Eric Roth

Forrest Gump rip-off (had the same screen writer!). depressing and criminally over-long. Pitt is as annoying as HELL.

The African/black race backdrop was the most interesting and I wish Mann delved into it more deeply.

http://braidedthreads.blogspot.com/2008/10/sheepish-shepherd.html It struck me how little the main character (played by Matt Damon) actually does in this movie. He never makes any active choices - when he is directing things for the CIA, he announces, and others carry out his decisions. He is pretty blank as a character. He does make a couple of choices with regard to his son, though. But he also doesn't choose to deter his son beyond his vague suggestions about life in the CIA. Most other decisions are made for him and he follows orders when he is not giving orders. He does make the choice to turn around in the hallway and go back to the Skull and Bones innitiation. He chooses that life. He does what is expected of him. He has sex when he is dragged into it, he gets married when the girl getspregnant, he goes overseas when asked.

Not a typical review here, but rather a comment about the running theme in the movie. This actually helped inspire me to begin running. The apparent freedom Gump achieved from his running was the most effective part of this theme. Kind of like the "runner's high," which really does exist. And if you like shrimp, pick up the Forest Gump Cookbook -- try the shrimp cake recipe.