Forrest Gump

Hey there, how’s it going? Now that you’ve learned what the term “neurodiversity” actually means (if you didn’t go check out my first blog post) it is time to start looking at movies, tv shows, and books with neurodiverse characters. When discussing movies with neurodiverse characters, the first movie that comes to mind is Forrest Gump. A classic film released in 1994, starring Tom Hanks. The film is based on the book, also titled Forrest Gump, written by Winston Groom and published in 1986. I personally have never read the book, however the movie is a must see. For those of you who have not had a chance to watch it, I’ve included the link to IMDb's plot summary here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/plotsummary

In just two and a half hours, Forrest Gump manages to get and get rid of leg braces, meet Jenny, play college football, enlist in the army, receive the Medal of Honor, get shot in the buttocks, play competitive ping pong, start and own a shrimping business, have a son, and much much more. He manages to overcome multiple trials throughout the film and remains the kind, optimistic, hero that we all root for. It is assumed by the general public that Forrest is autistic due to his "autistic traits". However, it has never been officially stated, in either the book or the movie, that he was autistic/on the spectrum. An article from Applied Behavior Analysis EDU's website states, "Neither author Winston Groom nor star Tom Hanks or director Robert Zemeckis have ever commented on their view of whether or not Forrest was intended to be portrayed as autistic”. The novel was written in 1986. Though this was only 35 years ago, autism was not very well understood or even recognized by most people. Writing an entire book around an autistic main character would have been "ahead of its time". All evidence points to Groom intending for Forrest to just be a man with a very low IQ. However, art and literature are constantly open to reappraisal and interpretation by the audience. So for our culture to interpret Forrest (the hero of the film) as an autistic man and embrace him with open arms actually speaks to the good and accepting parts of the society we live in.

In the 27 years that the film has been around, it has become one of the "classics". It even inspired a chain of restaurants, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., that now has 37 different locations, 14 of which are international. So I think it's safe to say that the world fell in love with Forrest. He is a kind and genuine character. But it is important to note that the reason we all love Forrest and his story is because of his kindness, genuineness, perseverance, hope, love, etc., not just because he was a neurodiverse man who overcame many trials (it's both). It is a fine line to walk, but we have to see that there is more to this character than just his neurodiversity, AND that his neurodiversity still plays a large role in who he is. The way he saw the world (in a simple way) attributed to his consistent joy. He knew what he wanted and believed in and he did what aligned with those values. He is more than just his perceived disability (autism), but that perceived disability also is what makes him great.

Let's consider how this character could be beneficial or harmful for a neurodiverse viewer to relate to. Throughout the film, and the book, a multitude of insults are used when referencing Forrest's mental disability including imbecile, moron, halfwit, retard, simple, and slow. These slurs would be hard to hear and maybe upsetting for a neurodiverse viewer. But on the other hand, that viewer may have, unfortunately, experienced being called these names too. So though it is not a positive experience, viewers could relate to Forrest in this way. Similarly, Forrest suffers several losses; his mother, Bubba, and Jenny. Loss is a part of life, and seeing how those different relationships affected Forrest, how he grieved, and how he moved forward could also be encouraging. Being human is not easy. Growing up is not easy. I am sure having a neurodiversity is not easy. So painting everything as sunshine and rainbows is nice some of the times, but sometimes we need to see the bad. And even if it is a fictional character, just having someone who knows what you're going through can make a world of difference.

Autism is a spectrum, meaning the effects and severity of symptoms look different for each individual. Because of this we cannot look at Forrest and say he is or is not portraying autism correctly, especially since he was not written as an autistic character. What we want to determine is if the character with the neurodiversity is being portrayed accurately and morally correct. Accurately meaning it is in line with what we know about autism and morally meaning they are portrayed in a kind and decent way. It seems outrageous that we have to include that, but even if not on our movie screens, at one point, those with disabilities were treated extremely wrong. Which brings us back to the purpose of this blog. Towards the end of the film, when Forrest meets his son, he asks Jenny “Is, is he smart or is he….?” To which Jenny replies, "He's very smart". There is no avoiding that a neurodiverse individual is different, but we are ALL different. "What's normal anyways?" (Mrs. Gump). I am not saying that to sound cliche because it's the truth. Not a single one of us is the carbon copy of the next, so who's to say I am better or worse than you. Our differences make us who we are.

Maybe it is silly to think that with one little blog I may be able to change some people's opinions, hearts, and outlook to make people like Forrest feel more loved. But..."My Mama always told me that miracles happen everyday. Some people don't think so, but they do" (Forrest Gump).