Many point to The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King as being the first fantasy film to win Best Picture. I disagree. That honor belongs to Forrest Gump. The film is not exactly what you would call realistic. But that doesn’t change the fact that the film is yet another classic to add to the lineup of Best Picture Winners.

I’d ljust like to mention that my high school is putting on How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. The reason I bring this up is because both stories about men who achieve many great things without a whole lot of effort. But the main difference between the two stories and the main reason why I loved this movie is that while in How To Succeed, our ‘hero’ gets what he wants through tricks and deceit, the number one reason that Forrest Gump lived such an incredible life is because he was kind and honest. And yes, maybe that’s not always how it works in the real world, but I think it is such a nice lesson for kids and adults to take in.

This film has so much joy that goes into every frame. You can tell that all the filmmakers were happy while they were making the film, because that happiness is felt in every frame. Robert Zemeckis’ direction is filled with love, care, and attention to detail, and the screenplay is just beautiful. There’s also some nice editing, effects, and quite possibly the best score that I’ve come across in The Best Picture Quest.

Tom Hanks is just wonderful. He never goes too far with the character, he doesn’t feel forced. The scene when he sees Jenny after the long run ALONE is worth the Oscar that he won. Gary Sinise, Sally Field, and especially Robin Wright all turn in marvelous performances at well.

Now some people say that this film is overrated. And seeing how this beat Pulp Fiction & The Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture, I understand why people would feel this way. But personally, I thought that this was a great film, and it is very deserving of it’s reputation.

*****