Whitby Free Press, Wednesday. Auguat 17, 1994, Page 7 Not stpid ovi "MyyamesiGlpSorren GmpM "Stupid is as stupid does, that's what my mother always said.» 'My mother says life is like a box of chocolates. You neyer know what you're going to get.» The ahove are three quotes, or as close as 1 can "' muster after one viewing, from the bit movie of the summer, Forrest Gunip. And as the TV promotionsF laim, you'll see the world slightly ýdifferently after seeing this rnovie. On the surface, this is a fantasy about a feeble- minded man who f'nds success everywhere. Like Being There with Peter Sellers. Remember? Well, yes, and no. But Cbancey Gardener (in the Seller's movie) became a guru by projection. Forrest Gump enjoys no such mirage. Everyone sees bini as the feeble-minded social misfit he is. He goes te college on a football scholarship because the -I J one tbing he can do is run. After one touchdown, bis_____________________________________ football coach called him the stupidest man ever te play football. In the army he is so stupid he does everytbing bis drill sergeant tells him te do........ ............--------- - --- --- An army buddy, Bubba, the second stupidest character in the movie, dies .witb dreams of owning a shrimp boat. Forrest promises he wil buy the boat. So even though he knows nothing of shrimp fishing, Forrest buys the boat (don't ask how, this is a fantasy) and. begrns a career that makes hirn the Î ricbest shrimp boat captain in the world. (Fantasy, remember?) This leads te two and a baîf years of running across America. In short, he succeeds at everything that is part of tbe American dreain: he meets tbree presidents, he becomes a millionaire, he marries, he gives birth te the world's smartest kid. In short, this plot has the potential of being the world's dumbest movie. Two things save it: first, the superb script (taken from a novel by the saine naine, 1 didn't catch the autbor's naine); and second, a great performance by Tom Hanks. Another Academy Award would flot be 7 out of line. The script gets tep billing because this is a movie WHITBY-FlUE TRUCK AT RED WING ORCHARDS, 1931 you can watcb on several levels. First, tbere's tbe This Chevrolet chernijeal truck, purchased in 1926, was kept on stand-by duty at fantasy, sustained by the subtle use of special effects Normnan Irwin's fly-in breakfasts in the 1930s. Red Wing Orchards was Iocated in te put Forrest Gump in television news clips fom Pickering Township, west of Whitby. Mr. Imwin was one of the first private pilots in thryyasago. Otro Whltby Archives photo Undemneatb you'll find layer after layer of symbol- isin. Eorrest Gump is America: stupid, loving, depend- 10 YEARS AGO able. He bas been in tbe middle of Arnerica's defining Froni the Wednesday, August 15, 1984 edition. of the moments for the past tbirty years.. WHITBY FREE PRESS Themea's Gu's o ffÉicer in Viet Nain: a bumbrling, More than 7,000 people lined Brock Street to welcome Whitby'es "Golden Girl," Forrest Gump yet, go, now. If you bave, go again. 9 The Town of Whitby ratepayers voted b y an overwhehning niajority in favour of a Look for the little touches you missed the first time. $10,000 bonus for t he P ort Witby and P ort Perry Railway. Loo fo th sybol, te iverion, te bdde0* Ail citizens of Whitby turned out on Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. to watch an eclipse of the Sun. Lookforthesymols th invrsinsthehiden Alexander Evans was jailed for thmee months for stealing shoes from William meanings. Burns' shop. Iseldom watch inovies a second time. Tbis is one I* The Ontano Cricket Club is being eorganized at the Huron House bote] in Port want in my home video library wbenever it isWhbytng. released. ltes that good. htyong.n =ý-,---777-,-ý --7