Forrest Gump parents guide

Forrest Gump Parent Guide

You never know what you are gonna find.

Overall C-

Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a simple man who manages to find his way into some of the most complicated historical moments of the 20th century.

Release date September 5, 2014

Violence D
Sexual Content D
Profanity D+
Substance Use D+

Why is Forrest Gump rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Forrest Gump PG-13 for drug content, some sensuality and war violence

Run Time: 142 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Forrest Gump is a critic’s dream. Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, and all the rest of the cast hand in superlative performances. The special effects are almost invisible, as they place Gump into the past so he can meet many historical figures. Yet every time I watch this movie, I am left with a hard question to answer: What is the film really trying to say?

Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) is a simple man, a popular theme in movies as the public yearns for a way to strip complications from life. Yet Forrest encounters complications—he just doesn’t see them. Like a dog headed for dinner, his sights are set on his goal and nothing stops him from getting there. He has complete trust in everyone he meets, and accepts everyone into his life, no matter how they might treat him. He believes in God, prays regularly, and tries to do good wherever he goes. In this regard, Forrest Gump is a movie that promotes strong positive ideals, and helps you appreciate that the best people in this world are often overlooked.

However, Forrest often utters the now famous phrase, “Life is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re gonna get.” Are we to believe that there really is nothing to be learned from life’s experiences? Should we make choices based only on a good feeling in our tummy? I have eaten enough chocolates to know that square ones are usually hard and round ones with high tops may have a cherry inside. We can learn from the chocolates we have found in the past.

Forrest Gump offers many artistic and technical achievements. However parents are well advised to heed the PG-13 warning. Gump has a good deal of foul language, sex, and violence, relative to what’s appropriate for family viewing. As parents, if your children want to see this movie, please watch it before, or at least with them.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Sally Field. Running time: 142 minutes. Theatrical release September 5, 2014. Updated

Forrest Gump
Rating & Content Info

Why is Forrest Gump rated PG-13? Forrest Gump is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for drug content, some sensuality and war violence

Violence: Soldiers are shown in a Vietnam War context, during an intense battle some are killed while others are left badly injured, many are shown with bloody injuries -- some explicit, one man loses both legs and is later seen with amputated limbs. Other boys bully a young boy who has a physical impairment. They throw rocks at him until he begins to run and miraculously escapes from them. A female character is slapped and knocked to the ground. Fisticuffs occur in some scenes with blood effects. Sexual abuse of a child is implied. Newsreel footage shows actual violent events.

Sexual Content: A woman removes her bra while a man watches (we see this from behind), she places his hand on her breast. In another scene a naked woman is seen with explicit nudity obscured by a prop and positioning. Sexual sounds are heard, a couple is shown kissing and sex is later implied. Men are seen without shirts and some rear male nudity is seen from a distance.

Language: A single sexual expletive is heard. Crude and clinical anatomical terms, scatological curses and terms of deity are frequently used. Derogatory racial comments and developmental slurs are included.

Drugs/Alcohol Drug use is depicted along with smoking and the consumption of alcohol.

Page last updated

Forrest Gump Parents' Guide

What do you think Forrest Gump is trying to say? Because the main character doesn’t understand the complexities of the situations he, the viewer of the film is expected to interpret. Despite this freedom, how does the script manipulate the audience?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Forrest Gump movie is December 9, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Forrest Gump: 20th Anniversary Edition
Release Date: 30 September 2014
After a short theatrical re-release, Forrest Gump comes to home video in a Twentieth Anniversary Edition with the following extras:
- Greenbow Diary
- The Art of Screenplay Adaptation
- The Make-up of Forrest Gump
- Through the Ears of Forrest Gump – Sound Design
- Little Forrest
- An Evening with Forrest Gump
- Easter Eggs - Groom on Gump
- And More

Related home video titles:

Lee Daniel’s The Butler is another ambitious effort by moviemakers to capture an era by placing characters within many of the important historical moments.

Related news about Forrest Gump

Memorial Day Movies

Memorial Day Movies

{parents:pull_quote}