Well I liked Forest Gump

I've never noticed the anti-liberal thing either and would really like to know more about why people thought that way.

I grew up in a rah-rah America liberal family. We were all pretty bohemian but my brother enrolled in military school at the tail end of the Vietnam war with an eye on becoming a soldier, which he did, and he still is, 30 years later. My mom was born on flag day and I can't recall ever not having a flag waving from the porch. Despite our peacenik ways were were always invested in America.

I wonder if your military service might have colored your opinion of the "anti-liberal" bias that others note, snood. I'm wondering if it might have mine.

I'd really like to hear more about people's opinions of this aspect of the movie.

Interesting as hell point, boomer. It is certainly possible that my making the personal commitment to serve in the military subconsciously affected my reactions and interpretations when I saw Gump... gotta chew on it awhile. But I already remember feeling a certain kind of primitive pride when he ran back into the napalm because he HAD TO FIND BUBBA !

Its called Tall Poppy syndrome

Me too.

I've watched the flick at least four or five times, and it just doesn't register with me. Far as I can see, it's very moderate middle-of-the-road.

I think it shows how far we have moved from the left of the political spectrum in the past thirty years, that it could be so hard to spot for so many.

edgar, forgive me if i seem obtuse but, can you share some scenes in "Forrest Gump" where, in your opinion, liberalism was hammered? I've watched it many times and I just didn't get that.

I follow what edgar has opined, I agree.

Examples?

I think it was more anti-hippie than anti-left per se. And I don't totally disagree with the anti-hippiness. (For example, I think the Vietnam war was horrible and wrong, but I think the way returning vets were treated was also wrong.)

The way returning vets were treated was wrong. But, not every person against the war mistreated vets. Many of the protesters were vets.

But, many people against the war mistreated vets. <shrug>

I don't remember the movie in detail but that part struck me as being about right. It is indeed a shameful aspect of the whole miserable chapter, and even if not every person against the war mistreated vets, too many did, and it was too normal.

I watched the movie one time, while the film was relatively new. I don't have a photographic memory and certainly don't intend to watch it again just to make a thesis. When they had a choice to depict anything relating to liberalism and protest, they went straight to the most negative images, and completely left out anything remotely positive. I was fuming through the whole movie.

When I was on Abuzz, one member viciously attacked me at every opportunity, for personally mistreating the vets. Nothing I replied could shake him from that. Some did mistreat them. I never met a single person that did, but I accept that it happened. In last years of the war, Vietnam vets were the most visible and outspoken opponents of our presence there.

I'm sorry edgar if you felt that I was challenging you because I am not. I'm just curious about your take on it is all.

I recall how the angry mob stood outside of the U of Alabama when the first black students arrived. They were ugly and savage and when the one student dropped her notebook, Forrest didn't hesitate to retrieve it for her. I thought that was a beautiful scene. It showed the ugliness and ridiculousness of that moment.

The relationship between Forrest and Bubba itself spoke volumes in that respect, IMO.

I also recall that during the protest rally at the Lincoln Memorial, a high-ranking military official was shown viciously yanking out the microphone wires, disrupting Forrests' comments on the war to the crowd. That was a pretty negative image of the military, in my book. Again, spoke volumes.

Sure, Jennie's boyfriend may have been a war protester, one of the good guys, but he also beat his woman.

It seems to me that the negative and the positive was shown on both sides of the fence during that particularly volatile era. But that's just my take on it.

I don't consider this a confrontation so much as an exchange of ideas. As noted, I saw the film some time ago. I love some of Tom Hanks' movies, however. The Green Mile, Terminal, Castaway, Road to Perdition - A few others.

I agree, if you want to find something in the film knocking right-wingers you will, if you want to find something in the film knocking left-wingers you will.

Here's a question I've always had about "Forrest Gump"...is the guy who shoots up with Jennie on New Years Eve, before she threatens to jump off the ledge, the same boyfriend from the protest rally years earlier?

I found Forest Gump to be condescending, demeaning and trite but then I'm known to be a cranky old fart, so it goes.

I liked Forrest Gump. Aside from the few people here, the only people I ever met who despised the movie were the staff at Bubba Gumps. Overkill.
I think that is my problem with pop culture, I don't mind seeing or hearing something once in a while. I can't stand being beat over the head, over and over with the same thing. It seems whenever something becomes popular, it's not the initial 'thing' that bothers me, it all the cheap repeats.
I listen to public radio, CBC for the news and programs and CKUA for the music. Sometimes I'll slip over to a mainstream station but I generally switch the dials once I've heard the same songs repeated. I bore easily.
I can't stand most reality shows. I hate the bickering, the bitchiness. They seem to mine the lowest common denominator.
I remember reading Dan Brown's book on the plane trip to Puerto Rico and seeing all the Masonic symbols strewn across San Juan and thinking it was cool I could now pick 'em out. Snobbery over reading a book always seemed stupid to me too. I don't enjoy war tomes but some do, does that make me stupid?
I'm a news junkie, so I watch and read a lot on that topic, various sites BBC, AL Jeezera, Time, NY Times, McLeans.... I read Vanity Fair and a few photo mags without fail. Does that make me intellegent?
I've never understood NASCAR or wrestling but a lot of people seem to like it. Does that make me high brow?

Nope, just means I have different tastes...

I also found this. On the other hand, I understand that people will not agree, so I have had my say on that movie and will move on.

Your post reminded me of a book I read quite a while ago called "Rebel Sell".

Interesting and fun read, I thought. Boom - you might enjoy it.