted" as you pointed out is historically accurate. Look up "McNamara's Morons" and you'll understand why he is there. The Army at the time ran an experiment where they took low IQ men and threw them in the military to fight in Vietnam. Its a really sad, overlooked part of our history that no one even knows happened, let alone realize that its apart of this movie. They suffered extremely high casualty rates in comparison to more "normal" IQ soldiers and were subsequently abandoned by the Govt. when they returned home.

[@GoodAvatar]

I was just about to mention McNamaras Morons, and yeah... That particular chapter of American Military History is both... Grotesque and tragic. Much like Vietnam itself, now that I think of it.

[@walker1tnranger]

@@GoodAvatar The entire history of the United States is grotesque and tragic.

[@bigredtlc1828]

Makes you wonder who the "smart" people really are. FG is an inspirational, aspirational character. Your analysis is spot on. We make so much in our lives so complicated and he just did things and never stopped experiencing life. Tom Hanks is an amazing actor.

[@Soggyoldsock]

Never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

[@scatreed]

I think Jenny stayed away because she knew she was mess and didn’t want to drag down Forrest. He wouldn’t have done all those great things if he was trying to help her get over her past. He needed to be free to do all those amazing things that made this such a good movie.

[@kevinkuptz7397]

no , she left because she learned when she was young with her dad to run away . That was her answer to problems was to run . When the kids picked on Forrest she told him to run away . So whenever things in her life got real she would just " run away".

[@wfly81]

I think you're both right. Jenny runs from her problems, and keeps people at arms length because of her father's abuse. But she also keeps distant from Forrest because she knows she's a mess and doesn't want to hurt him. But she loves him, so she keeps coming back and ends up hurting him anyway.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

For all of Jenny's faults and all the ways she abused Forrest, she was always genuine and honest. I don't believe it's that hard to piece together her having a son, then getting sick, and her realizing that he needed to be with his father before she died. The lack of compassion I've seen on these reactions to a little kid who was seriously abused by the one man in her life she was supposed to be able to trust, is staggering.

[@REChronic54]

I know right? How do people always manage to misinterpret her character even though it’s all laid out? I think people just can’t emotionally comprehend Jenny’s actions. It’s easy to make her as just a bad person because in real life, a lot of people would cut ties with her for her actions.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

@@REChronic54 AND, people seem to also miss the fact that she was being shown unconditional love when she least deserved it. Something we all need to be better at. They show her the opposite - hate.

[@modnarer]

I lost my father a year ago this month, this was one of the first movies i remember watching with him. He always wanted to be a cameraman for Hollywood, but he dropped out of college and adopted me when he c feel in love with me and my mom. I miss that innocence, and i miss him. If you are reading this, hug someone you love. Its an important message my dad wanted to send. A hug goes a long way. I love you dad, i miss those hugs.

[@msdarby515]

❤️

[@Cifer77]

I get the animosity towards Jenny, but like you said she's a trainwreck, she's not good for him, and she KNOWS THAT. That's why she rejected his affection for so long, she felt she would only hurt him. Yes you could argue she used him to get clean, by coming back and staying with him, then leaving, but that's also a sign of trust. He's literally all she has, the only one she can trust does mean something. She started to open up but in the end went back to her instincts, run from him to avoid hurting him, she knew he deserved better than her. After having his kid and realizing she was dying, even if she wasn't really in love with him (but I think she was by then), she spent the rest of her life giving him what he wanted, her. While ensuring their son would be raised in a good life, his life.

[@Cifer77]

As a big fan of this movie, and seeing opinions and theories for years, the theory of Jenny using him is very common. But there isn't much doubt that's Forrest's son.

[@Britcarjunkie]

The lessons to learn from this story: NEVER limit yourself. If you limit yourself, you're admitting defeat before you even try to succeed. Also, there's no reason to not be nice to people.

[@briancorkery4083]

Pure of heart. Taught Elvis his moves. Served his country Gave Lennon inspiration Put the spotlight on Watergate Became a success in business Became a dad Got the girl. Did it all, by being himself. Eloquently narrated … Forrest did his best, despite everything.

[@ToniMcGinty]

There is no doubt in my mind that Forrest Jr is his son. Jenny always loved Forrest. It´s just that the circumstances of her childhood left her feeling worthless and incapable, or even undeserving of love. She was a victim of trauma, and probably felt that, despite her love for him, or because of her love for him, she was in fact saving him by running away. And having Forrest Jr. made her realise that she could love and be loved, and that was when she finally accepted Forrest into her life. Although funny as hell, the film is really, to me at least, a tragedy. An amazing love story truncated by the ills of society, only to be resolved when it´s basically too late. And that final shot of Forrest, sitting at the bus stop looking lost, when you just know he´s going to sit there until Forrest Jr. comes back, tells us that, despite having all the wealth that most of us could only dream of (even after giving much of it away), the only thing he ever really wanted was love. Although he has lost Jenny, he now has that in Forrest Jr., and he´s going to stay at that bus stop and wait for him because he no longer has a reason to run.

[@MrsNiaboo2000]

It always boggles my mind how certain kinds of people completely gloss over Jenny's terrible childhood of BEING SEXUALLY ABUSED BY HER FATHER. Hence her issues throughout the rest of her life. Hence her treatment of Forest (which by the way...isn't bad until she sleeps with him then leaves, that was sh*tty) but any other time she is pushing him away due to her own issues. She is hurting herself first and foremost. So damn blind. Now rewatch it with a new lens.

[@larrote6467]

what amazes me is how little empathy people like you show,; you're just projecting and don't really respect nor understand trauma or how it works.

[@wittynamehere_]

Nia, you said it more succinctly than I did in my comment, but I agree.

[@angelagraves865]

It's true. I have yet to see someone react to this movie, and I've watched quite a few, who has any understanding of Jenny and why she was the way she was.

[@hillarymead]

Honestly the only reactors I see that watch this and understand Jennys character are women. Men reactors rarely get it.

[@gazerglare4718]

I'm almost wandering if she slept with him because she thinks that's what love means. Being abused sexually as a child by your parent can sometimes have you think that's what love is. I don't think she slept with him as a selfish act personally

[@ilove6kies]

It is a seriously underrated movie but please react to “Catch Me If You Can”, starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Spielberg. Watch it you will not be disappointed.

[@Lynn705Hal]

Watched a couple months ago. 👍

[@rcanacci]

Was going to recommend the same!

[@doggiewater]

I love the way you take the movie apart, this is why I watch you!! Did you catch how he and John Lennon basically wrote the song Imagine while they were don the tonight show??

[@qwi2311]

Beautifully written and one of the best soundtracks ever. It’s an unusual story because Forest never changes. Every character around him changes because of him.

[@derekarmunendua5991]

The way Lieutenant Dan looks at him on his wedding day and just slightly nods at him as if to say "you're my hero" gets me every time. He truly believed he was meant to die on the battlefield but thanks to Forrest's loyalty and good nature, he came to look at life through a different lens that he had never viewed it before. He found love and strength to overcome his insecurities and anger at the world and become a better man.

[@Lexi_Zone]

I don't think Jenny was messing with Forrest in her dorm room. If anything, I think maybe she felt guilty afterwards, like she might have tried to take advantage of him the way she'd been taken advantage of by herself. _Should_ she have felt that way? I guess not. It's not good to infantalize people just because they're not neurotypical. But I can totally understand Jenny, at that stage in her life with with the baggage she was carrying, feeling that way.

[@ticozayas6430]

One of my favorite movies, and man when he meets his son, and his first concern is if he's like him, and then when he's talking to jenny's grave just waterfalls of emotion... Forrest is a pure light in a very dark world, we need more ppl like Forrest

[@hgbugalou]

I saw this movie 3 times in the movie theater when it came out in my teens. It definitely inspired me to never let anything stop me from achieving happiness.

[@clevelandbci9562]

Dude, you trashing Jenny was killing me. She never once intentionally "used" Forrest. She knew he was wealthy for years and never took a dime from him, not even child support. It took her dying to reach out to him.

[@hollyrochelle6441]

Yep it ruins the reactions for me. I appreciate those who understand trauma and understand jennys actions more so much more then the ones who just bash jenny the entire reaction. She was raped by her father. Feeling love for a man terrified her, because she loved her father.

[@amazingusername8925]

No he is right, she was a twat!

[@clevelandbci9562]

@@amazingusername8925 You're obviously a youngster, so I won't hold your ignorance against you.

[@clevelandbci9562]

@@hollyrochelle6441 Yes ma'am. She spent her life protecting Forrest from herself.

[@Strider91]

But she did use him. . . And hurt him. So there's that

[@JohnnyRychous]

One of my favorite movies of all time. Great reaction man! 👊😎

[@Subxenox15]

It's funny how Forrest and Jenny have so much, yet so little in common. They both went on CRAZY journeys, and went so, soooo far away from home...Only to end up right back where they belong. We only got to see Forrest's side of things, I'm sure Jenny's adventures weren't as exciting as Forrest's, but for sure very dark.

[@Pixiwish]

This reaction was great. It felt very genuine you never tried to over do anything it was just natural. Well done!

[@TenTonNuke]

People focus so much on why Jenny treats Forrest so poorly they fail to understand why Forrest treats Jenny so kindly. His heart is so pure and innocent that his love is unconditional. He doesn't ask for anything in return. Both Lt Dan and Jenny, he loves them unconditionally until they stop feeling like they're unworthy. We should all strive to be so selfless.

[@johnanthony2333]

I've never understood the disdain so many people have for Jenny. Jenny didn't know how to accept true love from men. I get the love for Forest, but her character was sexually abused by her father, which can scar women for life and lead them to gravitate towards abusive men.

[@LiveBeatsDrumBass-Techno-House]

Very very true. Jenny's story is one of tragedy while Forest’s is one of triumph against adversity. Still a great film after all these years. It’s such a shame people don’t get the whole Jenny backstory.

[@vinchinzo594]

Oh well here, I'll help you understand it. You are not absolved of your sh**ty actions because of your past. You don't get to string along the most kind innocent soul on the planet for literally your entire life, while you chase pleasure and 'escape' because oh poor me I had it so rough, and just never be criticized for it. No. Jenny was awful her entire life, and then turned it around at the end so at least that's good, but even then you could (strongly) argue that it was only because she knew for a fact she was dying and also knew for a fact that Forrest would wait on her hand and foot, and raise their child. She had nobody and nothing left. To think she truly and fully realized the error of her ways is definitely reading something into her character that just isn't there.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

100% agree. Some people just don't get it. They seem to forget how she was his ONLY friend (Forrest's words) and the only person to try and protect him from bullies. But because she wasn't in love with him the way he was with her and wanted to escape Alabama and follow her dream of being a singer she seems to get known as one of the most hated characters in film by some deluded people. Some people just love to judge without thinking

[@Ailurophile1984]

@@vinchinzo594 I wouldn’t bother. There’s no getting through to Jenny’s gigantic simp squad. To them damaged female characters all have less free will and agency than children

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

@@vinchinzo594 so Jenny was awful all her life huh? Even when she was the only kid to show Forrest kindness? his only friend through high school while everyone else bullied and mocked him? Jenny wanted her own life but apparently she isn't worthy of it in your eyes huh? I hope you don't get altitude sickness up on your high horse there bub

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 6 Oscars including Best Picture.

[@tomsgrexit]

Your thumbnail with Forrest and Bubba looks like this movie is a love story about them and I can't stop laughing even though that scene is actually heartbreaking in the actual movie!! 🤣😭

[@andreachilton6037]

Funny thing about Lt Dan. He tells Gump if he's ever a shrimp boat captain, not only will he be Gump's first mate, but also "then I'm an astronaut". Hanks and Sinise went on to star together in Apollo 13... as astronauts.

[@andreachilton6037]

There's also more foreshadowing to Apollo 13 when Lt Dan and Gump meet up at the end and Lt Dan says "it's what they use on the space shuttle".

[@howardweinstein1324]

Tom Hanks back to back Oscars, well deserved!

[@stoneiousprime]

Time for The Green Mile if you haven’t already. Another perfect Tom Hanks movie. I personally don’t trust anybody who doesn’t cry during that movie.

[@Jilson324]

I consider this the greatest movie of all time, I watch it in full at least once every four months and I watch reactions to it all the time. This has been the best reaction I have seen, you really see past the face value of every scene. I loved it, thank you bro.

[@michelletrainor7096]

Each little story is true including the boy in braces teaching Elvis to dance, the Vietnam veteran who saved his platoon based on Roy beneviedez six days in hell, the veteran and hippy meeting during the protest at Washington monument, man who ran across America just cause he felt like it,the one fishing boat that survived a hurricane etc the writer saw all the stories and thought how amazing they would be to happen to just one man. Amazing movie an all-time favourite

[@ollie511]

Hi Michelle Trainor! Forrest Gump is certainly a unique film, and the little stories it tells are a big part of that! I also think this movie is a cinematic masterpiece because it has a great balance of many genres of film (Drama, Comedy, Romance, "Coming-Of-Age", War Film, etc...). And the performances are all VERY good, especially from Tom Hanks (and Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan is another personal favorite for me). Overall, I just find Forrest Gump to be very inspirational, and also, my brother has Autism, which helps me connect with the movie even more (I know Forrest did not have Autism, but him and my brother can relate a bit in that they are both disabled). I also just want to mention that Last Year, I actually posted a video on my KZbin channel that was almost like a tribute video to Forrest Gump (though I called it a Mashup). You see, there's a band named Family Of The Year, and they used their hit song "Hero" for Richard Linklater's 2014 movie called Boyhood. For my video, I used "Hero" as background music while showing various scenes from Forrest Gump. Aside from matching song lyrics with movie scenes, my intention with the video was to try and create something unique. If you have a few minutes sometime and are interested, here is a link to that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haOQpHyfg6aBj8k If you don't check it out, no worries at all! I won't be offended! But thank you so much in advance if you do see it! I hope you have a great day today, Michelle! And please stay safe too!

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I think the reason people don't like Jenny deep down is they don't like the fact that she doesn't love Forrest the way he loves her. And that's a silly thing to dislike someone for. You can't MAKE someone feel that way, you're either attracted to them romantically or you're not. Unfortunately childhood trauma of the type she experienced can produce people who subconsciously seek that type of abusive relationship again as well as self destructive behavior, couple that with the 60's hippy movement and it's no wonder she went down that road After being the only kid to befriend Forrest in high school she gives him the best gift she could ever give him in his son. It gives Forrest purpose and joy for the rest of his life. People need to realise that Forrest NEVER hated her and because she went on to lead her train wreck of a life he went on to have arguably the most interesting life of any human being has ever had as well as being charitable and kind to everybody he met

[@theConquerersMama]

❤️

[@theConquerersMama]

Nevermind that ultimately Forrest is just one more person who wants her romantically. Granted he is nice. But from Jenny's point of view, it's always about her body when it comes to any kind of love.

[@jamessalisant5710]

Everybody always gives a lot of crap to Jenny. The way I see it, She's also very much in love with Forrest from the beggining, but she grew up as a victim of abuse, thats way she keeps finding guys who treats her bad, thats normal for her, and she knowns better that anyboy else how good Forrest was, so I belive that in her mind, she didn`t deserve to be whit him and thats why she always went away, but in the end she finally was able to reconcile her trauma and her feelings for Forrest. I think Forrest would have take care of Jennys kid even if he wasn`t his son, and she knew it, so it woukd have no pourpose for her to lie to Forrest about the kid beeing his son. Well, thats my take, i don`t know if thats right, but thats hoe I always saw it.

[@msdarby515]

Agree with you 💯! I would only add one more caveat. Victims of abuse are often told everything is their fault. "You made me lose my temper and hit you.". So I think Jenny really thought SHE was bad and that is why she told Forrest that he didn't want to marry her. I think you are right about her motivation, I just think mine adds another layer. And yes, Jenny newforest would take care of any child. Jenny was messed up, but she wasn't a bad person. We only see her being a good friend to Forrest. Not a liar, not a manipulator.

[@razkable]

People don't like how she jerks him around but she's mentally above him...that's how it goes usually...woman don't like innocent dumb naive men..they like hitching their wagons to men stronger smarter than them...for support...intellect matters...girls don't like to take advantage of men who have the iq and emotions of a teenager...it's creepy for them..they like men who know how to please them without asking for it who are aggressive not kind

[@razkable]

@@msdarby515 at least she's straight forward with him...she tells how it is..guys love to force girls to be with them and media loves to paint that as a good thing cause it's true love especially if it saves you from a bad mate but that's her choice and in reality they don't have to listen to you...move on and be happy....can't save the dammed...you deserve better

[@curtisbme]

Yes, that is correct. It is more surprising to me that anyone is confused by this.

[@daniellelsogb]

This movie is legendary for a reason. Its honestly beautiful

[@ollie511]

Hey Danielle Apple! Forrest Gump is a movie that has a special place in my heart! I think a big reason why it is a cinematic masterpiece is that it has a great balance of many genres of film (Drama, Comedy, Romance, "Coming-Of-Age", War Film, etc...). And the performances are all VERY good, especially from Tom Hanks (and Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan is another personal favorite for me). Overall, I just find Forrest Gump to be very inspirational, and also, my brother has Autism, which helps me connect with the movie even more (I know Forrest did not have Autism, but him and my brother can relate a bit in that they are both disabled). I also just wanted to mention that Last Year, I actually posted a video on my KZbin channel that was almost like a tribute video to Forrest Gump (though I called it a Mashup). You see, there's a band named Family Of The Year, and they used their hit song "Hero" for Richard Linklater's 2014 movie called Boyhood. For my video, I used "Hero" as background music while showing various scenes from Forrest Gump. Aside from matching song lyrics with movie scenes, my intention with the video was to try and create something unique. If you have a few minutes sometime and are interested, here is a link to that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haOQpHyfg6aBj8k If you don't check it out, no worries at all! I won't be offended! But thank you so much in advance if you do see it! Have a great day, Danielle Apple! And please stay safe too! :)

[@rickwilliams6904]

Yeah one of the funniest things about the film to me is how the drill sergeant, who you would think would be tearing him apart, thinks he is an absolute genius and treats him like a MVP.

[@danielfortier2629]

Great reaction! I enjoyed your comments, although I don't agree with you that Jenny lied about Forrest being the father of her son. Remember, she named him Forrest, that wasn't for nothing. AND when Forrest arrived at her apartment she apologized for all the things she had done to him in the past because she "was messed up". Just her appearance shows she really did clean up her life, so I believe her. I believe she is finally being honest and straight with Forrest.

[@The_Bleeze]

Two underrated Hanks movies that never seem to get any love in the reactor spheres: "Road to Perdition" and "Charlie Wilson's War"

[@TheFilbert13]

I think a lot of people even here are missing a big part about Jenny. She was abused in her childhood and had a ton of trauma. She was used like a lot of victims are. What the move shows but doesn't tell about Jenny is she always loved Forest. But every time she got close or crossed that line from friendship she felt that she was becoming her father and abusing Forest. The audience knows Forest, but with in the movie he is still someone who is intelligent but clearly is a bit off. He is someone who many people around him think is stupid or wouldn't assume is able to take care of himself. Jenny feels that if she gets in a relationship with him it is taking advantage of someone who wouldn't know any better. Just as in the real world to say it bluntly a "normal" shouldn't get into a sexual relationship with someone who does have certain mental syndromes. It's not until the end of the movie when Jenny truly comes to terms and knows she isn't abusing Forest. This man is a war hero, does so much good, created a multimillion dollar company, etc He is smart, caring, and emotionally intelligent. He maybe different but he is fully capable of understand love and receiving love.

[@ollie511]

Hey Filbert McFibs! Regarding Jenny's character, You bring up great points about her! I'm actually pretty interested in Psychology and what you are saying makes a whole lot of sense to me. People who hate Jenny should really direct the Monster label to her abusive father instead. When I was younger, I definitely didn't understand how Jenny was also "running" but not in the literal sense like Forrest did. And I think the contrast between Jenny's path and Forrest's path is what makes this story so special! As for this movie itself, I just find it to be very inspirational, and I also quote it all the time! And my brother actually has Autism, which makes me connect with the movie even more (I know Forrest did not have Autism, but him and my brother relate in that they are both disabled). I also just wanted to mention that Last Year, I actually posted a video on my KZbin channel that was almost like a tribute video to Forrest Gump (though I called it a Mashup). You see, there's a band named Family Of The Year, and they used their hit song "Hero" for Richard Linklater's 2014 movie called Boyhood. For my video, I used "Hero" as background music while showing various scenes from Forrest Gump. Aside from matching song lyrics with movie scenes, my intention with the video was to try and create something unique. If you have a few minutes sometime and are interested, here is a link to that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haOQpHyfg6aBj8k If you don't check it out, no worries at all! I won't be offended! But thank you so much in advance if you do see it! I hope you have a great day today, Filbert McFibs! And please stay safe too!

[@mikecarew8329]

Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan) became close with vets after his performance, and to this day runs a charity that houses wounded vets in paid-for handicap accessible homes, etc. He and his Lieutenant Dan Band play at USO concerts in war zones, etc.

[@robynhurley5119]

He became an advocate!

[@Kim-hc5si]

You GOTTA do ‘Castaway’. 👏👏👏😊

[@gizmog]

I love this movie and absolutely loved your reaction Caped Informer, you just got yourself a new sub!

[@muhest]

Throughout her life, Forrest was the one pristine, pure thing in Jennys life. To her- he was the innocent soul, she wouldn’t dream of corrupting. I think she really saw him as the one true pure existence in her life. A safe haven.

[@MarkArandjus]

It's incredible how no matter how many time I've seen this film I will always choke up with some scenes, that's a very rare thing for a film to not get old like that.

[@nbtc971]

It was absolutely his son.

[@docbearmb]

Ease off on Jenny. She knew she was broken, lost her sense of self worth from the abuse of her father. And she knew she was no good for Forrest. She always loved him but had a world of problems.

[@stevenschmidt3464]

I think its funny how many ppl hate Jenny in this movie instead of sympathizing with her situation. I think its beautiful that he never gives up on her no matter how messed up she gets. I understand that she needs to be responsible for her actions but not many would understand the damage her father did to her. Great reaction to a great movie!

[@lordwalker71]

The blonde girl on the school bus who wouldn’t let Forrest sit down is Tom Hanks daughter Elizabeth. Tom based the way Forrest talked on the kid who played the younger version of Forrest because he was from that area. There was going to be a sequel where Forrest was raising Forrest junior who had aids from Jenny and he was going to meet Princess Diana and be near the Oklahoma bombing and other well known 90’s events but the script arrived the day before 9/11 and Tom and the director felt like it had no meaning anymore. Jenny probably had a messed up view on sex because of her father so she probably didn’t think there was anything wrong with putting Forrest’s hand on her breast.

[@525569andrea]

Jenny loved Forrest but due to her childhood had trouble accepting the right kind of love because it was engrained into her psyche form a very young age that abuse is what she deserved. She did care for him she just didn’t believe she deserved him. She was blind to his love for a long time because what she knew as love was something different and his show of it wasn’t familiar to her. She wasn’t manipulative she just had commitment issues since she’s used to running away from her problems. It was her solution to life, and the reason she always advised Forrest to do the same. Some people take a long time to heal and realize they deserve love. I think for Jenny having a son changed that for her and helped her to heal. Unfortunately the healthier version of herself wasn’t meant to live long since she died of AIDS from all the needle sharing and such (they didn’t know much about it back then, let alone how to treat it). Loved your reaction! Subbing 👌🏼😊

[@alvinsimpson8922]

Jenny loved forest he was the best person she had known it wasn’t she thought she was too good for him its she knew he was too good for her

[@Flufferz626]

Fun fact. The little boy who played young Forrest had that as his original accent. One of the producers asked Tom Hanks to "help get this boy to speak right." Tom Hanks fired back that he was gonna learn how to speak like the boy. He would just sit down and talk with the kid and have a tape recorder to learn how to speak like him. Sadly the kid lost his accent living out of state (from Mississippi not Alabama actually) due to likely self-consciousness or just not living out of there after a bit. Also Bayou La Batre is a real place and the main industry is shrimping (I grew up around there ahaha)

[@ashleighmodglin]

Another thing I like about this movie is that it shows how even someone like Forrest Gump who could seem so forgettable and insignificant can make a huge impact on history. None of us are truly as small and insignificant as we think we are, we all influence the world in our own little ways. It’s a great metaphor and a good reminder for anyone who struggles with suicidal thoughts , feels like they haven’t done anything in their life, accomplished any good, or mean something to somebody.