“Forrest. I never thanked you for saving my life.”
– Lt. Dan (Forrest Gump)
There are many reasons Forrest Gump deserves mention. It is full of wonderful moments, beautiful interactions, and so much love, that it was hard to settle on what in particular impacted me the most. Personally, I feel like it was this emotional moment between Forrest and Lt. Dan that meant the most to me.
Forrest Gump was a lot of things to a lot of people. Not one dishonest or malicious bone in his body. A warrior for light on a path that was overrun with darkness. There are a lot of interpretations to be made, but I want to focus on this moment. This moment causes me to tear up every time. Even though I know it is fictional, there is a truth to it that many people could never fully understand.
I served in the military. I have a lot of friends that served or are currently serving. Each loss is heartfelt. I was fortunate that I only deployed once and was not as exposed to the chaos and carnage found in active war zones. Many of my fellow veterans were not so lucky. No one comes back 100%, even the untouched. Many come back shrouded in darkness. It breaks my heart to see. That is why I love this moment.
Lt. Dan doesn’t actually say the words, but it is easy to interpret that he is thanking Forrest while also acknowledging that he knows he was being ungrateful. Forrest Gump takes a moment that I know a lot of people need, military service or not, and put it on the screen to give people a taste of how it could feel.
Forrest Gump is a movie about being grateful for what you have, but it is so much more than that. It was in this moment that Lt. Dan finally found his peace. The scenery was spectacular, they were doing something they enjoyed, they were with a friend, and it was one of the most beautiful moments (in my opinion) in cinematic history.
Journeyman's Legacy 