And that’s all I have to say about that.

Tuesday, December 26, 2000

And that’s all I have to say about that. – Forrest Gump

Do you remember the now famous line, "Run, Forrest. Run."

A line we still recite again and again from the movie "Forrest Gump."

A heart warming movie based on a fictional "special needs" character. It’s the story of a boy initially suffering from polio, difficulty with learning and his single-parent mother who has to make sacrifices in her life to assist Forrest in his struggle with life.

The character reminds me of a well-known character about to become our 43rd president.

Another line from the movie often repeated, "Mom always said life is like a box of chocolates – you’re never really sure what you’re gonna get."

George’s mother might say she’s never sure which pearl necklace she’s gonna grab when she reaches into her jewelry box.

Forrest recounts his life while sitting on a park bench waiting for a bus that will take him to where he will be united with his son. It turns out the boy’s mother lives just down the street. This son is a result of a liaison with the young girl who befriended him when he was bullied by peers in his early life, where the line, "run, Forrest . Run," comes from.

In this scene bullies chase him on bikes and Gump actually runs out of his braces.

He keeps on running, making his way through college as a running back. Eventually he winds up in Vietnam with his friend Bubba, whose family runs a shrimp boat.

Bubba dies in Vietnam and Forrest comes back to run the shrimp boat business, later joined by the officer Forrest saved in the war. This character is angry that Forrest saved him – doing so resulted in the amputation of both legs.

The girl who encouraged Forrest from the beginning eventually leaves home herself, the product of an abusive father.

She begins to roam the country during the ’60s when opposition to the war was bursting out all over.

And somehow Forrest keeps running into her in precarious positions – one place as a topless dancer – not around here. Eventually with circumstances that somewhat befuddle Forrest, she becomes the mother of their child, the child Forrest goes on to raise back home in the house he grew up in with his now deceased mother.

Throughout the movie Forrest ends up on the sight of significant historical figures, the likes of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, George Wallace and early on Elvis spends a night at his mother’s pseudo bed and breakfast and shows young Forrest a couple guitar licks.

Fortunately, Hollywood had the wisdom to stop here and not come back with "Forrest Gump’s Son Fights Back" or something stupid like that.

If you haven’t seen the movie in which Tom Hanks plays the lead role or if you have it it might be worth viewing while your kids are home on vacation or if your kids are gone watch it yourselves and see if he doesn’t remind you of George "Dubya" Bush.

There are striking similarities – Forrest wore braces, George was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and later one in his nose; Forrest served in Vietnam, George served in the Air National Guard, however, it’s my understanding that he was able to duck out of the last part of his commitment; Forrest keeps rescuing his abused friend from her illegal activities while George and his running mate kept getting arrested – five between them – maybe this is a difference; Forrest competed with the US Ping Pong team in China; George owned the Texas Rangers.

On the opposite side, Forrest worked hard and finally succeeded in keeping his officer alive. In fact, he ends up standing up for Forrest when he marries his childhood friend whereas George would probably have not.

We have to keep in mind that Forrest Gump was a movie and George "Dubya" Bush is real. In my mind George is as close as we may ever get to having "a Forrest Gump" in the White House and while Forrest really wasn’t stupid I think George "Dubya" tends to lean that way.

Could Forrest have served as president?

Can George serve as president?

We don’t know that – yet.

As Forrest would say, "Stupid is as stupid does."

And that’s all I have to say about that.

With the new year approaching and the time for resolutions, perhaps it’s a good time to give some thought to the words of Wendell Berry in his essay "Words and Flesh" where he says, "We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do. We must waste less. We must do more for ourselves and each other. It is either that or continue to think and talk about changes that we are inviting catastrophe to make."

Happy New Year.

Bob Vilt’s column appears Tuesdays