I’ve watched the movie, “Forrest Gump”
so many times I can almost quote the main character before he speaks the words,
as well as ‘Jenny’ and ‘Lt. Dan’ and the rest of the assorted cast.
And though I enjoyed watching the
entire movie the first twenty eight or thirty times, at this point I have
committed the video and audio to memory, so there is little point in wading
through it. But to be fair I can still handle ten or twelve minutes of Forrest
when he happens to ‘knock on my door’ (or vice versa).
However, in spite of my profound
acquaintance with the movie I noticed something tonight which had largely
escaped me in the past; at least in terms of the depth and scope thereof.
For you see, Forrest was a father.
(Yes, he was).
There is that memorable scene in which
he realizes how close Jenny’s residence is to the bench upon which he sits
waiting for a bus. And bidding a hasty ‘goodbye’ to another prospective
passenger, he jogs the five blocks which separates him from the love of his
life.
Forrest knocks on the apartment door
and his sweet Jenny greets him with a surprised smile. And as they ‘make up for
lost time’ a neighbor lady drops off Jenny’s son, and departs the premises.
Forrest speaks.
“Jenny, you’re a mama!”
And she proceeds to introduce the
pair.
“Forrest, this is Mr. Gump.”
The eight year old has been taught
well.
“Hello, Mr. Gump.”
As the lad makes his way over to the
t.v. set Jenny notices the question forming in Forrest’ eyes.
“His daddy is named Forrest.”
The young man responds.
“Just like me.”
And Jenny flashes a smile that would
light up Savannah and exclaims,
“You’re his daddy, Forrest!”
A look of amazement turns into
unspoken dread, as Forrest Sr. thinks out loud.
“But is he like …me or is he…?”
Jenny immediately reassures him.
“He’s one of the smartest children in
his class.”
With this, a sense of calm seems to
envelope Forrest Sr. and his eyes and body language indicate a desire to spend
a bit of quality time with little Forrest. Of course, Jenny acquiesces and Sr.
walks the ten paces which separates him from his newly discovered son, takes a
seat on the floor next to Jr., and they strike up a conversation about the
‘Sesame Street’ television show he’s watching.
Pt. 2
Before Forrest Sr. departs Savannah
for home Jenny proposes something that he’d daydreamed about since he was his
son’s age.
“Would you marry me, Forrest?”
There could be only one answer, and
the trio make their way back to Greenbow, Alabama, (by one unknown conveyance
or another, for this scene is absent from the movie).
For any of my readers who have not
seen this classic film, it seems in all of her ‘comings and goings’ Jenny had
contracted the (at that time) still misunderstood AID’s virus. And shortly after
having married Forrest the love of his life succumbs to the illness.
Who can forget the waning moments of
the movie?
Forrest Sr. stands before Jenny’s
headstone, just under the massive oak tree upon which they used to lull away
the hours, and he tenderly speaks to his dearly departed wife.
“Jenny, little Forrest wanted me to
drop this letter off this morning. He told me not to open it. It’s for you.”
And with this the dutiful husband lays
the little envelope next to the marble headstone, and tears spring to his eyes.
“I miss you, Jenny!”
(and)
“If there’s anything you need, I won’t
be far away.”
And having bid his farewells, Forrest
steps back and makes his way towards home.
Pt. 3
If you have ever seen the movie, you
know in the thirty five or so years which the film depicts our ‘slightly slow’
hero experienced more than most people experience in a lifetime.
He has set the standard for college
football excellence, and gained notoriety on the running circuit. He has
‘rubbed shoulders’ with rock stars and conferred with presidents. He has
entertained the Chinese Politburo with his ping pong skills, and won the
Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroics in Vietnam. He has amassed millions
in the shrimp boat business, and was Time magazine’s Man of the Year.
However, as the movie concludes,
Forrest Sr. and Forrest Jr. have settled into a life of peaceful obscurity, and
father and son sit waiting for little Forrest’ school bus; a hundred yards from
the aged two story wooden house in which the humble, unobtrusive man had grown
up.
As the bus draws to a stop, and as Jr.
greets Dorothy Harris, the very driver who at one time transported Sr., the
latter makes eye contact with his son, and exclaims,
“Forrest, I want you to know I love
you.”
(and)
“I’ll be right here when you get
back.”
For all his former claim to fame,
riches and notoriety, it seems he has discovered his true calling. I think
anyone would do well to have a father like
…Forrest Gump.
by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt, "The Stories of my Life V," Copyright 2007
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