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Should “Forrest Gump” be viewed as conservative propaganda?
The Take ^ | N/A | Jeff Saporito

Posted on 06/07/2023 11:53:34 AM PDT by DallasBiff

“The film is nonpolitical and thus nonjudgmental,” Tom Hanks said of Forrest Gump (1994), the year’s winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture and landmark moment in Hanks’ illustrious film career. Yet, in the more than two decades since its release, Forrest Gump has been repeatedly labeled a piece of conservative propaganda that acts as a condemnation of the counterculture movements of the 1960s and a promotion of general conservative values. It has appeared a number of times on “Best Conservative Films” lists and publications, and has been analyzed by film scholars to that end.

During his Academy Award acceptance speech, Forrest Gump producer Steve Tisch said, “Forrest Gump isn’t about politics or conservative values. It’s about humanity. It’s about respect, tolerance and unconditional love.” Tisch and Hanks are both known Democrats

(Excerpt) Read more at the-take.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: forrestgump; jeffsaporito
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Watched the movie last weekend and it was on Paramount.

Basically it is a conservative movie with Jenny doing all the liberal dogma of the time, while Forrest stays true to social norms.

1 posted on 06/07/2023 11:53:34 AM PDT by DallasBiff
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To: DallasBiff

I thought it was stupid.


2 posted on 06/07/2023 11:54:55 AM PDT by alternatives?
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To: alternatives?

Stupid is as stupid does.


3 posted on 06/07/2023 11:56:33 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: DallasBiff

Strange that every actor who portrays a mentally handicapped (i.e. retarded) person ends up winning an Oscar for it. Seems to me anyone could do it.


4 posted on 06/07/2023 11:58:16 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: DallasBiff
I recall some interviews with the film makers shortly after Gump came out. Their stated objective was to make Forrest naive and innocent so as to provide an objective perspective to tumultous times.

As such, I think it does a pretty good job, but just like Fox News at its outset, any attempt to portray things in a "fair and balanced," manner will be deemed, "conservative," because it does not automatically bash conservatives, and it looks at liberal viewpoints in a way that may not be completely flattering.

People will read into things what they want to. When the movie, "Patton," came out in 1970, many in Hollywood thought it was not the right time for a war movie while things were raging in Vietnam...and yet the film did quite well with many on the left who saw Patton as a rebel against the establishment.

5 posted on 06/07/2023 12:02:01 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack
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To: Telepathic Intruder

Putting on a fat suit like De Niro did in Raging
Bull also seems to impress them.


6 posted on 06/07/2023 12:02:48 PM PDT by xp38
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To: DallasBiff

I didn’t like the hidden message that the only characters that was admirable were a retarded man, a black guy and a group of women. There were no laudable portrayals of ordinary males.

This set the tune for Thelma and Louise and a whole group of feminine heroines; fighting against maleness.

Even commercials show most white males as buffoons.


7 posted on 06/07/2023 12:04:33 PM PDT by JeanLM
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To: Telepathic Intruder
Strange that every actor who portrays a mentally handicapped (i.e. retarded) person ends up winning an Oscar for it. Seems to me anyone could do it.

Well, Jenny did the liberal hippie dogma of the late 60's and basically died from AIDS by sharing needles.

8 posted on 06/07/2023 12:06:41 PM PDT by DallasBiff (Apology not accepted.la is not the sharpest knife in the drawer)
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To: JeanLM
I didn’t like the hidden message that the only characters that was admirable were a retarded man, a black guy and a group of women.

Uh Lt. Dan, played by Gary Sinise.

9 posted on 06/07/2023 12:08:36 PM PDT by DallasBiff (Apology not accepted.la is not the sharpest knife in the drawer)
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To: JeanLM

When I read or watch the news, watch modern movies, or watch people around town, it strikes me that the bulk of the population is composed of buffoons.


10 posted on 06/07/2023 12:09:35 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: JeanLM

Yes, but Lt. Dan did come around.


11 posted on 06/07/2023 12:12:33 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (So it begins...Pulled on 05/29/2023 4:49:53 PM PDT by Jim Robinson, reason: TDS article)
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To: alternatives?; DallasBiff

I thought it was incredibly stupid as well.

To think that “one guy” was able to be in so many historic places in his life is ridiculous.


12 posted on 06/07/2023 12:13:30 PM PDT by ro_dreaming (Who knew "Idiocracy", "1984", "Enemy of the State", and "Person of Interest" would be non-fiction?)
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To: ro_dreaming
To think that “one guy” was able to be in so many historic places in his life is ridiculous.

George MacDonald Fraser did it pretty well with Flashman.

13 posted on 06/07/2023 12:26:12 PM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: Responsibility2nd

Lt. Dan was redeemed when he lost his legs and became a cripple. It was a film about heroism among the downtrodden. Today there would be a gay guy or girl and a trans person in the group.


14 posted on 06/07/2023 12:26:57 PM PDT by JeanLM
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To: xp38
Putting on a fat suit like De Niro did in Raging Bull also seems to impress them.

You're joking, of course.

De Niro actually gained 60 lbs of weight - for the sake of verisimilitude.

Regards,

15 posted on 06/07/2023 12:28:00 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

But never go full retard


16 posted on 06/07/2023 12:28:57 PM PDT by Fledermaus (It's time to get rid of the Three McStooges; Mitch, Kevin and Ronna!)
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To: DallasBiff
Uh Lt. Dan, played by Gary Sinise.

If they are sufficiently chastised - e.g., through the amputation of limbs, lengthy soul-wrenching agonizing, suicidal obsessions, etc. - and are humbled, and then also marry a POC, they can be portrayed in a positive light.

Regards,

17 posted on 06/07/2023 12:31:35 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: JeanLM

You’re right. If such a movie were made today, there would have to be a homosexual character.

Given that Forrest was in the military, perhaps one of his army colleagues would have been a homosexual. And given the times, there would have been sympathy since open homosexuality was not permitted in the military then.


18 posted on 06/07/2023 12:49:46 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Fledermaus

Yeah, the truth is not as cute and glamorous as Hollywood portrays. They save the ugly stuff for conservatives and white Christian males.


19 posted on 06/07/2023 12:51:33 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: JeanLM

Thelma and Louise was released before Forrest Gump.


20 posted on 06/07/2023 1:00:27 PM PDT by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken!)
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