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JUAN HOPPE GANTZ
OLIVAR
3°C MEDIO MOVIE ANALYSIS:
FORREST GUMP (1994)
Name:
Grade: 3° ____
Teacher:
Date:
Inglés: OA3: Utilizar su conocimiento del inglés en la comprensión y producción de textos
orales y escritos breves y claros, con el fin de construir una postura personal crítica en
contextos relacionados con sus intereses e inquietudes.
Forrest Gump (Comedy/Drama) (1994)
"Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you're going to get."
Main Characters
Forrest Gump..........Tom Hanks
He is not particularly smart but is, however, incredibly kind, decent, and over the course of
his life, quite lucky.
Jenny..........................Robin Wright
Forrest's most important friend from early childhood. She remains his friend for over 35
years even if they lead very different lives.
Mama Gump............Sally Field
Forrest's loving mother who will do everything she can to give Forrest a good life.
Lieutenant Dan........Gary Siniese
An army officer that Forrest meets while he is serving in the Vietnam war. Dan becomes a
loyal friend of Forrest.
Bubba.........................Mykelti Williamson
A poor fisherman and another friend that Forrest makes in Vietnam.
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JUAN HOPPE GANTZ
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Plot Summary
Forrest Gump is the story of an incredibly kind and gentle person. It is true that he is not too
smart, but this does not stop him from having a rich and fulfilling life, thanks to the
relationships he builds and to a bit of…luck. Forrest is born and raised in rural Alabama, in
the Southern United States in the 1950s. He grows up with his mother, who rents out rooms
in the family house to people travelling through the area.
Despite the fact that he grows up far from any major cities, Forrest manages to become
personally involved in most of the major events that take place in American History from the
late 1950s until the early 1980s. This includes the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal, the
Civil Rights and Anti-Vietnam War protest movements, and the Computer Revolution.
Forrest even meets three American Presidents as well as Elvis Presley and John Lennon.
In a way, this movie is a look at a period of American history through the eyes of a gentle
soul.
It is also about the relationships that Forrest develops through his life. With his mother, who
will do anything for him, with his two best friends from his days in the army, Bubba and
Lieutenant Dan, and most of all, with Jenny, his first and only love. Jenny experiences the
changes in American culture from a totally different point of view than Forrest. She joins the
various protest movements and subcultures of the 1960s and 70s, but she never forgets her
childhood friend, whose sincerity, kindness and loyalty are truly unique.
1. Before you watch: Here are some other historical events that are mentioned in the
film. Match the pictures to the events.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
2. While you watch: Number the events in the order in which they appear in the film:
A. President Johnson gives a medal of honour to Vietnam veterans.
B. President Nixon resigns after the Watergate Scandal.
C. Hippies travel around the United States spreading their message of love “Make
Love, not War”
D. Thousands of people gather in Washington to protest against the Vietnam war.
E. Neil Armstrong lands on the moon.
F. The Black Panthers, a political movement which fights against racial
segregation and oppression.
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3. After you watch: Fill in the blanks with the words in the boxes to complete a
summary of the most important events in Forrest’s life in this part of the film.
ATTACK – BULLET – DIES - SAVES - LEGS – MEDAL- PING PONG- PROTEST
In Vietnam, during an ....................... to his platoon, he ..................... a lot of men, including
Lieutenant Dan. Unfortunately, he is not able to save his good friend Bubba, who
.......................
Forrest is wounded, too: a ...................... hits him in his buttocks so he must spend time in
hospital to recover.
In hospital, he discovers that Lieutenant Dan has lost both his ......................... and is not
happy that Forrest saved him. To while away the time, he starts playing .................................
and he becomes an excellent player.
Forrest then goes to Washington where he receives a ........................... of Honour from
President
Johnson.
In
Washington,
thousands
of
people
have
organised
a
.............................. against the Vietnam war.
CRAZY - FURIOUS – INTERVIEW - PARTY – PROMISE
Here, he meets Jenny again. She is with her boyfriend who is an activist in the war. Jenny
takes Forrest to a ............................ where there are also some members of the Black
Panthers. Her boyfriend is very violent and hits her and this makes Forrest
................................. In the end, Jenny goes back to Berkley with her boyfriend and Forrest
goes back to playing table-tennis.
He is so good at the sport, that he is sent to China to play against the Chinese team. He
becomes very popular and when he returns, he goes to New York for an ............................
on a TV show. Sitting next to him is the famous songwriter John Lennon who is inspired by
Forrest’s words to write the song “Imagine”.
After the show, he meets Lieutenant Dan, who is not doing very well. He is disabled, not
happy with his life and has become an alcoholic. They spend New Year’s Eve together.
Forrest tells Lieutenant Dan that he is going to keep the ........................ he made to Bubba
to go to Bayou La Batre and buy a shrimp boat. Lieutenant Dan thinks he’s .....................,
but as Forrest says: “A promise is a promise, Lieutenant Dan”.
REFLECT
1. Do children with special needs go to ‘special’ schools or regular schools in your
country?
2. What is a ‘scholarship’? Do they exist in your country?
4. AFTER YOU WATCH: (EVALUATION)
1. Create a timeline of the main events in Forrest Gump life. The whole class is going to
agree in the timeline.
2. Each group is going to be in charge of an event. Include the characters, main elements
or objects, memorial quotes, images, etc.
3. Exhibit your timeline in your classroom.