Friday, July 11, 2014

That One Movie I Can Watch a Million Times

Everyone has that movie that they can watch over and over and never get tired of. That movie that they can recite nearly every line to. The one that they can immediately recognize by a simple measure of music or a character's voice.

For me, that movie is Forrest Gump.


My momma always said,
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

I remember watching Forrest Gump on t.v. growing up over the summer when there was nothing else on. At first, being just a kid, I didn't understand everything that was happening in the movie. But I didn't care. I liked the characters and I liked all the different places Forrest got to travel to. 

The first time I truly appreciated all of the history within the movie was when my 11th grade US History teacher, Mr. Russell, played the film at the end of the school year. Having just learned all about our country's history, I now understood who each of the presidents were. And, I understood why my teacher joked about the fact that Watergate all started thanks to Forrest.


Now, I watch Forrest Gump at least 7 times a year - once for each of the classes I teach. It's one of those things that I incorporate in my classroom because I remember how much I enjoyed it as a student. It's become one of my annual traditions. And, would you believe, every year I have a handful of students who have no idea who Forrest Gump is?! It seems like each year the number gets larger and larger. Seriously, what are these parents teaching their kids? Don't they appreciate a classic?

I have so many favorite lines/moments from the movie that it would be pointless to share them all here - you'd basically be watching the movie all over again. But, I do have one line from the end of the movie that always makes me stop and think:

"...I don't know if Momma was right or if, if it's Lieutenant Dan. I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time."

For a character which is portrayed in the movie as less than smart, it's a pretty profound line. I really think the best part about Forrest Gump is the fact that he doesn't realize how smart he truly is.

So, that's my favorite movie. What's yours? What's that one movie you could watch a million times, and still never tire of?


P.S. Considering my love of Forrest Gump, I was really hoping to visit the infamous bench in Savannah during our recent trip. Boy was I disappointed when I found out that the bench was simply a Hollywood prop and was never actually a part of the local square. #bubbleofficiallyburst

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