3. Forrest Gump Has A Terrible Message
Here's one realisation I really wish I hadn't arrived at, because Forrest Gump is otherwise one of my favourite films, if now tainted by the fact that its earnestness does sort of imply a rather disconcerting message about living in the modern world. Tom Hanks obviously does a fantastic job playing the simple but charming protagonist, though what the central theme of the film seems to say is a bit troubling, that, essentially, ignorance is bliss, and you'll have a much easier, more joyful time in life if you keep your head down and don't confront the big topics. One could make countless political statements about the film, particularly with its engagement with the Vietnam War - or rather, lack of engagement - but the idea that waltzing through life with nary a question in the world will bear grand success feels wrong. That said, I don't think anyone really used Forrest Gump as a template for their life, now, did they?