Forest Gump

[Sally44]

This was on TV again recently, and I wondered if anyone else thought he was autistic.

 

He has very particular ways of saying words, repeats phrases, takes language literally. He also has amazing abilities, like his Ping Pong playing.

[Shnoing]

In the book which seems to be a by-product of the movie (there are some screenshots/stills included), a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum IS mentioned. That and when he re-assembles his gun.

[bed32]

Seems to be to be portraying an idiot savant, a fairly common literary theme.

 

Certainly many savants are autistic, but I didn't take Forest Gump as being specifically autistic

[smileyK]

i watched this the other day- i would personnally 'jum[' to opinion he heading in ASD direction like 'RainMan'

 

XKLX

[Gold MD]

I've heard many people talk about this movie. I know it's a classic but I haven't seen it. I know it's famous in pop culture for that 'run Forest, run!' bit and for the opening scene on the bench. Tom Hanks is dynamite too, by the way. He's been in so many Oscar deserving movies. I really enjoyed him in Cast Away. Being all alone on that island and talking to a soccer ball named Wilson for years. He also seems to be a great method actor, having deliberately isolated himself for days to get the feel of being into the character before filming began.

[Sally44]

Yes he is a great actor isn't he. I loved him in the film The Money Pit, and also the film where he portrays a man with HIV. Seems he's made so many good films.

 

It is just that so many things about Forest were similar in my son. He has a strange way of pronouncing words, and the emphasis he puts on parts of words like my own son [who has an American accent eventhough he is British!]. He was self aware and very caring. And he appeared to be low IQ due to his literal interpretation of language, when although he was probably below average, I think he was much higher than he appeared. He often talked about things that had been said or done that he did not understand, and these seemed to social interpretation of language.

 

He definately had skills as in the Ping Pong, putting the gun together, running. A very single train of thought and behaviour, to the point of obsession, sometimes for years.

[dekra]

I would agree Forest was on the spectrum but with other comorbidities that complicated things. Of course any sign or symptom of any disorder in a fictional character is only there because it was convenient to the writer to put it there and anything too inconsistent with what is required for the script would either be marginalised or left out altogether. If only we could disregard our children's or our own difficulties in such a manner if/when they became too inconvenient.

[dekra]

Double post sorry.

Edited August 19, 2013 by dekra

[Shnoing]

btw, it's "Forrest"