The Curious Case of Forrest Gump (mild spoilers)

[TripletDaddy]

Another day, another movie.

Last night my wife and I went to see TCCOBB. This is a lengthy movie. I think it is almost 3 hours long.

What's up with the Forrest Gump clone? Lame.

Forrest had a patented "momma always says, life is like..." type credo used throughout the movie. Button had the "sooner or later, you've got to let go..." Also, "momma said you never know what's coming at ya!" or something to that effect.

Forrest travels the country doing cool things....Benjamin travels the world doing cool things.

Forrest hung out on a gulf-coast shrimping boat, Benjamin Button hung out a gulf coast tug boat.

Forrest befriends Lieutenant Dan, only to have him die...or get blown up, I guess. Benjamin befriends Captain Mike, only to have him die. Both Forrest and Benjamin get sucked into the WW2.

Both men father children to their long-time sweethearts.

I guess the movie was interesting enough, but the story seems to have several holes that were annoying....and it seemed like every 10 minutes or so, there was another Gump plotline that was lifted into this screenplay.

It should do mondo BO with all the Brad Pitt screen time, but more or less this movie was, at best, curious.

[RobinFinderson]

Too bad. I really liked Forrest Gump. It was the first movie I saw coming back from my mission, and to my fresh RM eyes, it represented all that Hollywood could ever hope to achieve.

[UtahDan]

One obvious reason for the similarities is that Eric Roth wrote both of the screen plays. All the reviews I have read drew the same parallel. How was Cate Blancett? I have read that this is the best she has looked. She is my favorite, I sort of think of her as a thinking man's babe. Best actress of her generation IMO, though another Kate (Winslett) is gaining ground.

[RockyBalboa]

I have no desire to see this movie.

It looks painfully boring.

[woot]

It should be pointed out that CCoBB was written long before Forrest Gump was. I haven't read it, but it's safe to assume that many of the similarities between the two movies existed between the short story CCoBB and Forrest Gump.

Here's the full text: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/Fi.../benjamin1.htm

[il Padrino Ute]

I have no desire to see this movie.

It looks painfully boring.

Agreed.

And if it's similar to Forrest Gump, I won't like it, as I didn't like that one.

[Babs]

And if it's similar to Forrest Gump, I won't like it, as I didn't like that one.

me neither. The soundtrack was the only redeeming aspect of the film.

[il Padrino Ute]

me neither. The soundtrack was the only redeeming aspect of the film.

Agreed. I liked the film's score quite a bit as well.

[RobinFinderson]

Agreed.

And if it's similar to Forrest Gump, I won't like it, as I didn't like that one.

Gump bashing has been going on for ages. I wonder what I would have thought of it if it came out now that I'm old and sophisticated. As it stands, I have a soft spot for Forrest.

Sling Blade was the other post-mission movie that I totally loved. I think Sling Blade was my first R-rated film after my mission. I still think Sling Blade is awesome.

[LiveCoug]

Perfect review DDD. Those were exactly the same thoughts my wife and I had.

[il Padrino Ute]

Gump bashing has been going on for ages. I wonder what I would have thought of it if it came out now that I'm old and sophisticated. As it stands, I have a soft spot for Forrest.

Sling Blade was the other post-mission movie that I totally loved. I think Sling Blade was my first R-rated film after my mission. I still think Sling Blade is awesome.

I can understand why so many loved the film. It's just not one that I liked.

I did see Sling Blade and liked it.

[Surfah]

Gump bashing has been going on for ages. I wonder what I would have thought of it if it came out now that I'm old and sophisticated. As it stands, I have a soft spot for Forrest.

Sling Blade was the other post-mission movie that I totally loved. I think Sling Blade was my first R-rated film after my mission. I still think Sling Blade is awesome.

I enjoyed it quite a bit as well. One of the few movies I think that was far better than the book.

[creekster]

I think forest was sucked into viet nam, not WWII

[Gidget]

Surfah and me went to see Benjamin Button and we liked it. We weren't like crazy in love with it, and it was long, but it was a great story and no more ridiculous than Forrest Gump. I had read DDD's review before seeing the film, but I as well knew that it was written long before Forrest Gump. All in all I thought it was a good story that I liked watching on screen.

P.S. And Surfah doesn't think Kate Blanchett is pretty either but he said their were definitely parts where she was beautiful in the film.

P.P.S. There were also parts where Brad Pitt was totally gorgeous, but that's like 2 hours or so into the film . . . .

[Fiyero]

I normally enjoy period dramas a great deal, but I was so bored with Button that I walked out today after 90 minutes. It was only half over? God have mercy.

Meanwhile my hotel PPV has Slumdog for $11.99. I think I'll make it this evening's feature.