Since the quarantine started, as a family we began watching movies nightly…
I have already written about E.T, The Back To The Future trilogy and the 11 Star Wars movies we have consumed, so why not dive into another classic.
For the most part, I have stayed out of the movie selection process but the other night the kids said it was my choice for the flick, and I wasn’t going to pass up their rare moment of delegation…
Of course, I tried to pick a 10 part historical documentary on the Presidents but that immediately got shut down, so I was left to figure out what movie I could choose that had some sort of historical lessons as well as the ability to entertain an 8, 9 and 11 year old…
After conferring with avid Daily Hustler & LTP supporter Jesse Bromberg while slaughtering a 20-mile, 6 feet apart social distance Tahoe banger, we both decided there is only one movie that offers multiple history lessons while tugging at the minds and hearts of all generations…
Forrest Gump
Assuming all of you Daily Hustlers know Forrest’s story, what should we make of it?
“Uhhh… Professor EB. Who’s Forrest Gump?”
Mr. SuperSoft… Get the fuck out of my class.
Some like Sammy may try to write it off as a fictional tale about the “town idiot” with a low IQ who always found himself in the right place at the right time… This, of course, is a naive perspective because Forrest Gump’s character and experiences represent so much more.
Just like Forrest’s 3 year, 2 month, 14 day and 15,248 mile run, this is a story about putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to charge ahead no matter what life throws at us.
Forrest persevered despite being constantly made fun of and ridiculed. Success followed him whether he was on the football field, at war, playing ping pong or captaining a shrimp boat, but his achievements were not the least bit accidental…
Forrest had an incredible ability to completely immerse himself in the moment and develop meaningful relationships whether it was with his mother, Jenny, Bubba or Lt. Dan… Forrest also became obsessed with whatever the current task at hand happened to be, and despite knocking out a couple dickheads who messed with Jenny, he never took his feelings too personally.
Forrest also never over identified or labeled himself which allowed him to dominate so many different genres of life… He also never got caught up in the past or lost in the fantasyland future; the only time Forrest ever lived in was here & NOW.
Ultimately, the underlying Daily Hustle message is that we should all aspire to be as kind, loving, forgiving, generous, aspirational, loyal, dedicated and hard charging as one of the baddest dudes to have ever graced our movie screens….
Forrest FUCKING Gump!!!!
-EB
P.S. The Let Them Play: A Triathlon Across America documentary is finally here, and it’s the perfect film for a family movie night! Proceeds will not only benefit the Let Them Play foundation, but $1 from each sale goes directly to the COVID-19 Response Fund.
Visit LetThemPlayFilm.com or click the button below to watch now! 📽🍿
