Reacting to FORREST GUMP (1994) | Movie Reaction

[@markthompson130]

A lot of people do not catch the little detail of when Forrest walks away from Jenny's grave. You can see him look back when the birds fly away. It goes hand-in-hand with her prayer in the field at the beginning of the movie about turning her into a bird so that she could fly far away.

[@DawnMarieX]

Aww I didn’t see it!!! 🥹

[@micro314]

Another little detail: when Jenny is considering jumping off the motel balcony, the background music is Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird".

[@billtisch3698]

The way I saw it, a flock of birds flew IN from the right, and all landed in the tree at once. As if Jenny had been flying far far away but finally could be at rest. "Yes, n how many seas must a white dove sail. Before she sleeps in the sand?" The answer my friend... you know the rest

[@Deathbird_Mitch]

I always keyed in on the feather as her finally flying off.

[@mikeydubbs8565]

Apparently, that was a fluke, but it was so symbolic for what Jenny represented that they left it in as the final cut

[@williampilling2168]

Gary Sinise has said that playing Lt Dan changed his life. He has dedicated an enormous amount of time since this movie to charitable causes supporting wounded veterans.

[@passionsquietrage]

Including starting the Lt. Dan Band.

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

I even came across one person who said he had to explain to his parents that his amputated legs were a film effect, and that he wasn't actually an amputee. That's how convincing the effects and his performance are.

[@okeefe757]

Sorry I had a fight in the middle of your Black Panther party is a hilarious line.

[@subliminallime4321]

The Watergate scandal is so famous in American culture that now basically every political scandal gets the word "gate" added to the end of it.

[@tempsitch5632]

Media often just adds “gate” to things that aren’t even a big deal.

[@lawrenceallen8096]

Soon to be replaced in infamy by the Biden Bribery Scandal.

[@hughjorg4008]

Exactly. For example, the *kissGATE* that Spain and the Spanish Football Federation are having these days.

[@baby_boi123]

Eagerly waiting for "Biden gate". The big guy is stealing tax payer dollars and splitting it with Ukraine.

[@Drax514]

Not just political scandals, nearly every major American sports scandal also has "gate" added to the end of it. Maybe that's just true for the NFL, either way. It's ridiculously pervasive

[@tomsamper4345]

10:51 it’s actually a bit of a thing to explain “Charlie”. The military of Vietnamese communists were the Vietcong, which was often shortened to “VC” because the military love acronyms for some reason, when on the radio to make sure you are not misunderstood you use what we call the NATO phonetic alphabet and VC would be said as “Victor Charlie” which was then just shortened to “Charlie” so that’s why you here then just refer to “Charlie” in any Vietnam war movie.

[@DerrickMims]

Also, Charlie don't surf.

[@uberduberdave]

The entire alphabet was turned into words because it can be confusing to understand people on radios. Alpha, Baker, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, and so on, cannot be misconstrued over a radio. Listening to someone stammering "B, as in boy" can be hard on the ears for someone trained by the military...

[@BDogg2023]

@@DerrickMimsBut we think he should. Charlie don’t surf and you know that it ain’t no good. He’s gonna be a napalm star.

[@damnimcooltom1]

Charlie was a racial slur referring to Asian men WAY earlier than Vietnam. As far a being used in the military, it was used in WWII and Korea to refer to the Japanese and Korean enemies. It was used much more widely in Vietnam, but was around earlier.

[@uberduberdave]

@@damnimcooltom1 It's been explained quite succinctly as the military radio alphabet, which is as follows: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. Victor Charlie for VC, or Viet Cong was simply shortened to Charlie by troops in the field. Was Victor racist toward white guys? Was a 20 year old black corporal from South Carolina being racist when he said Lima Charlie for Loud and Clear on the radio? Try not to be so eager to blame everything on racism...

[@weirds0up]

Fun fact: the director wanted the kid playing young Forest to learn to speak how Tom Hanks was going to do his Forest voice, but Hanks said “why don’t I just copy him” as he’s already got the accent

[@DawnMarieX]

Aww! 🥹

[@lamestuser]

From Mr. H himself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2qmnpuof92Jqrs

[@rebelwithoutaclue5693]

I watch Graham also 👍🏻🇺🇸🤠

[@sirjohnmara]

Yes. Hanks said this on the Norton Show.

[@audiogarden21]

Fun fact: there are two r's in Forrest.

[@christinawoolley6206]

Gary Sinise, the actor who portrays Lt. Dan, started a foundation to assist wounded veterans. He said the role changed his life.

[@zamdrist]

I think Forrest learning he's a father is my favorite moment. The number of emotions that come over him, and so quickly, is just something else. Tom Hanks...what a master actor he is.

[@JayInDecent]

I can't help but break down during that part

[@torontomame]

His delivery of "Is he smart? Or is he ... ?" always rips my heart out. 😭

[@magicbrownie1357]

I love the dueling philosophies running through this film. Destiny vs Free Will. "Maybe both is happening at the same time." Great film.

[@flarrfan]

My favorite quote from the film, which so many reactors leave out of edits...also relates back to the opening and closing feather symbolism.

[@magicbrownie1357]

@@flarrfan Absolutely. I believe every film has a beating heart: one scene or one line or one idea. I think that line is the heart of Forrest Gump.

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

Curze vs Sanguinius

[@stevenwilson1938]

Fun fact: Kurt Russell did the voice for Elvis in the beginning when he's with young Forrest..

[@DawnMarieX]

Wait what??!

[@creech54]

@@DawnMarieX Kurt played (and sang) Elvis in a 1979 TV movie bio about The King.

[@Jskew]

Great reaction Dawn. As a survivor of childhood trauma my favorite line in this movie, and you said it was a good one, is "Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks". Much love and keep on keepin on J.

[@blakewalker84120]

The feather floating on the wind, no control over what happens to it, is a metaphor for Forrest Gump's entire life. He just floated along and stuff kept happening and he was there. Just like the feather.

[@charlize1253]

This movie is a walk through one of the most tumultous periods of American history. The scene at the college refers to incidents in the 1950s when courts ordered all universities to admit blacks, but some schools in some parts of the country resisted, so the President had to send in troops to enforce the court orders. The Vietnam War (1966-1972) was an extremely unpopular war and led to protest marches and riots all around America (referenced in the scene where Forrest gives a speech to a crowd). The "Black Panther Party" was a political party (formed 1967) that nominally fought for the rights of black americans, but advocated violence and revolution against the government to achieve its ends; its leaders were eventually arrested or killed in fiery shootouts with the police. The ping-pong scene referred to something called "ping pong diplomacy" -- for 20 years Communist China and the US had no relationship whatsoever, but in 1970 the US sent a ping-pong team to play against the Chinese team, the first thaw between the two countries that eventually led to diplomatic relations. "Watergate" referred to a scheme (in 1972) in which President Richard Nixon sent aides to burglarize the offices of his political opponents (located in the Watergate Hotel), and when they were caught, Nixon was forced to resign from office. The running scene refers to a "jogging" craze in the 1970s that for some reason swept the nation and jogging clothes and sneakers were all the rage. During that time, multiple politicians were assassinated -- President John F. Kennedy (1963), Senator Robert Kennedy (1968), Governor George Wallace (1970, survived but was paralyzed), civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1968), President Gerald Ford was shot at but the assassin missed (1975), and President Ronald Reagan was shot and hit but survived (1981). John Lennon was also murdered, although he was not a politician, he was a political activist. The movie doesn't say but Jenny probably had AIDS, which was a mysterious epidemic in the early 1980s that terrified America until doctors figured out what it was.

[@LarcheOsborne]

The guy on stage with Forest at the anti-war protect was meant to be Abbie Hoffman.

[@J4ME5_]

Too bad op didn't read this

[@frankcraven1679]

Thank You for this. i thought I was going to explain half of American History to Dawn. I understand she's in another country. I do not know much about Scotland except the great accent and few international superstar performers!

[@libertyresearch-iu4fy]

I got news. The US has never been far from tumult.

[@msdarby515]

​@@MichaelSSmith-hs5pw Since you and I are sticklers for details... 😊... I have an issue with the director saying Jenny has HIV. First, nowhere in the movie is that implied other than she is sick, has a virus, and doctors don't know what to do. After the movie's success they used HIV because there was a sequel script where Forrest Jr has HIV and possibly Forrest Sr, as well! Doesn't that sound uplifting? They scrapped it because 9-11 happened and said it "no longer seemed important" It would almost be impossible for Jenny to have AIDS. AIDS made it's way to California in the mid to late 70s and there were so few cases it wasn't identified until a cluster of patients were identified in 1981. Forrest Jr is born March 13, 1977 so if we give Jenny a year of being drug-free prior to his birth, that would require that Jenny be infected before 1976 and be one of the first, very few, and very sporadic cases of infection at the forefront of the disease. Additionally, until 1987 the average survival rate was 9.4 months. So, Jenny could have been one of the very first to get HIV, and she could have been the rare case that lived almost 7 years with it (1976 to 1982). She also could have been one of the rare cases to not pass the infection to her child or her sex partner (although that seemed to be the plan). Hep C, on the other hand, was detected in 1979 (not isolated and identified until 1989) and referred to as "non-A, non-B Hepatitis". The only Treatment available was a series of injections of interferon which were extremely debilitating and most patients dropped out of the program. A successful treatment was not developed for it until 1989. So as far as I'm concerned, Jenny had hepatitis C, and no one's going to tell me any different. LOL😊

[@ganggreen9012]

I worked in a grocery store seafood shop when this movie came out. Bubba Gump shrimp was licensed from the movie and was a real product that we carried in our shop.

[@tylerpaschall4363]

Speaking as someone fro the American South, I can honestly say that the most accurate part of this movie is that we will sit next to a complete stranger and end up telling our life story. I've done it to two people this past month, and it's happened to me at least five. We are a talkative people.

[@grantlebon1531]

Then why, when I got on the number 4 bus to town last week and was about to sit down beside you, you put your arm over the back of the seat and said, "You can't sit here" ?🤣

[@tylerpaschall4363]

@@grantlebon1531 Because we are also a people of extremes. We are the nicest and politest people south of Canada. But outside of specific urban areas, we also have the most boomsticks per capita. And trust me, we use them. Be around us long enough, friend or foe, and you will genuinely fear for your life in one way or another.

[@virginiapudelko6280]

The films showing Forrest in historical situations are actual real footage from real historical events...they just added Tom Hanks. The scene with the black students entering school was real footage. The president that got shot was John Kennedy (JFK) and the brother that was killed later was his brother Robert Kennedy. "Charlie" was the nickname for what the military called the Viet Cong, the enemy during the Vietnam War. The actor playing Lt. Dan (in the wheelchair) does have both of his legs.

[@MLJ7956]

Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan) after meeting with many disabled veterans in preparation for his role and personally moved by their struggles, since working on the movie, he does a lot of charity work for the 'USO', 'The Wounded Warrior Project' (which helps disabled veterans & their families), the 'American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial' & he is also on the Advisory Council of 'Hope For The Warriors' (which is national nonprofit dedicated to provide a full cycle of nonmedical care to combat-wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen from each of the US military branches). ✌️

[@creech54]

@@MLJ7956 And didn't Sinise start a charity called the "Lt. Dan" something or other?

[@Mikearice1]

The one guy who got shot a little bit after the school incident was George Wallace.

[@marcfromparis333]

Charlie, the letter C to reference the Communists.

[@dayceem]

@@MLJ7956 Unfortunately, portions of this movie will be lost on people not familiar with American history. George Wallace, for example, was opposed to desegregation and was a central figure during the time of the Civil Rights Movement which Forrest haphazardly got caught up in. When JFK was assassinated, Robert (Bobby), his brother, was seen as successor to carry John's great legacy forward and his assassination kind of dashed the hopes of a nation. And on it goes. Forrest serendipitously being in the right place at the right time often changed the course of history without being cognizant of his influence.

[@mikebrown7799]

Hi Dawn!🙂The scene at the school in Alabama had to do with racial integration in schools. Governor Wallace tried unsucessfully to stop 4 black students from entering the school, who had enrolled there. Great reactions to this classic Tom Hanks film, Dawn!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@hughjorg4008]

At 7:05 Dawn doesn't grasp the concept or racist segregation and rednecks' blatant racism in the Southern States?!🤔 She should watch MISSISSIPPI BURNING (1988 film) next.

[@MarkPriest-v6u]

Crazy how TODAY they want segregation in school now. Their own classes etc. How the tables have turned.

[@DongusMcBongus]

And President Eisenhower called on the 101st Airborne to come in and keep the peace. Currahee!

[@tgriffin8179]

Re: Jenny going back to Forrest: Would she have gone back if she were not dying... maybe not; he would have found her eventually and we don't know what would have happened. I like to think that she did not want to burden him, be hypocritical about going back to him after hurting him, and possibly did not think she was worthy of him. (You don't want to marry me.) When she found out she was dying, she wanted her son to be with his father, the most loving and kind person she knew and so she wrote him. Great react...Keep'em coming (FYI - The writers said that she was dying of Hepatitis C - relatively new at the time - because of her use of needles.)

[@ronmaximilian6953]

I assumed she had AIDS.

[@capricornus9307]

Hi Dawn. The story of Forrest and Jenny shows, how early childhood experience affects whole life. Forrest, although not very talented, with IQ below standard, was loved, supported and treated with respect by his mother, so he developed inner confidence and stability. Jenny, on the other hand, was talented and smart, but abused by her father, so she developed insecurity and toxic patterns in relationships. That´s why they both behave so differently as adults.

[@jasonegeland1446]

I can't imagine anyone playing Forest Gump in the way Tom Hanks did. He is an incredible talent. This movie is special for me in that I was working at the cinema in 1994. My mother had been diagnosed with A.L.S. sometime in 1992 and died in October, 1995. This movie hit home with me especially since his character's mom had died. I'll always have a deep connection to this movie in many ways. Enjoyed your reaction. I never get tired of watching reactions to this! Thanks!

[@robertzapata5395]

I love your reactions. The simplicity in you comments are so loved and I'm sure everyone here will agree that your smile and laughs are the best! Have a great weekend Dawn!

[@rudyramos2333]

Thank you Dawn for recognizing that Jenny was broken and couldn't commit to Forrest as a wife. She felt as she wasn't good enough for him until she was able to be in a good spot in her life. He was purest of souls. When Forrest asks if Little Forrest was smart or was he like him always gets me. In this movies reality Forrest helped soooo many people without even knowing.

[@0lyge0]

I think see's the first reactor I've seen that recognized that. One of the few at the very least.

[@FEARNoMore]

Exactly. Many just see things black and white and just identify and have compassion for the protagonist. Not understanding abuse, addiction, being unable to overcome trauma into adulthood. Some aren't able to see Jenny's pure love for Forrest in the mist of her own struggles and pain. It's very loving to stay away from someone if you know you're going to be toxic to them if you stay.

[@MegaForrestgump]

Jenny couldn't love properly until she learned how. Little Forrest was the turning point for Jenny. She realized she had to take care of herself to take care of him.

[@krisfrederick5001]

"Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it." -Bubba

[@DawnMarieX]

❤ Bubba

[@-The-Cake-Is-A-Lie-]

"I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happenin' at the same time." Such a beautiful expression, and so smart as well.

[@krisfrederick5001]

This man is incapable of a making a bad movie, all the way back to the 80's. Even when he plays a "local idiot" Tom Hanks is absolutely brilliant. My Mom looked exactly like Sally Fields when we were kids and thought she had a secret film career. I sincerely cried when she died. And that's all I've got to say about that.

[@DawnMarieX]

😢

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

Robert Zemeckis is also incapable of making a bad film. Whatever you consider his worst film to be, it was at least okay, maybe better than okay.

[@krisfrederick5001]

I love at the wedding when Lt. Dan tells Forrest that his "magic legs" Were made from the material as the Space Shuttle. The next year they're in Apollo 13 together! An omen. The Black Panther Party was a Black movement for Civil Rights in the U.S. They incorporated historical footage and concepts brilliantly into this.

[@rogerlincoln451]

Tom Hanks started out on the TV show Bosom Buddies in 1980. It was stupid but he and his costar, Peter Scolari, had a great comedic chemistry and made the show work.

[@krisfrederick5001]

Speaking of HIV and Tom Hanks. You need to see Philadelphia. I forgot about this movie.

[@dunringill1747]

"Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks" - Forrest may not have a lot of intelligence, but he certainly carries much wisdom. He was able to keep his mind free from emotional baggage and stay positive - even through the pain of Jenny leaving him. He made such a positive difference in everyone's life - especially Jenny & Lt. Dan. Maybe it was because he was able to stay positive ? Jenny's mind was full of emotional baggage. She told Forrest to run, but that was her go-to strategy in life. I think she always felt unworthy and would somehow damage Forrest if she allowed a romance with him. When she became pregnant with his child, motherhood was the only thing she could not allow herself to run from. There is a chance that she was trying to reach Forrest to tell him he was a father while he had been running for 3 plus years.

[@RoGueNavy]

I still don't believe the child was Forrest's.

[@saraliza3137]

The type of trauma and abuse Jenny went through at the hands of her father explains everything about her life. And every time she ran that was her freaking out. If you haven't experienced this whether it's at the hands of your father or somebody else I don't know if there are enough words to convey to you what it's like. Jenny very much felt worthless and like a piece of crap. I don't think she knew what to do with Forrest's love because I don't think she felt worthy of it. I also think she did love him and didn't want to hurt him and felt like she was too messed up to be with him or even be around him. When she shows up and his life again when he's mowing the lawn, you can see a big difference in her. You can see her starting to come out of this. Or at least trying to. I've had friends & known of others who've talked about how their babies save their lives when they were dealing with drug or alcohol addiction & even the horrible trauma that was at the root of that. It was a wake-up call and something to live for. Something to love as well. Their stories are beautiful.

[@luvthetube07]

Bubba Gump came to become a business as a result of the movie 😊

[@Shoota5269]

She said did they get married 😂😂

[@oktomcat]

I loved when you said, "Everyone needs a Forest in their life." That is very well said.

[@campagnollo]

You got to give a ton of credit to Tom Hanks narrating the scene introducing Jenny’s father. He made it sound so innocent and well meaning, but in the back of our minds we’re totally creeped out.

[@jaydigshistory36]

Talking of the Kennedy Assassination when he refers to “his little brother shot too” but in a hotel kitchen, that was Robert Kennedy. Lynn “Buck” Compton from Band Of Brothers was the prosecutor in the case against Roberts assassin Sirhan Sirhan.

[@meltorme-ntor2933]

And yes, when Forrest tells Jenny he loves her and she replies that he doesn't know what love is, it is clear that it's she who doesn't know what it is. That is a pretty sad realization for the audience.

[@3DJapan]

Captain Kangaroo was host of a really big kids show in the 70s and 80s. I watched him when I was little.

[@creech54]

As well as the '50s and the '60s.

[@itsjuliescottyay]

I always enjoy your reactions. Jenny did what she did because she was abused as a child. The way she acted out is actually fairly typical. She had zero self-esteem, didn’t feel she deserved any better, and had a horribly warped idea of what love even was because of her father. In her mind, putting out was the way that you got people to love you. Remember the children who had been through that were never given therapy back in those days. The police would find them another place to live, and then close the case. If Jenny had wanted to use Forest, she could have married him when he first asked her, and never had to worry about money again. It’s always very surprising to me when a woman as young as you says “I think she brought it on herself.“

[@themetalpig7613]

Even the advice she gives to Forest, to just run, is fitting because it's the only thing she knows to do with her own problems.

[@bobbuethe1477]

And Forrest gave most of his money away (to the church, to Bubba's mother, etc.) and just kept enough to live on, so it's not like Jenny went to him to live a life of luxury. She needed comfort and security; a place to get her head together and her feet on the ground.

[@retromaven2159]

As much as I enjoy a box of choc-o-lates a movie reaction from Dawn Marie still hits the spot!! 😊

[@DawnMarieX]

❤

[@alanholck7995]

My grandfather worked in a confectionery factory for a while; he could identify what chocolate was which by the pattern on top.

[@bobbuethe1477]

Yeah, there are some confectioners (most of them, until the '70s) who don't include menus in their boxes. Some people know how to read the swirl-code on the chocolates (though different companies use different codes). If you don't know the codes, then you never know what you're gonna get.

[@davewhitmore1958]

You've become a movie expert Miss Dawn! Picking up on the music cues in the first minutes of the movie to see what you're going to get (a box o' chocolates!) Well done :)

[@DawnMarieX]

I’m getting there! 😅

[@davewhitmore1958]

What Forrest said when the mic was off is: "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."

[@eugeneoman]

"Bless your cotton socks!" "The feather attacked me!" 😅 Another lovely reaction, Dawn! 😊

[@darrengibbs4288]

Jenny always loved Forrest, you can tell by how she lights up every time she sees him. but she thought of her self as toxic and didn't want to bring Forrest into that life with her. Only after she became better did she welcome him fully into her life. She didn't tell him about little Forrest because he was running.

[@philmakris8507]

Totally agree with you on your perspective on Jenny. It is the conundrum and paradox of dealing with addicts.

[@BillTheScribe]

"Sometime i guess there just aren't enough rocks" is one of my all time favorite movie quotes. It summarizes those feelings of being too overwhelmed to act in a simple, brilliant way. I think Jenny was the antagonist here, but in the same way a series of storms would be an antagonist. She wasnt evil, but she was a recurring force of chaos that turned up, caused problems, and left.

[@fakebobbyhill296]

15:27 He talked about clean socks and how important it was to keep your feet dry and how sometimes in vietnam, you lose your best good friend.

[@FEARNoMore]

Jenny never used Forrest. She did love him very much but she knew he was pure. She stayed away from him because she didn't want to corrupt him with her baggage. She didn't feel worthy for his love. She felt she didn't live up to how Forrest saw her. She felt shame & guilt around him but also unconditional love. That's why she went home to him in those rock bottom moments trying to stop and recover. When she leaves the last time the taxi driver asks her where's she's running to. She says she's not running anymore. That's the moment she turns her life around thanks to Forrest. By the time she finds out about the pregnancy Forrest leaves for 3 yrs. She got her life together finally on her own. Never took, asked or sued for money. She marries Forrest so he gets full custody with no issues.

[@creech54]

Forrest Jr. was played by Haley Joel Osment, who is most famous for playing the boy in "The Sixth Sense".

[@RobFMDetroit]

Dawn - in reference to the "We were always looking for this guy named Charlie" joke, "Charlie" was code for the Viet Cong soldiers. VC, or "Victor Charlie" in the NATO/military alphabet. You may have heard "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" before, which means "what the fu**". 😂👍🏼

[@spiritwalker497]

Back in the day they didn't label the flavors in a box of chocolates , so you really never knew what you were gonna get

[@RoGueNavy]

Captain Kangaroo was a children's television program in the US, from 1955 to 1984. The host, Bob Keeshan, played a character called Captain Kangaroo. He was very similar to Fred Rogers, teaching children important things like kindness.

[@MZ-bl6wg]

One of THE greatest movies in cinematic history! Gets me bawling every time! As a single dad of daughters ❤️❤️❤️that are my life and all that matters to me, I feel for Jenny and her horriffic childhood and the trauma that came from that thst followed her all her years , ultimately contributing to her loss of life. My amazing mom 💜passed away during Covid of brain cancer unexpectedly so I feel for Forrest there too. What an amazing story that has parts that everyone can relate to. Happy for you your channel is growing so much! You’re of course absolutely beautiful but your accent , laugh and personality will continue to grow your channel! I’ve been so sad missing my daughters as they’re with their mom and she’s ignoring my weekend with my angels which devastated me every time she does this , so feeing SO down and hearing your laugh during this great film helps brighten my day as I’m sure it does SO many others , so Thankyou,..your significant other and children are lucky to have you.

[@SuperShifty22]

"Everyone should have a Forrest in their lives." How perfectly said.

[@wolfie35p]

Well Dawn, I haven't lost any limbs, but from one Scot to another, I'm disabled and have no power in m yright arm or leg due to an accident I had in the army, and now walk with a stick, I used my right hand before to do everything, and after my accident, had to use my left hand, and if you aren't ampidextrus, then it's extremely difficcult to do, I was 17, and had to learn how to wash, shave, dress, write, cook, basically, do everything with my left hand, rather than my right, and you alwaysfind ways to do things, that you couldn't do before, you simply adjust to figure out how to do it. Very hard to do, but if you are single and don't have anyone to help you, then it must be done by yourself.

[@bigdream_dreambig]

I haven't had to face a challenge like yours, but as a lifelong bachelor I understand what it means to be alone and have to do everything for yourself. Either you figure it out and do it or it doesn't get done. From one traveler to another, best of luck to you on your journey through life.

[@stonecoldku4161]

Yes, there is a Bubba Gump Sea food restaurant chain in the USA, and it was inspired by this film. I saw an interview with Tom Hanks on The Today Show. It's a show in New York and interviews happen in front of large windows that look out onto the street. Across the street from the studio was a Bubba Gump restaurant. They pointed that out to Hanks and he said "Yeah, I saw that. That building used to be my bank when I was a starving actor in New York. I used to have to argue with them about cashing my unemployment checks. So, if I had a time machine I would go back in time, walk into that bank and tell them that their bank would one day be closed, and a restaurant based on a character I play in a movie will take your place."

[@MadcapMatt]

I have yet to find a movie with more emotional whiplash than this movie. No movie has gone from so happy to so sad back and forth as many times as this does.

[@flarrfan]

I resented the whiplash/ manipulation on first viewing. It's still hard to get past it. I think Zemeckis is the most overrated director of my lifetime. Gump is Hanks' best of many great performances, which makes it worth watching even if it's not a personal favorite.

[@KngOfTheBlind]

Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan) gained a whole new respect for wounded veterans and the hardships they go through after his role in the film. Shortly after he made the film he founded the Gary Sinise Foundation which helps veterans and first responders. They provide homes, home modifications, mobility devices, adapted vehicles, mental help, prosthetics, funding for equipment, PPE, etc. as well as a ton of events and other help mentally and physically. It was revealed that during Forrest's speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial he says " "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."

[@OmegaSoypreme]

I'm glad you were more sympathetic to Jenny. The amount of people I see reacting to this movie who just completely condemn her with no consideration for how messed up she was is really disappointing. She was never using him. Far from it. She didn't think she was worthy of his love, and didn't want to drag him down. She had to walk her own path until she found her own self worth before she was able to let herself be loved.

[@sugarbomb1346]

Oh please. She only showed back up when she knew Forrest was a Millionaire, she found out she had AIDS, was dying and realized there was no one to raise her son. She was only worthy of his love once she saw what he had accomplished.

[@coyotelong4349]

I read a brilliant review of the film that said that while Forrest took a tour of American culture through the 2nd half of the 20th Century, Jenny took a parallel tour of American COUNTERculture through the same time period… the underbelly

[@cheebees]

I wish the girls i had a one night stand with knew i did it because i had to find my own self before i could be loved. All i got was being called a womanizing manipulator.

[@veggiesarefruits]

She still said that she "brought it on herself"-- the addiction and subsequent abusive relationships and disease. I was disgusted by that.

[@sparky6086]

My doctor at the VA Hospital, originally from Egypt, always looks at my shoes as a quick assessment of how I'm doing (he know, so although imprecise, there may be something to it.

[@jamesdowling9759]

You should look at what Gary Sinise is doing for veterans these days. What an absolutely great guy.

[@wheelmanstan]

yeah, he's the man for sure and it's pretty crazy how they mention astronauts in this and both play astronauts the next year in Apollo 13

[@bradsouthers7476]

Bubba Gump the restaurant is the only restaurant chain (so far) that came from a movie. So in a way, Bubba and Forrest did found that chain.

[@Packard63]

This time you have truly just watched one of the best movies of all time Dawn.

[@manofthehour6856]

Always love your reactions, Dawn Marie. You're an enthusiastic learner willing to watch all sorts of genres of film. Regarding the American Football, you said, "See, I know some things." You had an unbringing in Scotland, so how can anyone criticize you for missing some of the American nuiances of history and culture? You are such a beautiful person because you really have empathy towards people, and have a strong sense of decency and responsibility. It is so reassuring to see someone of your age with such enthusiasm for learning and respect for others. Many thanks for your postings! I saw Forest Gump in the theatre in 1994 mainly because I like history, and the advertising showed the then novel CGI techniques of putting Forrest Gump in various places in history. Hah, not surprised you were going to say, "Best movie ever!" Your reaction to Forrest's love of Jenny and his son is extremely touching. The world needs more Dawn Marie!

[@luvthetube07]

Hey Dawn. I'm sorry you didn't get some of the historical information sprinkled throughout the movie. The two most important events were the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (which you were aware of) and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, which you didn't. Robert Kennedy was very popular during his time and ran for president like his brother. He was on the cusp of winning the Democratic Nomination after winning the vote in California but was assassinated that night. The other major U.S. event was the Watergate Hotel event. At the time President Richard Nixon conspired with members of his cabinet to have people break in an office of the Democratic Party to steal information and got caught which eventually led to Nixon's resignation .

[@DawnMarieX]

Oooooh I was so confused with the Watergate hotel 😅 now I know! Thank you!

[@CrowTRobot-ni7zu]

@@DawnMarieX For more details on the Watergate scandal, I would recommend the film, "All the President's Men."

[@fionnmaccumhaill3257]

Nixon had no involvement in the break-in at the Watergate hotel. The scandal happened because when he did find out, he tried to cover it up instead of coming clean with some in his administration had done.

[@sparky6086]

@DawnMarieX Nixon wasn't part of the break in conspiracy, but he was part of the trying to cover it up conspiracy.

[@Kasino80]

@@CrowTRobot-ni7zu I second that motion. All the President's Men is a great political thriller.

[@juancarlosgonzales993]

Forrest Gump... the story of a guy with a serious Oedipus complex.

[@theylied1776]

I normally love to answer questions that you ask, but this was just an overload today. Captain kangaroo was a children's television presenter that was on from the 1960s till about the 1990s. They're actually two very well known television presenters for children. One was Mr Rogers, and the other was Captain kangaroo. And all the events that you were asking if it was real, it was all real American History.

[@Caffin8tor]

I love how one of the lessons is how it's important to just be a good person regardless of anything else.

[@BouillaBased]

This film is so incredibly different from the book it's based on that I could hardly believe the film had been made. But they made an incredibly touching story after rewriting one that, well, wasn't so touching.

[@eatsmylifeYT]

I agree. This is one instance where the movie is much better than the book. The sequel to the book was also a piece of crap.

[@willsofer3679]

Forrest Gump in the book is not a sympathetic character. He has no moral compass.

[@eatsmylifeYT]

@@willsofer3679 I don't think you know what "moral compass" means.

[@willsofer3679]

@@eatsmylifeYT Oops. I meant in the book, not the movie! Sorry. Corrected my comment. Obviously, in the film version, Forrest Gump is portrayed as a pure soul.

[@hornerinf]

Captain Kangaroo is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day.

[@kaylzshter6153]

It's so cool to get to see your perspective on a lot of things that I take for granted such as the Watergate scandal, are so deeply ingrained into our subconsciousness that it's honestly a breath of fresh air to see someone who hasn't been exposed to all that. Love your channel, and fantastic reaction!

[@JVTrickypants]

The letter Little Forrest wrote that is left on Jenny's grave absolutely breaks my heart!!!

[@cshubs]

My only critique of the story is that NO ONE at the bus stop recognized him. The man was famous in half a dozen ways. He even won the Medal of Honor!!

[@illbebad]

good point! Some didn't pay much attention to him, too busy with their lives to really notice him

[@Vince-lq3ve]

well, we have recently heard of Tom Cruise and Keannu Reaves riding the subway unnoticed so i guess it is feasible that he might go unnoticed sitting at a bus stop. Plus, that was a quite a few years back so people might have read stories but maybe they would never really have see him clearly.

[@cshubs]

@@Vince-lq3ve He had just gotten famous again for running cross country a couple times. TV coverage. Magazine covers.

[@Vince-lq3ve]

@@cshubs I hear ya, I'm just saying that if Keannu can ride the subway, Forrest can sit at a bus stop.

[@ryanroff3976]

It is the same bus lady with a difference. When we first meet her she's smoking a cigarette, when she picks up little Forest she's chewing gum.

[@luvthetube07]

Before she died my Mom loved this movie.

[@DawnMarieX]

❤

[@robmann400]

Mama always said, if the room’s too hot, ponytail your hair up.

[@jenniferfoster1692]

She didn't bring it on herself, she was sexually assaulted as a little girl. We all know how that can affect people for the rest of their lives. She did finally get to a good place and started to make better life decisions. She never used Forrest, she never wanted to hurt him, she just ran away from anything that was good because she didn't think she deserved to be happy and she was self medicating her pain with substances and choosing men who treated her badly.

[@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

I love this reaction, not just because of your wonderful personality but because you understood the characters!

[@Soundhypno]

"Bless your cotton socks"

[@stemid85]

Forrest Gump is the one movie that makes me cry every single time. For over 20 years now.

[@geneaikenii1092]

Nice. Thank you very much for watching and reacting with us on this one. Very good choice. I own this picture and well remember, back in the day, this movie being released in theatres. It was a really big deal at the time. And yes, of course, because of it, we were introduced to a few new American Pop Culture Lexicons. Everyone loved this motion picture back then, when Hollyweird was still producing a few and far between instant All-American Classic Films. Nowadays all they crank out are basically garbage. No talent, or low talent, combined with no good storylines and go-nowhere producers/directors. Hollywood, these days, I feel, is all tapped out. Anyways,.. once again, thank you, Dawn, for this channel and for all that you do. As usual, we had a blast with you. Truly is a good time, tuning in with you on this channel for a bit of smiles and laughter. It is always fun. Big shoutout from your guy in the States wishing you and yours much love, peace and happiness...always. Later darlin'. Catch ya on the next. Be on the lookout for ya, Love. Later.

[@BDogg2023]

As someone who worked at Paramount during this time period, and in Hollywood until 2009, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

[@crawbag0311]

If there is a movie that takes you on an absolute roller coaster of emotions, it's Forrest Gump.

[@aussierob3860]

Tip top reaction Dawn, one of his greatest movies, it’s up there with Saving Private Ryan. His versatility is incredible, he was one of my favourite actors until recently when he was implicated in the adrenochrome conspiracy. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not, but usually where there’s smoke there’s fire and there’s been a hell of a lot of smoke. It’s a shame because I really respected Tom Hanks as an actor.

[@cliffchristie5865]

In case no one else mentioned it, Captain Kangaroo was a fictional character and host of a long running children's morning show in the U.S. from 1955-1984 ( my era, as it happens ).

[@gjermundhigraff7789]

You should start posting just the "coming up" part of the old reactions and have a quiz where we guess what you're watching. I wouldn't get a single one probably, but it'd be very entertaining 😁

[@josephsarto689]

Forrest Jr was conceived on americas bicentennial July 4, 1976. Which means he was born around April 4, 1977. He was almost 5 at the time of Jenny’s death in March 1982. The final scene was his first day of kindergarten in the fall of 1982

[@BillyButcher90]

Fourth of April is my birthday as well! Different year of course(!) 😊

[@jessedaniel6330]

the old boxes of chocolates in American didn't have a menu you just had to bite into them to find out what it was

[@sabrecatsmiladon7380]

LOL.......Bite them?!? No way! We poked them with our fingers....in case we got a BAD one =)

[@jessedaniel6330]

@@sabrecatsmiladon7380 lol that works too :)

[@3DJapan]

I've never heard anyone even consider that Forrest and Bubba would be a thing.

[@chetstevensq]

Dawn Marie is like a box of chocolates, come October we just don't know what we are going to get. You should read up on Gary Sinise Z(lt Dan) and how this movie changed his life.

[@maconaguy]

I was touched by your comments at the end. I was four years old when my father died from stomach cancer. I have only a handful of memories of him. But it’s the only life I knew growing up. I never felt sorry for myself. I didn’t know anything different to compare it to so I was just a happy kid growing up. So, yes, it’s sad when you see kids in this situation but when they are that young, they don’t really know their circumstances.

[@chameleonvr4]

Hey Dawn shout out From the US Marine Corps! I honestly am not a big Tom Hanks fan and I honestly really wasn't crazy about this movie but I totally get why everyone loves it! So I am going to watch this movie reaction with you because I love watching you in general.... That didn't sound creepy or anything! Kekek I hope your having a great Saturday! ❤🤍💙💛

[@michaelh3299]

Thank you for your service.

[@chameleonvr4]

@michaelh3299 Thank u brotha!!!!

[@swamprat6666]

It took me awhile to realize but Forrest had been running for about 3 years. Little Forrest was about 3 years old. There was no real way for Jenny to tell him when he was running back and forth around the country consistently. Jenny always loved Forrest but she was so broken that she believed Forrest was too good for her and she didn’t deserve him. It’s quite sad

[@whizwart1]

Info -The guy in the scene where Forrest gives back the book is George Wallace, the then governor of Alabama. He was attempting to stop integration of black students into public schools because white supremacy played big. His big line from that speech was "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever". - The All-American team is basically the all-star team for college level football. Since there's so many schools, its real tough to get there. - "Charlie" was US troops nickname for the Viet Cong, the guerilla forces aligned with North Vietnam. - The Watergate Hotel is where Nixion sent people to steal files from the Democratic party, his political opposition that had offices there. This was the Watergate scandal that made Nixion resign, and it was the reason everyone adds "gate" after scandal names. -One of the best movie review quotes I've ever read is "The best way to tell the story of the Baby Boom generation is through the eyes of an idiot."

[@michaelstach5744]

There are so many little details that baby boomers can remember. Bear Bryant the legendary Alabama football coach is a good one. Forrest dropping his pants to show LBJ his wound reminds us of when LBJ loosened his pants and opened his shirt to show reporters the scar from his gall bladder surgery. Ping pong diplomacy was a real thing with Henry Kissinger. These are just some of the bigs one.

[@sparky6086]

Nixon didn't send the people who broke in, but he did try to cover it up, which is why, he got in trouble.

[@mjkjelland13]

Prephaps one of the best movies ever made. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@rooster56100]

"Charlie" was the nickname given to the Vietnamese enemy during the Vietnam War, by the Americans.

[@alanholck7995]

Bubba Gump restaurants came about as a result of this movie.

[@DawnMarieX]

I guess I’ll have to go now 😅

[@ldkinbote]

@@DawnMarieX I've never been, although there's been one here in Chicago for decades and I do love this movie...and shrimp. 😁

[@waynehauser3611]

This movie has everything ! It's my favorite movie, and yes i cry every time . If we only had a few more Forest Gumps in the world ! Cheers from down under 😎

[@MattMichaelVO]

This movie covers a lot of American history - The Watergate burglaries were, in short, the Republican party spying on the Democratic party. The Watergate Hotel was the Democratic headquarters. The burglary got into the press and the Republican party tried to cover it up but it eventually brought down Richard Nixon, The US President in the early 70s. There is a great movie that tells the story titled "All The President's Men"

[@sleggo]

It was not the “Republican Party” that committed the crime but a small faction of Nixon loyalists made up of former intelligence agents and others who were known as the plumbers.

[@kennethreedy5258]

10:21 "bless your cotton socks" ... Thank you for giving me a new expression to use 😊

[@demonicrebellion6903]

Gary Sinise, the actor that played Lieutenant Dan, goes to all the USO shows and performs with his band The Lieutenant Dan Band, and he has a foundation that helps wounded veterans. He's a fantastic human.

[@manyelephants]

Forrest never judges anyone, however they treat him he is always there for them. He makes lives better even if they don’t ask for it. We could all do with friends like that.

[@jackmessick2869]

We should all BE friends like that!

[@TimothySmiths]

Thank you for being one of the very few reactors to not give Jenny a free pass for her behavior due to her past. I feel she was a friend to him but at same time a bit of a toxic friend and she did in fact use him a number of times,i dunno if she would have contacted him if she hadnt fell ill but who knows, but i do doubt she would have married him at all.

[@joeanimalskull4243]

*signed* :-)

[@bigdream_dreambig]

When did she use him? I don't see it . . .

[@keithgoodson687]

Everyone always says "why didn't Jenny tell Forrest about his son?" She couldn't. Forrest was running all over the U.S. for 3 years. People didn't have cellphones. And Little Forrest looks like he's about 3 years old.

[@FEARNoMore]

That's the thing. Jenny NEVER used Forrest. He was just her home. No different than when a young adult goes home to their parents in their family home for comfort, support, a hot meal, unconditional love. Like Dawn says, Jenny is broken. She was unable to overcome her childhood trauma and didn't want to corrupt him. It was out of love that she stayed away from him. She never took a dime from him, if she wanted to she could have at any point.

[@FEARNoMore]

@@keithgoodson687 Yes exactly. And in that moment when she snuck out. The taxi driver asks her, where she's running off to. She says she's not running anymore. That's the moment she turns her life around thanks to Forrest. She felt she had to do it on her own. By the time she finds out about the pregnancy, Forrest was gone for years you're right.

[@moreanimals6889]

Captain Kangaroo was once a popular television show for kids. The man hosting the show had a captains hat and used the name Captain Kangaroo. I remember seeing it in the early 80's but there's a lot I don't know about it because I was still really little when it went off the air.

[@ItDoesntMatterReally]

Jenny's a complex character that a lot of people have a lot of feelings about. I think the easiest thing to understand about her is that she continued to fall back into the cycle of abusive relationships because of her childhood. She probably didn't think she deserved Forrest's love, and maybe even feared it could turn into every negative relationship she had with every man in her life. There's a big debate on whether or not Forrest Jr. is even Forrest's son, whether she gave Forrest HIV, or if Forrest Jr was born with it because of her mistakes. I don't know the answer to any of that, but I doubt it. Odds are Jenny tried to find a suitable father for Forrest Jr. prior to contacting Forrest and ended up sick and alone. I don't think she would've reached out to Forrest if she hadn't gotten sick because she most likely did it for Forrest Jr.

[@YodatheHobbit]

I'm a Forest, not quite autistic or whatever Forest had, but sometimes I wonder if a person would diagnose me a such, and no one has me in their life.

[@SavaFiend]

The part with Forrest's mama dying of cancer and saying to him that she did the best she could for him makes me tear up even more now. My mom died of cancer in August 2021 and the last text message she sent to me before she died said that I would always be her little girl and that she hoped she did the best for me. 💔

[@dadmateryn8092]

congradulations you are the only reactor that got that the letters were returned. nobody else got that