An Introduction to Forrest Gump

• Released Time: 1994/06/23• Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance• Runtime: 141 mins• Awards: Won 6 Oscars for Best Writing (Screenpl

ay Based on Material from Another Medium), Best Film Editing, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Effects (Visual Effects) Another 32 wins & 37 nominations

• Plot Summary

Plot summaryA man with a low IQ has accomplished

great things in his life and been present during significant historic events - in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. Yet, despite all the things he has attained, his one true love escape him. “Forrest Gump” is the story of a man who rose above his challenges, and who proved that determination, courage, and love are more important than ability.

• Group discussion: historical events and figures in the movie. (about 20 minutes)

• Group-report (about 15 minutes)

Discussion

Historical events:

1. Ku Klux Klan2. Civil Rights Movement/Negro

Revolution3. Vietnam War 4. Ping pong Diplomacy5. The Watergate Scandal

Ku Klux Klan

a secret society of white Southerners founded during Reconstruction after the Civil War

wear white hoods( 头巾 ) and robes burn a wooden cross outside the house of someone whom they wish to threaten

resist the emancipation (setting free) of slavesdedicated to the supremacy( 至上 ) of white peopleopposed to equal rights for black peopleoften engaged in violence against blacks

costume&tactic

its objective

KKK

Civil Rights Movement--- a challenge to segregation

Black Freedom Movement / Negro Revolution / Second Reconstruction

political, legal, and social struggle

purpose

activities

protest marchesboycottsrefusal to abide by segregation laws

to gain full citizenship rights to achieve racial equality

Beginning---- the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955Ending---- the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Vietnam War---America's Longest War

North Vietnamese &National Liberation Front (NLF)

United States forces &South Vietnamese army VS

Vietnamese Communists non-Communist Vietnamese

War

Fear of spread of Communism

defeated by North VietnameseVietnam was reunified

in 1975

Anti-Vietnam War movement(1965–73) 3.2 million Vietnamese 58,000 Americans more than 2 million American veterans over $150 billion dollars demonstrations and marches by college stud

ents, elected politicians, clergy,ect.

Vietnam War

Soldiers carry a wounded comrade through a swampy area

amid the dense jungles of South Vietnam.

Anti-war protest

The 'March on the Pentagon' in October 1967 drew over 50,000 protestors and marked the beginning of large-scale anti-war protests.

songs

 Zhou said: "By visiting our country you have opened the gate for the exchanges between the people of the two nations. We believe that a friendly exchange will win approval and support from both the

Chinese and American peoples."

Ping pang diplomacyOrdinary people affect Chinese-U.S. relations

Watergate Scandal

The Watergate Scandal: the name given to illegal activities designed to help President

Nixon win re-election in nineteen seventy -two.

suffix -gate : scandals associated with the government.

zippergate( 拉练门 )Irangate( 伊朗门 )informationgate （情报门）

Watergate Scandal

Break in ---In June of 1972, 5 young men break into the Watergate Hotel trying to bug telephones

Deep Throat: the informant who gave Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein information that helped to expose the Nixon administration's role in the Watergate Scandal.

Forrest meets his fair share of famous people-----

Elvis Aron Presley (Jan 8, 1935 – Aug 16, 1977)

John LennonGeorge Wallace• President Kennedy • President Johnson: 36th President of the U.S

(1963–1969) • President Nixon 37th President of the U.S

Go to songs

• "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country."

back

Elvis Presley: Rock 'n' roll began with him in mid-50s. He

defined its genre and gave its power. "it was Elvis who made rock 'n' roll the

international language of pop." "an American music giant of the 20th century

who single-handedly changed the course of music and culture in the mid-1950s."

"Before Elvis, there was nothing.“

-----------John Lennon

Elvis Presley

George Wallace: In March, 1965, a violent confrontation

between Alabama state troopers and peaceful civil rights marchers horrified the nation. The troops that beat and tear-gassed the demonstrators were under orders from Governor George Wallace to halt the march.

John Winston Lennon (later John Ono Lennon): (Oct 9, 1940– Dec 8, 1980)

He was best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Beatles. His creative career also included the roles of solo musician, political activist, artist, actor and author.

He is recognized as one of the musical icons of the 20th century.

In 2002, the BBC conducted a vote to discover the 100 Greatest Britons of all time, and the British public voted Lennon into 8th place.

John Lennon

Songs---Blowing in the Wind

“Blowing in the wind” by Bob Dylan“Yesterday” by John Lennon

Discussion• Discussions on details and open

questions (50 ms)• Discussion: the theme of the

movie?(about 20 minutes)

Discuss with your partner

How is Jenney’s life experience different from that of Forrest? How do various social problems affect Jenny’s life not Forrest’s?

Suggestion from the teacher:1. J and F’s paths constantly cross through the y

ears, yet their journeys are separate and distinct.

F is not a smart man, but he has sth much more important: fundamental human decency. He always does the right things because he’s a decent person who genuinely cares about other people before himself.

Jenny takes a road populated by frustration, drugs, and discontent. Through the counterculture in the 1960s and eventually the cocaine-fueled disco scene of the 1970s, J is the lost soul who never finds her directions in a changing society.

Discuss in groups:

1. Do you think every one has his own destiny or we’re all just floating around accidentally on breeze?

2. The movie begins with a feather flying in the air and ends with it too, what does this suggest?

3. Destiny: F explores but never really resolves.

Bubba –”why’d this have to happen?”Dan-”I had a destiny. I was supposed to die

in the field with honor.”F—”what’s my destiny, momma?”F’s advice is not to give up on life. Why

surrender when you don’t know what lies ahead?

The Theme of the Movie We should have optimistic attitude

and an open eye so that very thing can be simplified rather than complex; then we can find many amazements that we could not see before.

Recommended Website• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/

Homework: Key words finding ---learning historical events

Find out one key word that you think might be closely related to the topic you will discuss next time.

Explain the word to your group members and exchange your ideas on the topic in your group.

Group reporter dictates all the key words of your group and explain them to the whole class.

Ku Klux Klan

Reconstruction

Civil War

White Supremacy

Costume

Watergate Scandal

President Nixon

Re-electionWatergate building (Washington D.C.)

Resign

Deep throat

Tips for your preparation and speaking --- 6 “nots”

Not too long

Not too difficult

Not too much

Not too fast

Not too unclear

Not too low voice