Forrest gump movie review essay

Movie Review Essay

How To Write A Movie Review For Aspiring Movie Critics - MovieFilmReview.com

You don’t need a degree in English to be a good movie reviewer, and that everyone is invited to rate & critique a movie here. However, as you step into reviewing movies professionally, there are certain quality and guidelines

that your critiques should possess. You should not use generalized opinions such as “oh, it was a great movie” or “the acting was horrible”, but rather

give specific reasons and the whys.

If you feel like you are ready, you can start writing your reviews and get

them published here on MovieFilmReview.com

Be sure to read up on tips for the actual write-up of a review - Here is a good guide to read up on. While we don’t limit you to a certain style of

writing, the number of words you must have in your review, and what you must (or must not) write about, we do provide the following guideline to

help you get started in writing a review.

Title of the movie

Paragraph 1

You will need to include the following: name of the film, prominent stars of the film, basic setting ( time and place), and type of film ( comedy,

adventure, drama, etc.)

Paragraph 2

You will need to write a plot summary for the movie. Do not reveal the ending. Discuss at least 5 events and be sure to cover the entire scope of

the movie, except the very end.

Paragraph 3

Discuss one aspect of filmmaking. You may choose from acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, background music, or

anything else you may think of. Be sure that you are specific and cite examples from the movie.

Paragraph 4

Discuss another aspect of filmmaking. You may choose from acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, background

music, or anything else you may think of, but obviously choose something different from what you discussed in the previous paragraph. Be sure that

you are specific and cite examples from the movie.

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Paragraph 5

Give your overall reaction to the film as well as your opinion on the quality of the film. also include your recommendations for potential viewers.

Remember, the guideline above is just what it is. It’s just a guideline, so

throw in your own spin and develop your own format if you want to. Take a look at a sample movie critique for “Forrest Gump”:

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Win One for the Gumper: A Short Review of Forrest Gump

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” However, when you watch Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks as Forrest and

Robin Wright as Jenny, you know you are going to get a lot of laughs and

even a few tears. The screenplay for the 1994 movie was written by Eric Roth, based on the novel by Winston Groom. The story follows Forrest

through 30 years of trials and tribulations, placing Forrest within historical moments of history, and in pursuit of his one dream–his “most special

friend,” Jenny. According to the Washington Post, Forrest Gump won Oscar awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Hanks), Best Director (Robert

Zemeckis), Film Editing, Visual Effects and Adapted Screenplay. The movie was well deserving of these awards since the acting and the visual effects

were extraordinary.

The films’ actors success in portraying their characters is a major factor in

the film’s awards. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright worked well together, just like “peas and carrots.” The on-screen chemistry between the two was

phenomenal. I felt a real connection between the two, finding myself mad at Jenny when she blew Forrest off and in tears when he told her that he was

heading to Vietnam. Mokui’s Movie Review states “Tom Hanks IS Forrest Gump…He breathes life into the guy and you will feel what Forrest feels”

(1994, par 1). James Berardinelli states, “Robin Wright gives the best performance of her career, surpassing what she accomplished in The

Playboys” (1994, par2). Another performance that stands out is that of Gary Sinise. Sinise plays the part of Lieutenant Dan Taylor, whose life is saved by

Forrest during the Vietnam War. James Berardinelli writes, “In this movie, his Lieutenant Dan Taylor is riveting” (1994, par 3). I thought that Sinise

was quite convincing with his emotions throughout the movie, as if he was really a disabled vet who had lost both legs in the war.

Just as good as the actors were those working behind the scenes with the special effects. Throughout Forrest Gump the special effects were incredible.

During Lieutenant Taylor’s scenes, I was convinced that he really didn’t have

legs. I was studying the scenes, looking for any signs of legs, trying to figure

out how it was done. It turns out that each and every frame was painted over to give it the true to life values that it holds. Also bringing the movie

more credibility was the ability to place Forrest in history making events. These events ranged from Forrest teaching Elvis how to swing his hips to

meeting Presidents for various accomplishments. These television clips of Forrest were done with such finesse that they look real. Critic Brian Webster

(2003) states, “This is handled virtually flawlessly; if you didn’t know better, you’d believe that a fellow named Gump really did tell President Lyndon

Johnson that he had been shot in the rump while acting heroically in Vietnam” (par 2). Rolling Stone (2003) states, “The effects dazzle, though

never at the expense of the story” (Travers, par 2).

This story, complete with the Oscar winning performances in both acting and

special effects is perfect for those in need of a dose of goodness. My family enjoys watching Forrest Gump together for rejuvenation, to view someone

with true values of honesty, friendship and family. Forrest, with his heart of gold and his low IQ, never gives up. He always looks for the best in every

scenario. The movie opens with a feather floating down over the city, landing at Forrest’s feet. Near the end of the story, Forrest questions, “Do

we each have a destiny - or do we just float around accidental, like on a breeze?” As you are contemplating this question, the feather reappears and

floats through the countryside right up into the ending credits.

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Now, let’s look at what you need to do BEFORE you even start writing a

single word:

Steps

1. Watch a movie, and during the movie, think about what you like and

don’t like about it. Try to remember these things, because you will need them during the writing part.

2. Go home, and write down all the information that you gathered during the movie. Let all the information sit for up to a day because you need

time to think over the movie. But, don’t let yourself take more than a day, because if you wait too long, you tend to lose interest and forget

important things that you felt. 3. Write all the information down in a format that is readable for others.

Remember to include a basic summary for people who haven’t heard

of the movie, but remember to not give away the ending, or any other part that they wouldn’t want to have ruined for them.

4. Remember to aim for about 600-700 words for the entire review.

5. Hand out copies of your review to other people, so they can have the

chance to read your opinion, and after time, you may start to get people wanting more and more reviews.

Tips

 Remember to try reviewing every movie you see, because when you

get into the habit, it will become easier.

 Once you gain more confidence in your reviews, try to match the tone of each with the style of the movie. For example, a humorous writing

style would work well for a comedy, whereas a more serious tone would be good for writing a drama review.

Warning

 Try not to slam actors too much, because if it gets too out of hand, they may consider legal action against you. Just be careful.

Again, as mentioned, we are not very strict in terms of the format and

minimal word length. We do encourage you to have your own writing style that you are most comfortable with instead of going with the norm. You will

continue to grow your readership as more people appreciates your style and agree with your reviews.

Get started by visiting the following website: http://www.moviefilmreview.com/mcw

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