I Watched Forrest Gump with My Mom

This is what I learned.

I've got a confession to make. And I'll let you know upfront ... it's a little embarrassing.

Here's my secret:

I'm a momma's boy.

Yep, always have been. I love my mom. I love her cooking. I love how she can make friends with anybody. But most of all, I love her company. And while this article is not about my mother, she is an integral part of how this piece came to life.

You see, I was hanging out at her house one day, and we were looking for something to watch. Normally, we'll just throw a random episode of "Star Trek" on in the background, but today she was in the mood for something different (which is very strange for my mother. I kid you not, she's probably seen every "Star Trek" episode at least 20 times).

Anyway, after about an hour of browsing through the Netflix queue, she finally settled on a classic film, Forrest Gump.

Like most of you, I've seen this movie at least a dozen times, but it had been a while since my last viewing. I hadn't watched it since I had made story development the focus of my career, or since I'd started reading for Script Pipeline. I've analyzed thousands of screenplays since seeing this movie last, and because of that, something dawned on me when the final credits rolled this time around ...

Forrest Gump is the perfect protagonist. Literally.

I spend a lot of time writing articles about how screenwriters can make their material better. I’m willing to bet that if all of you made your heroes more like Forrest Gump, your scripts would be much better for it.

And no, it's not because he's ALSO a momma's boy. It goes deeper, I promise.

Here, let's count the ways ...

1) FORREST IS A NICE PERSON, AND EASY TO ROOT FOR

I can't tell you the number of times I'll read a script and think to myself "why would I ever watch a movie about this character? They're vile, disgusting pieces of filth who are wholly and completely unlikable."

Forrest Gump isn't that type of person/character. He's nice to everyone he meets and has an authentic warmth to him that resonates off the screen.

Obviously, it's possible to make films about darker characters (admittedly, my favorite TV show of all time is "House of Cards," and I find Frank Underwood fascinating), but the bar for success with those types of "anti-heroes" is much harder to pass. It takes more skill and a higher level of execution to get it right.

Most people, especially younger writers, should focus on learning how to craft traditional protagonists first before trying to branch off into the more difficult aspects of writing.

But there's more to rooting for a protagonist than just them being nice ...

2) HE'S THE ULTIMATE UNDERDOG

Forrest suffers from a mental disability, and this impacts every facet of his life. He has to wear leg braces as a young boy just to be able to walk normally, which leads to him being picked on (drawing sympathy from the audience), and he's also judged by almost every character the moment they meet him.

Circumstances outside his control have put Forrest at a disadvantage. And yet, time and time again, he finds a way to overcome the odds and make it out on top.

He survives the Vietnam War when nobody thinks he will.

He co-founds a shrimping empire when people call him stupid for trying.

And he becomes an American icon by becoming a ping pong champion.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, "Sure, but I don't want my leading man to play ping pong or wear leg braces," and that's fine. They don't have to, I promise. But the point is you CAN still make your character the underdog.

Here are some other examples:

John McClane in Die Hard—He's a lone cop without any shoes, taking on a well-trained, well-armed terrorist team all by himself.

Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New Hope—Luke is a poor kid from a desert planet who has never piloted a starship, much less held a lightsaber. And yet, to save the galaxy, he'll have to blow up the Death Star and become a Jedi knight.

Andy Dufrense in The Shawshank Redemption—Andy is an innocent man convicted of murder and sent to prison with hardened criminals. Despite being physically weaker than pretty much everyone else, he becomes one of the most powerful people on the inside, and eventually escapes and takes down the whole institution on his way out. Andy is the underdog.

When your hero is expected to win, and he/she does, there's no drama, is there?

Because the outcome was just that: expected. But when the protagonist has the deck stacked against them in every conceivable way, and they still win? That's ultra satisfying to the audience.

And furthermore ...

3) HE HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM

This ties into number one a little bit, but this aspect supremely amplifies the character development, too.

Forrest helps Lt. Dan not only survive the war but get back on his feet (no pun intended) after he loses his legs.

He gives Bubba's family generational wealth after his business explodes.

He's constantly protecting Jenny and looking out for her through all of her ups and downs.

And he's an excellent father to Forrest Jr.

Forrest elevates everyone around him to be better than they are. And that makes him supremely likable.

4) HE HAS A NORTH STAR AT ALL TIMES

One of the notes I seem to always give is about characters having a goal. I cannot stress enough how important this is for your screenplay (any narrative, really) to work optimally. And Forrest has a goal ... a north star that guides him at all times.

Her name is Jenny.

That's why he writes her all those letters in Vietnam. Why he names his shrimping boat after her. And why he constantly forgives her, even though she's been objectively awful to him multiple times.

She is his goal. She is constantly on his mind. She drives him forward in every way. And the fact that he is constantly chasing after her gives the script momentum. It keeps things moving forward.

But that's not all ...

5) FORREST IS AN EXTREMELY ACTIVE PROTAGONIST

If there's anything I hope you take away from today's article, it's this: protagonists NEED to be active. Let me repeat that again for everyone in the very back ...

NOBODY LIKES A PASSIVE PROTAGONIST! THEY ARE SO INCREDIBLY BORING!

What does Forrest do when his squadron is attacked in Vietnam, and he barely escapes? He runs back into the jungle to find and rescue Bubba. Again, and again, and again until he succeeds.

And what does he do when he's stuck in the hospital recovering from his bullet wound to the buttocks? He learns to play ping pong.

And what does he do after the army discharges him from service? He spends all his money on a shrimping boat. And he doesn't give up until he is a winner.

And what does he do after he retires from that endeavor? He goes home for a little bit, lives with Jenny, and then starts his cross-country run-a-thon when she leaves him again.

And what does he do after he finishes running? He answers a letter from Jenny to meet her in the city.

Forrest is CONSTANTLY on the move. He's always doing something. And while what he's doing is not always directly chasing his goal, he has micro goals along the way. And micro goals are perfectly fine structurally ... as long as they consistently bring your hero closer to his or her main goal.

Please, please, please (seriously, I beg of you) go back through your screenplays and make sure your protagonists are taking action! As much as possible, ensure that your hero is being just that ... heroic! They don't have to be constantly slaying dragons or fighting orcs to be active, but they need to be doing something.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention this last point ...

6) HE ALWAYS DOES THE RIGHT THING

Again, does Forrest have to give Bubba's family money after his shrimping business takes off?

No, but it's the right thing to do.

Does he need to punch those guys in the bar when they splash their drinks over Jenny onstage? No, but it's the right thing to do.

Does he need to take Jenny in when she comes home to Alabama? Or marry her when she finally realizes he's the guy she should have been with all along?

No, but it's the right thing to do.

Forrest is a good guy. And good guys do the right thing. Again, you can absolutely write a screenplay about a character who isn't a paragon of virtue ... but it's so much easier to seduce audiences with the power of a truly selfless human like Forrest Gump.

I resolutely believe the vast majority of screenplays would be better if their main characters had half the qualities that he does.

Anyway, that's all for now folks. My momma's calling me over for dinner. We're gonna watch Dead Poets Society.  

Godspeed y'all, and happy writing.

*Feature photo: Forrest Gump (Paramount Pictures)