FIRST TIME WATCHING *Forrest gump* 

Jenny is doing exactly what she told Forrest to do. She's running. She's constantly running away. She grew up wanting to run away. She grew up with a twisted abusive view on love. She doesn't know what it's like to be loved. Every time her love for Forrest draws her back in, his love for her makes her nervous and she runs again. Eventually she figures it out. But by the time she figures it out she doesn't think she's worthy of Forrest, so she leaves to spare him her chaos. But in the end she gets sick, and finally realizes that none of her shit matters, and Forrest had it right all along.

The best moment for me is when Forrest asks Jenny, "Is he...is he like me?", telling us he did know he was different.

So many people seem to misunderstand Jenny. Her entire childhood was extremely traumatizing, and when someone lives through that amount of trauma, it’s very hard to have any sense of self-worth. And if you find somebody who actually values you and treats you well, it’s instinctual to run because you don’t feel you deserve it.

Thematically what I love about the Forest/Jenny relationship is that they are both touring American history, but they're seeing different sides of it. We watch the whole movie from Forest's perspective as he leads a blessed life and experiences American mainstream culture, but Jenny's always out there experiencing the counterculture and the darker side of everything. He has a loving mother, she has an abusive father. He joins the army, she becomes a showgirl. He goes to Vietnam, she drops out and becomes a hippie. He gets rich on Apple stock, she's a victim of the AIDs crisis. She's always living a mirror image of his life. And just like mainstream culture and counterculture, there are moments where they meet and acknowledge their relationship to each other, but it can never last because they're on different paths.

Everyone hates Jenny's actions but they're unfortunately so true to life. She had so many issues from being abused 😔

Jenny is an example of what happens when abuse/pts/trauma goes untreated. Therapy is so important. I feel like that’s one place the movie failed is that we love Forrest so much it’s easy to just see Jenny as this horrible villain. But she’s not. She’s a human who never dealt with her issues and couldn’t accept healthy love until it was too late. She’s a tragic character that I’ve come to love and appreciate.

When Jenny tells Forrest he doesn't know what love is, she's the one that doesn't actually know. She grew up with a distorted view of it due to her childhood abuse. It was only after she had a child that she understood.

I agree with so many people here that Jenny is misunderstood. So many people think her pushing Forrest away is her being selfish or cruel when really she is doing it because she cares about him. All her life men have told her she's no good, she's worthless except for sex, and so she internalized that feeling and thus feels like Forrest deserves better. Only at the end, when she has a kid with him, does she appreciate her own value and understand what real love should look like. Only for her to die tragically. Definitely my favorite character in the movie.

Everybody always forgets so quickly how much trauma Jenny went through as a child. She has her own issues, and, unfortunately, we don't get to see everything she's been through on her own journey.

I'm a guy and i saw this movie so many times since i was a child, but i always understood Jenny. Only when i started watching these RU-vid reactions i saw that people don't. I don't understand it. She had such a hard life.

"why did she wait so long to tell him?" Um, because he was running across the country for like 3.5 years? No cell phones, bruh.

Winner of 6 Oscars including Best Picture. Before Tom Hanks played Forrest Gump, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington and John Goodman were considered .

The public split over Jenny is just... Something special. It's either absolute hatred or forgiveness. There isn't anything in between.

A lot of people hate on Jenny but I always felt so bad for her. She never felt worthy so she pushed him away. She knew she was broken

I’ve seen this film so many times yet it gets me tearing up every single time without fail. The part where Forrest is talking at the grave under the tree at the end is the capper for me. ETA as far as how Jenny acted you have to remember she was abused as a child. Many women in the situation are messed up for life. They assume abuse is normal in relationships and spend their lives looking for that father figure they never had. Not all abuse victims of course but it is common.

Jenny’s actions as an adult was caused by the abuse from her father. she is constantly running away from something. it’s the trauma seb! great reaction

Forest was far from stupid; He new Jenny's child abuse was the reason for her adult behaviour, which is why he never gave up on her.

Forrest was so sweet, he just helped everyone around him on instinct. From Jenny, to Bubba, Bubba’s family, Lieutenant Dan. He didn’t think twice about it.

Keep in mind they were best friends for 13 years before they went their separate ways. And Jenny never claimed to be his gf or misled him in any way. Her only crime was running away when things got too intense for her. She was never unkind to Forrest, and she never broke a promise to him.

I have never cried so many times in a single movie than in watching Forrest Gump for the first time. I think the only movie i’ve seen that made me cry so much was the Notebook, but all the emotion hit me at the ending of that movie. Forrest Gump was a cry fest from beginning to end

Tom Hanks says that he developed Forrest's unique way of speaking by mimicking/matching the way the little boy actor who was cast as younger Forrest actually spoke. Apparently the kid did eventually grow out of it, but he really did speak that way at the time. Pretty brilliant and good of Hanks to see how unique and well fitting it was for the character. Plus, it was practically a lot easier to change his voice, rather then try to get a child actor to change his. I always liked Tom Hanks, but when I heard about that it really made me respect him as a person and an actor.

Don’t get too hard on Jenny, her father abused her her whole childhood she has immense trauma and the way she is behaving Although it makes us feel sad for forest is still very valid. We can’t blame her for having difficulties in life after everything she’s been put through, but no one can deny that she loves forest truly

As someone with autism, this is one of the movies that really got to me 🥰🥰

For the question why she didn't tell him about the kid and why she didn't answer his letters while he was in Vietnam: there were no cellphones and on both occasions the other one was out of town/wandering around. Forrest didn't get the letter earlier because he was running, he simply wasn't home to receive it.

This movie always was one of my favorites, but after becoming a father…currently a father of just the sweetest 2 year old little man. That ending just hits me so different. The way he’s so flooded with emotion at the thought of his son struggling intellectually like him. The way he talks about his son at Jenny’s grave. Brings me to tears every time. Tom Hanks truly is one of the best to ever grace my tv screen. His movies have a lot of lessons in them.

Because forrest started running as soon as she left and never stopped she couldn't get in touch with him about their son, he only got the letter when he got back home

Jenny is a complicated person. Forrest runs because either he’s told to or he feels like it. He’s never really running away from something, but toward. Jenny, she’s doing the opposite because of her trauma. A series of self-destructive behavior is telling of how she views herself. When she runs away, she runs because she doesn’t feel worthy of Forrest’s love. Drugs, series of volatile relationships, poor decisions are reflective of her inability to process and overcome. I think having a child was what made her change her perspective and life, but by the time that she worked her way out, she’s hit with an incurable ailment. It’s easy to brush her off because of her proximity to the central character, but I feel her character is much more nuanced and so much more than what many give it credit for. Perhaps this film could be an exercise in empathy and understanding.

No matter how many times i watch this, every time Forrest asks "is he smart?" I absolutely lose it.

i am wearing a very similar leg Brace right now, due to a back injury causing paralysis in my left leg, and am currently on long term sickness from work. and the scene when forrest runs out of his braces, brings me hope that i will be able to walk again at some point. people like SebScreen keep me entertained and happy in this hard time. Keep it up buddy

Jenny was the one who spent her whole life running. From her past, from her present and from all the hurt that never goes away. Too sad.

"I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is." "She had got the cancer and died on a Tuesday." "Is he smart, or..." The lines are poetic or eloquent, but Hanks's delivery is so perfect that they hit you right in the heart.

You asked why Jenny waited so long to tell him about his son....she didn't. He left right after she did. Forrest wasn't home for a couple of years. Any letters she sent went to his home in Alabama, and that explains why he was showing up, because he finally got to the letters. Btw, the jest of that whole scene was to make it seem like he invented cross country marathon running...and while wearing the new shoe brand, Nike. She wasn't a bad person. She had to figure out that she was capable of loving someone without messing it up, and she did when she had her son. It may have been a good idea that she didn't stick around Forrest for all those years, because she had to eventually fix herself and work through her trauma, before she was in a good place to be with Forrest. She didn't hurt him or mistreat him deliberately. Therapy was not well looked upon in a healthy way, back then until the late 70's and beyond. Self medicating was though. She ran from her problems and ended up being abused by the same types of men like her father. Verbal, sexual and battery abuse is what she knew since childhood and she thought vey little of herself because of it. She knew she was going through it and she didn't want to put Forrest through it because he was pure and good. She felt that she would taint him and ruin their relationship. You saw how she contemplated suicide a few times and was self destructive with horrible people. The end when he was talking to her grave gets me everytime. Just as he finished talking to her and walked away, birds flew out from their tree. She finally got to be a bird and fly free...far, far away....and then the feather leaves the Curious George book Forrest and her son would read together. Symbolism.

It's almost always guys with this Jenny reaction, but what's consistently lost among most guys is that she was incapable of knowing what love was until later, look at the situations & men in her life besides Forrest, the little moment of "you don't wanna marry me" was how she saw herself because it's how she was conditioned to see herself, however Forret's love for her comes from the root of she was the only friend he had, and the only person besides his mother to not treat him terribly through her words, granted her leaving him & her not loving him or knowing how to love him is a treatment too, but beyond that he always saw the only person who was kind to him as a kid, and even when life chewed her up every which way (in pretty opposite ways of Forrest's life really), he saw the purity in who she was even when she didn't see it in herself all the time. So at the end of it all the criticism of "throw her away" on a surface level I get it, but with having empathy for the character its like...that'd be impossible for him to do & impossible for him not to even consider more damage that'd do to her & her life.

THANK You. You are the Very first reviewer I've ever seen who put that together. Where was he writing to Jenny? Of course all of them where return to sender. So many people get mad at her for that. It's like her life is pretty messed up but that ones not on her shoulders.

I can’t count how many times I’ve watched Forrest Gump. It’s probably my favorite movie of all time and I love when people watch it for the first time and realize what a great movie it is.

Forrest Gump is a classic. Jenny was a victim of child sexual abuse by her own father. It is very traumatizing. The symbolism of the feather, and Jenny wanting to become a bird is related, so is the theme throughout the film...it is about life itself...are we victims of fate, or do we make our own, or do we run from it..etc. It took Jenny until like her 40s to understand her own self worth, and having little Forrest gave her life purpose to make her life better. Sadly according to the writer of the source material Jenny had contracted Hepatitis C (likely from the drug use, and sharing needles)...This movie can teach us a lot...about acceptance, compassion, responsibility, etc.

Every reactor I’ve seen who reacted to this movie hated Jenny, but you have to remember that she was abused as a child and possible sexually assaulted. Forrest is too nice and she thinks she doesn’t deserve him so she keeps pushing him away.

The "if only this highly traumatized woman had chosen the nice guy, her problems would've vanished" narrative is exhausting

i just love how they incorporated so many historic events into one story line! great acting and a great story, exactly what hollywood isn't putting out anymore!

It's not that Jenny waited a long time to tell him about their son. Forrest started running all over the country and this was back when people didn't keep cell phones on them all the time. She knew he was running because of all the headlines and she kept track of him as well as she could, but he was never close enough to find and tell him. She had to wait until she heard he went home to send him a letter.

Why Jenny didn’t tell forest that she had his son: Forest was running for 3 years straight lol she couldn’t get a hold of him. 😂

Jenny didn’t know where Forrest was for the three years he was running. That’s why he didn’t know he had a son.

"Is he smart or is he like...?" is one of the most emotional moments in any movie, ever.

I think something people tend to miss about Jenny is we saw from the college flashback, she was romantically interested in Forrest but when she made her move, he was scared and very innocent. Due to his intelligence level, he comes across very childlike a lot of the time. Jenny was abused horrifically as a child. She spent her childhood scared and her innocence stolen from her. She feared she was doing the same to him. She was scared her being with him would be similar to what her father did to her. It's why she went to be with him for the first time after he declared that even though he isn't smart, he was confident that he understood what love was. She got scared after, feared she hurt him and ran away. There's a reason the first thing she says when they reunite is that she was sorry about "anything" she "may have done" to him. She thought being with him would make her abusive to someone she loved which was part of how dirty and corrupted she felt. She felt worthless. She didn't want to hurt him. It took her awhile and yeah, having kids changes people, to understand that Forrest wasn't an innocent kid she was hurting by staying but a man she was hurting by leaving

Challenging as Jenny was, she almost jumped twice - it’s not hard to imagine that the difference between her life and death was Forrest being somewhere in the world, unconditionally adoring her.

When lieutenant Dan turns when on the floor, the table he is near is actually an added effect to sell the fact he doesn’t have legs. It’s layered on top so they could edit out his legs and have something “be where his legs should be”. Small ingenious thing you’d never think about

I’m so glad you appreciated the special effects. They were really amazing when you consider that this film came out in the mid 90s❤

I have cried watching this movie so many times from childhood to adulthood and it's still a powerful film. One of the best movies ever made!! Tom hanks nailed his role. It will forever be a classic movie.

Also Gary Senise (Lt Dan) came to my base while I was serving in the Marines (he does so much for veterans and active military personnel)

The thing about Jenny is that she had a traumatic childhood. And she knew Forrest was mentally disabled, basically limited to having the mind of a child. So she felt like she would be taking advantage of him, just the same way her father did to her.

When I had first watched it I had cried, the movie just showed the life of a not smart yet nice, loving man. And it show's that you don't have to be smart to have a good or loving life.

Sadly, about 90% of reactors mis-read Jenny, thinking she's a con artist of some kind or whatever. No, she is genuine and genuinely loves Forrest, but she's a mess and she knows it. She keeps leaving because she is not ready for a relationship with Forrest who she knows is pure innocence.

She waited so long to tell him because HE WAS RUNNING.

“Is he smart? Or is he…like me?” 😭😭😭😭

I really enjoy how love is represented in this movie. For Forest, love is not a feeling. It doesn't keep track of rights or wrongs, or whether someone lived up to your expectations. It is a decision. He decided he would love her and he committed to that. Unconditional love. Very good reaction, really enjoyed it.

Something that just occured to me: Forrest says Jenny's dad was always kissing and touching her and *her sisters* -- and then the sisters are never mentioned again. Did they go to different relatives or did something more sinister happen? That would definitely add to Jenny's trauma.

i was in a real bad mental space in the begining of 2022. kinda went down the same path jenny went. with yk the whole thinking of jumping of the building and shit, one day my dad suggested me to watch this movie called Forrest Gump. so i was like well whatever sure. and once i watched it i realised how messed up i was. and decided to change myself around. and got wayy better and dragged my sorrry ass out of that mental space. so anytime i feel just lost i just tell myself 2 things 1. go for a run 2. after than get some food and watch this movie cuz this sure is one of the most legendary movies out there. i will always be grateful towards this movie

Ugh... every single time he asks Jenny if little Forest is smart of if he's like him/... it truly shatters me. I can't hold back tears - this is Tom's best work and forever will be in my eyes

Where I'm from, the novel 'Forrest Gump' is practically required reading. I'm an alumnus of the University of Alabama, just like author Winston Groom, and I even attended a couple of guest lectures he hosted at the university when I was a student there. I also personally met that first black female student- her name is Vivian Malone -who was admitted to the university in the early 1960s that Governor George Wallace stood in the school house door to oppose. I'm referring to the scene where Forest was poking his head around people in the background in full view of news cameras as he curiosly watched Governor Wallace give his speech, oblivious to the momentous events he was witnessing in the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement at the time. So, I've met the real lady that scene was about. Believe it or not, she doesn't hold a grudge against Governor Wallace for it either. She tells a story that she actually spoke with Governor Wallace again years later when she graduated, where he apologized to her for opposing her admission into the university out of political pressure to represent the will of his constituents at the time. If you're not familiar with Governor Wallace, he was a very controversial figure (as you could imagine) who later disavowed his segregationist ideology. She's a devout Christian, so she accepted his apology and forgave him for the troubles of that event in her life, indicating that- in her eyes at least -he seemed sincere in his apologies and expressed genuine regret for it. She was a very accomplished and admirable woman, that Vivian Malone. Very uplifting and inspiring lady.

Should watch "Captain Philips" someday if you didn't watched it yet. Great movie with great performance by Hanks again, based on true story. Made me cry at the end, which is telling.

One of the few "universally loved" movies that not only lives up to the hype, it easily surpasses it. Hilarious, heart-warming, and heart-breaking. A true 10/10.

I consider this a top 3 movie of all time. I also adore Hanks acting throughout the film. One of very, very few films I give a 10/10.

Your upbeat attitude really made this film easier to watch.

I don’t think Jenny is very likeable but I think she is understandable and maybe forgivable. She did love him but didn’t think she deserved him and therefore chose not to become someone who did deserve him. A lot of victims of abuse genuinely believe they are bad people and deserve the abuse they suffered, Jenny is no exception. She just kept running away. The truth is, everyone deserves to be loved and respected and I’m glad that at the end she was able to accept that for herself and provide that for Forrest.

Someone needs to make a companion movie from Jenny's perspective. It would make an incredible tragedy.

I can’t stand the Jenny slander, especially as a woman who went through similar things. Did forest deserve better, yes, but so did Jenny. She deserved so much more than what life dealt her. And I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to change my life for the better, but when you have this kind of trauma you have to work on yourself forever.

when i saw this in my recommended i was surprised it was uploaded only 3 hours ago. I'm glad you finally got around to this film!

You wanting 25 kids, and they're all reactors, made me laugh 🤣

I get why people don't like Jenny when they watch this for the first time.. but don't forget that Jenny was SA'd by her own father when she was very young... those kinda scars reach deep.

Don't be so hard on Jenny. She kept leaving because she didn't feel like she deserved someone as good as Forrest. She wasn't off partying, she was running from her pain and trauma.

Tom Hanks was in so many iconic 90s movies...The man is literal gold

Yesssirrrr my boyyyy it’s about damn time 🥳🎊🎉🍾

This is STILL one of the best done CGI ever done.

Something to think about concerning Jenny not calling Forrest about their son: no cell phones back then, and he was away from his home phone for years while running.

Jenny didn't stay with Forest just because she loved him. She felt herself dirty and didn't deserve him. And she definitely didn't want to hurt him. Why she was always chasing abusive boyfriends and hurting herself is an another issue beyond your understanding.

I’m really surprised that someone as sensitive as you did not understand that Jenny is just a product of her childhood trauma. Being abused as a child would messed up anyone. She just feels worthless, that’s why she doesn’t understand how someone as good as Forrest could ever love her. She never asked him for anything. No money. Nothing. Even when she got pregnant.

This movie is really good,I’m so happy to see you watch it

Love this movie, I've seen it dozens of times, it never gets old.

That line from Bubba. "I wanna go home" That is such a primal feeling. he was hurt, scared, confused. all he wanted was to go home. Where things make sense and he knew what to expect. where there are people that care about him. It is a very simple thought that is surprisingly common among people in distress. unfortunately, only the simple-minded (gods I hate that phrasing) Are honest enough with themselves to acknowledge it

Of all the men I’ve watched react to this film, Seb is the one I didn’t expect to hate on Jenny so much. I thought he’d see the foundation set during her childhood and understand how that transformed the rest of her life. And, he called Lt Dan the best character in the film but he was a dick to Forrest for so long. Yet, Jenny gets all the hate

Consider reacting to "The Princess Bride" starring Robin Wright (Jenny) and "The Sixth Sense" starring Haley Joel Osment (Forrest Jr).

Jenny's problem is how she was used and abused, 1st by her father, then by every man she met except Forrest. She felt like she was worth nothing and was never going to be worth anything and would just bring Forrest down with her , she had no idea how to love anyone. It wasn't until she had little Forrest and was given one pure good thing in her life she was able to find her self worth to a point and then accepted that she loved Forrest and always had and it was OK to love someone and not expect them to hurt her. It is very complicated and you get snippets of it in every scene she is in. The first thing you see is all she knows how to do is run from anything as she keeps telling Forrest to do , she doesn't know any other way to deal with the pain and bad and it takes her so long to finally figure it out ( unfortunately this is true for too many and some never get to figure anything out) , Jenny deserves pity not hate , she didn't know how to love until it was too late but she gave Forrest 2 gifts before she left, true love and what it feels like , and someone to love and give his life meaning in Forrest Jr. . Forrest might not be a genius but I would lay any bet he is an incredibly loving and good father.

When Jenny says she's "got some kind of virus", I believe that's supposed to be interpreted as her having HIV. The "current" story in the film was set in the early 1980s which at the time, it would have been pretty much almost a guaranteed death sentence so that's why she contacted Forrest when she did.

Tom Hanks won an Oscar for this. You should definitely watch some more of his older movies. Philadelphia will gut you... Castaway, Big, Splash.... They are all classics.

This film is incredible! I remember watching it as a young lad and finding it engrossing! When you find a film that exceeds expectations after everyone tells you it’s one of the best films of all time…that’s rather amazing and I’m glad you got to experience such an insane story.

First Hey seb ive been watching you since 30k im glad to see you where you are right now much love💖

I'm glad Seb watched this, his emotional state always makes me feel bad for him, but Very relieved. That he's such an honest person.

he won back to back Acadamy awards for this role and in the film PHIDELPHIA! A great movie!

THANK YOU SEB!!!! I have watched this movie several times and could never figure out the feather. So thank you for your theory analysis

Because of Jenny's abuse she doesnt think she is worthy of anyone's love; especially Forrest's.

Jenny wouldn't have been able to tell Forrest she was pregnant because at the time he was running across the US and there weren't cell phones

People here have said it, but I hate how some are so harsh on Jenny and has so little empathy for her and everything she went through. Her behaviour is because of her horrible childhood. I love Jenny. And I really dislike how some acts like she's obligated to be with him just because he's a nice guy. The reason why she didn't tell him about their son earlier is because he was out running for over 2 years. They had no cellphones.

Forrest was already doing cross country by the time Jenny found out she was pregnant. She couldn't exactly send him a letter or call him until he stopped running and went home 😅

I just recently watched this movie but i felt the need to watch you watching it too. Was definately worth it keep up the good work!

I really like this movie and seeing your reaction to it made me happy.

By far my most favorite reaction, its so wholesome ❤

Is he smart or is he like me? - Tom Hanks’ performance is amazing. Fun reaction, thanks for sharing.

Because Jenny grew up in an abusive home she had two big problems... 1- she didn't know how to let her guard down and trust anything good. And, 2- she knew she was a mess but didn't know how to fix it. She may have even blamed herself for her father's problems. She would put up with physical hurt because she knew how to deal with that, but she also continually ran away or pushed others away to avoid emotional hurt. A line from The Perks of Being a Wallflower goes, "We accept the kind of love we think we deserve" and Jenny didn't think she deserved Forest. She saw him as a pure soul, and herself as not pure.

20:40 that guy is actually Abbie Hoffman. The trial of the Chicago 7 is such an interesting and under appreciated movement. There’s also a movie for it on Netflix and it is exceptionally good and well executed. Would love to see you react to it!💜

I've seen it 25 times haha. But my favourite film is The Colour Purple. You absolutely must watch it. XO lovely reactions youngster.