I don't understand why it's considered one of the best movies

Here's why I consider this is one of the greatest movies:

"I don't know if Mama's right or if its Lieutenant Dan, I don't know if we each have a destiny or if we're all floating around accidental, like on a breeze. But I think maybe its both, maybe both is happening at the same time."

I don't see a political message. I don't see a message of nostalgia, although I appreciate the trip through the humorous look at the history that happened during those years.

I see this movie and ponder if we each have a destiny or if we're all floating around like that feather. I see Forrest floating around like that feather touching so many destinies as he goes through life, and I understand that is about pondering our purpose in life, or if we really have one.

JMHO.

I am with you, it's a 7 in my book, not bad but also nothing special. BUT I have a few guesses why it is so popular:

* The effects where top notch for the time this was made
* The soundtrack has many famous songs of the era the movie plays in
* It contsantly includes (for the US) important events
* It showcases many all-american virtues including christianity, GIs, football, self-made millionaires and so on
* Lots of emotional scenes

So I guess it's irresistible for a slightly older american audience because of the involved nostalgia. But for me this doesn't add up that well, maybe because I am not from the US, I don't know. The story was kindof boring during the first half, seond was better but then the coincidences accumulated into a story that got more and more implausable. By the end I was waiting for a twist, something that explains he made everything up. But the movie just keeps his straight face. Forrest Gump, a guy that meets so many famous people by accident and does so many outrageous things like running for 3+ years and yet nobody recognizes him when waiting for a bus. The entire movie plays out like a fantasy which is why I expected a twist that never came.

So, while I achknowledge the cinematography, I just don't get whatever the movie tried to archieve. Still a 7 in my book, maybe 8 compared to the crap movie that we get these days, but 1995 alone had many movies that surpass Forrest Gump imho (Heat, 12 Monkeys, Se7en, Casino, The Usual Suspects, Toy Story ... all of which are lower ranked than Gump). But that's IMDb rating for you and Forrest Gump as the advantage that it's a movie "for the entire family" - no defined genre, a bit of everything, PG-13.

The masses relate to it because it offers hope. Who needs hope? - the hopeless.

This movie, like all movies, is a fantasy: in this case, a fantasy for lazy, simple (minded) people who fantasize about fame & celebrity (Forrest is on TV and in the newspapers multiple times, meets presidents and inspires celebrities, etc.) and money ("fate" sees to it that his shrimp business makes him a millionaire and emphasis is put on how even his most mundane musings end up making people millionaires) without actually doing any work or coming up with any ideas to deserve either.

Life happens to Forrest, and these luckless layabouts relate to Forrest. Unfortunately for them, life is not like a box of chocolates where you don't know what you're gonna get, rather, it's based on natural selection where doers earn the good chocolates and people like their hero Forrest usually end up with nothing at all. Forrest Gump is a poor role model and this is an average movie.

There are some highly rated movies that I don't understand why people like them. The Big Lebowski comes to mind for me. Preference is very subjective. I like quite a few movies that are low rated by the critics and fans alike. Honky Tonk Freeway and Alien 3 come to mind :) Like what you want!

I don't get it either. The film is meant to be "feel good" but it is just too much. The whole thing with "Jenn-ay" is manipulative as well. She cons Forrest the whole way through, uses him. Is the kid even his?

I don't get it either.

Like you, I liked it, thought it was charming and heartwarming, as well as heartbreaking. I'd watch it again happily enough, but I don't understand why it's rated as highly as it is.