Forrest Gump 25th Anniversary

“Celebrate all the beloved moments, visual mastery, moving performances and captivating storytelling of Forrest Gump in this remarkable, remastered 25^th Anniversary edition. Winner of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor (Tom Hanks) and Director (Robert Zemeckis), the generation-defining film is a stunning journey through some of the most memorable events and cultural touchstones of the later 20^th century, courtesy of Forrest and the powerful cast of characters. Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson and Gary Sinise all shine their brightest. Then, now, always – the world is simply never the same once you’ve seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump.”

Forrest Gump is one of the most iconic films of this generation. Winning Academy Awards that year for Best Picture, Tom Hanks for Best Actor, Robert Zemeckis for Best Director, as well as several others, the film permeated our culture and still does 25 years later. Paramount’s release of this Blu-Ray coincides with the 4k release, boasting a new transfer and audio track.

Forrest Gump introduced me to a lot of things as a kid when I saw it theatres: great music, the tragedies of war, but most of all the heartfelt themes that are prevalent throughout the entire film as Forrest makes his own mark on history. Those themes have continued to age well, especially in our ever-divisive nation when a man such as Forest Gump can look at the world with a sense of innocence and see the best in all situations.

Each time I see the film nowadays I have differing opinions on what hasn’t aged well. As much as I loved the music and the soundtrack when I was younger, they’re used in an almost meaningless way, chosen to represent the period on screen and invoke it’s meaning more so than visually. The songs are given seconds to introduce us to a sequence, cut off, and immediately replaced by another song of the same period, usually which starts another totally unrelated sequence where nothing is happening. As the majority of the film is told through voice over while Forrest recounts his life to random strangers who get up and leave in the middle, the narrative structure told more like a music video than a film just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

Despite this, I still find the Forrest Gump quite enjoyable as the emotional aspect to the story still gets through. Tom Hanks is well deserving of his Oscar win, giving one of his most memorable performances of his entire career, and respects it enough to never get into character again. Great performances all around from supporting cast, especially Gary Sinise. A great new set if you don’t own it already.

Video

Forrest Gump is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1 featuring an all-new digitally remastered transfer. This transfer does look good, clear and detailed throughout, with grain kept at a manageable level. Color balance looks to be somewhat improved over the original blu-ray release, though there are some darker scenes that don’t look the best. However, if you don’t own the film and don’t have a 4k player, this new 25^th anniversary edition is the way to go.

Audio

The audio is presented in a new Dolby Atmos track which sounds exceptional. Levels sound great, with some amazing atmospheric effects coming from the surrounds and Atmos speakers, especially in the Vietnam sequences. The score really sounds exceptional as well, a highlight of the set.

Special Features

Disc 1

• Commentary with Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey and Rick Carter
• Commentary with Wendy Finerman
• Musical Signposts to History

Disc 2

• Greenbow Diary
• The Art of Screenplay Adaptation
• Getting Past Impossible – Forrest Gump and the Visual Effects Revolution
• Little Forrest
• An Evening with Forrest Gump
• Archival Special Features

This 25^th anniversary edition coincides with the release of the 4k version as well. If you have a 4k player and capable television, go for the 4k. It’s at a great price point for the format. If not, this Blu-Ray set offers some decent upgrades, but not nearly what you’d see in jumping to UHD.