Forrest Gump
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: July 6, 1994 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 21 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The GuardianPeter Bradshaw
Forrest Gump is Hollywood film-making at its most corn-fed, sucrose-enriched and calorific; you’ll need a sweet tooth for it. Read full review
90
Washington PostRita Kempley
Zemeckis, an undisputed master of film technology, shows off an equal aptitude for vivid storytelling. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterDuane Byrge
Contrasting Forrest's unassuming innocence with the upheavals and rancor of the times, the film is a wisely goofy commentary on the stupidity of smartness. Read full review
90
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Manages the difficult feat of being an intimate, even delicate tale played with an appealingly light touch against an epic backdrop. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
It's most successful when it is being off-center, a state of grace it doesn't quite have the nerve to maintain. [6 July 1994, Calendar, p. F-1]
70
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
Has the elements of an emotionally gripping story. Yet is feels less like a romance than like a coffee-table book celebrating the magic of special effect. [6 July 1994, p. C9] Read full review
80
Mr. ShowbizJoseph McBride
The film's technical brilliance and sentimental kick seduced many viewers unsuspecting of its polemical intent.
60
TV Guide MagazineStaff (not credited)
Clearly a great event, Forrest Gump is not, however, a great film. It has the form of an epic without real depth or resonance; the trappings of satire without a coherent attitude; and the semblance of historical revisionism without a critical sensibility. Read full review
88
USA TodayMike Clark
Doesn't sound like a very prepossessing title, but prepare to be taken aback by "what's in a name." [6 July 1994, Life, p.1D]
89
Austin ChronicleRobert Faires
A remarkable balance of sentimentality and harshness, darkness and light. Read full review
100
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Passionate and magical, Forrest Gump is a tonic for the weary of spirit. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
It is also glib, shallow, and monotonous, a movie that spends so much time sanctifying its hero that, despite his "innocence," he ends up seeming about as vulnerable as Superman. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
The results are skillful, highly affecting, and ultimately more than a little pernicious. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Corliss
It's a long drink of water at the fountain of pop-social memory. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
What a magical movie. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
At its best, Forrest Gump is a gentle, elegiac fantasy about love and trust. Read full review
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Clean up the language, and this little roach of a movie could play the bottom half of a double bill with Rowan and Martin's “The Maltese Bippy.” [26 March 1999, Life, p.9E]
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Yet, for all that's wrong here, one thing is wonderfully, blissfully right, and his name is Tom Hanks. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
This is a captivating experience. Read full review
90
Film.comJohn Hartl
This is an ambitious movie that attempts too much rather than too little.
90
Rolling StonePeter Travers
A movie heart-breaker of oddball wit and startling grace. Read full review
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