This movie manages to get the idea of the book and some of the episodes, but completely misses the tone, which was dark and cynical. Imagine Candide being made into a Lifetime movie and you get the idea.

Tom Hanks is fine (although actors get a little too much credit for playing mentally-challenged individuals - a bigger challenge would be Einstein, Leonardo, or like Tom Hulce, Amadeus Mozart).

Some of the better, more fantastic parts of the book are completely left out. One in particular involves Forrest's being stranded on a Pacific island following the crash of his spacecraft (he is an Astrophysics savant). Would've been great. This movie cried out for a director like Terry Gilliam, but it got hackmaster Z. Oh well. It wouldn't hurt so much if it hadn't won best picture and best actor(!?!?!).