Pulp Fiction vs. Forrest Gump
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Forrest Gump
First scene is a complete waste of time as we watch a computer generated feather flying around. These are exactly the kinds of openings that make me NOT wanna re-watch a film. When the feather finally lands we get a look at our supposed-hero Forrest Gump. The next thing we find out is that he was named after someone from the KKK and that his mother was not beyond doing sexual favors in order to shove her idiot kid face-forward into the real world. Kids throw rocks at him because he wears a knee-bace and through pity he makes a friend in Jenny who is, of course being sexually abused by her father. And so goes the all-American feel-good flick that celebrates all the simple things.
Turns out in this world it's a good thing when your simple.
Instead of writing a script, you can just have the lead character walk through all the big moments in history. We can even superimpose his image onto past events, whatever. It's a simple film for simple people. People like Tom Hanks who made it big time by playing an adult kid and then get to do it again in this film except this time he gets a shiny new Oscar trophy for it. I can't even entertain watching the rest of the film because it is essentially just one looong sketch (that lasts an hour) followed by sappy sentimentality ad nauseum.
Robin Wright-Penn of "The Princess Bride" will play Hanks' love interest even though they have no chemistry and she could be his daughter. No problem Mr. Hanks! Right away sir!
Forrest Gump was awarded the Academy Award for Best Picture even though it went up against the most awesome cinematic force in this country since the early Scorsese/Woody Allen/Coppola heyday.......Quentin Tarantino's PULP FICTION.
A UNANIMOUS CHOICE FOR BEST FILM OF THE LAST 25 YEARS
Pulp Fiction
First scene in this film is electrifying right off the bat as we listen to two small-time crooks debating the rationality of robbing gas stations and convenience stores when the opportunity in restaurants is staring them right in the face. We listen intently as Pumpkin (Tim Roth) proceeds to arouse his partner Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) with his precise explanation why the staff of busboys, waiters and manager would offer little resistance and how the surprise factor is also in their favor. She can't take anymore and appears to orgasm her fury on the patrons with the memorable opening line "Any of you f**king p**cks move, and I'll execute every MFing last one of you!"
Roll opening credits and you have a theater full of people who are breathless. They are so blown away by the opening that they are startled into the realization that they are in the hands of one gifted and oh so very twisted storyteller. They are delighted at the possibilities the film presents and they are never let down. This is just the opening scene and we got more of a rush than we did during the first half hour of Gump combined.
There are amazing pop culture moments too. Like when Uma says to Travolta, "Would mind rolling me one of those cowboy?" and he responds "You can have this one cowgirl." If this little nugget was lost on you too bad because this is a sly reference to John's role in Urban Cowboy and Uma's in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. What about the great timing displayed by Bruce Willis here? He's never been this good. His comedic scenes with his girlfriend Fabienne are priceless, I mean who isn't laughing when she starts to cry and he has to ask her about the blueberry pancakes to calm down. I know I'm ROFL.
His best line though is "I'm an American honey. Our names don't mean sh!t"
But before I wrap things up we must also look at the timeline. How many people realize that the first scene in chronological order is Christopher Walken's speech to Butch about his father's watch?
We open in the middle of the story at the diner and see everything leading up to the robbery attempt.
We see Jules & Vincent's morning discussing Tony Rocky Horror and Big Kahuna Burgers until Ezekiel 25:17
TITLE: VINCENT VEGA & MARSELLUS WALLACE'S WIFE ~ Flash forward to the first time Butch and Vincent meet at Marsellus Wallace's place. We now know the fix is in. Vincent and Jules are dressed in Jimmy's clothes already and they have the case which means that they just came from the diner where the film ends. Chronologically speaking this is the last scene for Jules. Huh? Think about it. Why isn't he with Vincent at Butch's place later? Because Jules has by this time already quit killing so that he can walk the earth.
Now we meet Lance & Jodi, then Mia Wallace and Buddy Holly. Awkward silence, Urge Overkill, OD back to Lance's and concluding with the Fox Force Five joke. End of Story One
TITLE: THE GOLD WATCH ~ Cap'n Koons >flash> to the fight!...or after it anyway. Esmerelda Villa Lobos, talk of Bora Bora and sleep. We all as an audience too exhale deeply. We wake up to chaos though and Bruce Willis turns on the action hero thing. From the back alley home to the poptarts to that crazy samarai finish, he's electric. Ving Rhames gets medieval as well. Zed's Dead baby, Zed's dead and THAT IS ACTUALLY THE END OF THE STORY!
But not in Quentin's world. We still have to find out what happened to Pumpkin & Honey Bunny? Not before "Divine Intervention" however. "I just shot Marvin in the face." TITLE: THE BONNIE SITUATION ~ Quentin's inter-racial blaspheming aside, the scenes turn hilarious upon the arrival of Mr. Wolf but call him Winston.
Finally we arrive at the middle where we began. Jules is trying real hard to be the shepherd and hoping we'll all stay like three lil' Fonzies.
Q: So the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences dropped the ball on this, the one picture with the MOST motion, the MOST artistic?
A: Correctamundo!
Doubly so in fact, when you take into account that The Shawshank Redemption ALSO was in the Best Picture Nominees in 1994.
Man, did they blow it!
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Something tells me that K-Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies will be making an appearance.
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Welcome To My World. A world where movies don't have to suck all the time. A world where films could even be seen multiple times and you'd still get new things to enjoy about them.
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Forrest Gump is a good movie. So is Pulp Fiction.
No Shay it isn't. Besides the issue here is which is better. Did you read the hub?
Saying they are both good is kinda...."simple" don'tchathink?
Loved Pulp...having said that, I was very disappointed with the last scene....just such obvious dialogue/analogy...pigs and all. Fantastic movie until that last bit...way too obvious/unclever/patronizing for me.
Tarantino is a boss..totally love his style. I definitely agree that Pulp Fiction which is a really awesome movie...and possibly Sam Jackson's best performance...should have won the Oscar instead of Forrest Gump. I enjoyed Forrest Gump at the time when I watched it but its just an average movie, nothing special. Cool hub, man.
I loved Pulp Fiction. Why? Because I love Tarantino films. Forrest Gump wasn't a horrible film it was just horribly long and that's just too much for one movie that's for sure especially you're just following this guys life and the stuff he did. Woohoo...not. I know better then to argue with you DJ about movies. Great hub as always.
wow. never heard anyone bash forrest gump so harshly, except every character in the film. i liked both films, but tarantino changed filmmaking forever w/ pulp fiction. thus, making pulp a better film. hollywood has an affinity for actors who play gay or retarded - midnight cowboy, rainman, brokeback mountain, etc. but, hollywood is retarded!
The thing that's rediculous about Hanks winning for this (beside the fact that won the previous year) is that he told everyone that all he did was study the kid who played young forrest and then copied his speech patterns.
Best Actor of 1994 was Morgan Freeman who starred in and narrated the Shawshank Redemption.
Wow, you're hard on poor old Forrest. I liked that he became a success in the end and got the girl and his long time love. Happy Endings. Well, except she died.
LOVED PULP FICTION!!! LOVED Shawshank, too.
I'm a big Quentin Tarrantino fan.
Nice hub, DJ!
Shawshank wins hands down. Morgan Freeman has got to be one of my favorite actors of all time.
I've watched that 12 times and I'm not even a big movie fan.
F.G. was soso, not one I'd own though. The book of F.G. was much better than the movie.
As for P.F. it was funny and artistically brilliant, but too much blood for me.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by.
I like both movies, but gotta admit, I love Forrest Gump. What can I say, I'm a simple man.
Constant Walker, of course you liked Forrest Gump - he walked and walked and walked. :)
Not me...I would walk forever for some one I cared so much about..especially if I had the sorrow he had I Loved Forrest Gump..the regular poor people who do so much for so many,,,the men who love so deeply and die for their country...the bravery of all who made it through...the love for his Mother and chocolates..yum..the undying love and carefull caring he had for his love...and never gave up...the suffering he went through...well I know it is a movie...but it does tell the story of many people that seem forgotten...simple...dull...caring...hard working...and very much in Love...forgive me..but when do we ever get it??? G-Ma :o) hugs
Shirley, he ran and ran and ran. "That boy sure is a runnin' fool..."
I couldn't have said it better, G-Ma. You rock!
lolzville. proud to be enlightened over here.
I have not seen Forrest Gump but have seen scenes now and then when it was on TV, when i watched TV, have no inteerst in seeing anymore, by that measure Pulp Fiction is a better film, although I only saw it once and was not that impressed.
I'm simply mad over Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction is fantastic, but I agree that Shawshank was king. Those two movies are definitely head and shoulders over Forrest Chump.
Bob... you have to take off the "Cheap Sunglasses" to get the whole affect.
Constant Walker, did you see how he ran? Like a girl, by the time he grew the long beard and reached Nevada or AZ or wherever it was....he walked the last 10 feet.
Okay, that probably didn't gloss over the fact that he ran and didn't walk. I'm gonna give up and go away now.
Bob looks like ZZ Top.
I fail to understand why these two films would be compared. PF is on a whole different level to FG.
They are compared shopperholic because IF YOU READ THE HUB, They went up against each other for the Best Picture Oscar (along w/ 50 other Best Film Awards shows) in 1994.
It's actually better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt!
Both are brilliant films! aswell as shaw shank!
Another top movie and first class acting was "One flew over the cuckoos nest'..
I love Morgan Freeman. I've watched him my entire life and he is from my state, so that makes me cheer for him even more. And I may be simple, but sometimes, with how the world is today, I think there would be alot less depression and fighting if we had looked at the world a little more like Forrest does. I just liked him because he was so positive. I'm not a huge fan of Pulp Fiction. Granted that Forrest Gump is over-the-edge fiction, I wish I was more positive like he was. I sometimes look for the worst in situations and that is not a good way to be. I strive to be more positive. I think the world would be a better place if people tried to find the good in people instead of the opposite. Don't you?
I find about 10 to 12 redeeming qualities Pulp Fiction that make me wanna be a better person. Forrest Gump just reminds me that the sappy & simple will always fly higher than quality artistic achievement.
PULP FICTION IS A BLOODY MASTERPIECE GODDAMIT (:
the sad thing is, you said that pulp was the best movie in the past 25 years....turns out schindler's list came out just the year before.........interesting
gump was actually better too, it was just mis-interpreted. someone like me who seriously analyzes will notice that the message of the movie was that only one thing is a done deal, and that is death. you can never be sure if your plans for tomorrow will happen, or if you'll just die first. bubba wanted to be a shrimping boat captain; instead, he died. pulp was just alot of violence, no real meaning
I did enjoy both films , I agree that Pulp Fiction was the better movie. Your right that it brought more of a rush, and the acting was superior. I do think Forrest Gump was a really good film. I thought Gary Sinise did good work as Lt Dan. As a note to the schindler comment, Pulp Fiction is a better film than schindler's list. Schindler's list was a good movie, however the subject matter of the film does not reign it superior over other movies.
Other than the fact that they came out the same year, these two movies have nothing in common. I don't see why you're pitting them against one another. Is your Tarantino-philia feeling snubbed?
Forrest Gump is an all-time classic. It has a plot, despite your claim, and several character arcs. And how can you not get at least a little choked up when Forrest first meets Forrest Jr. (Haley Joel Osment)?
Anyway, your hub made me chuckle. And I clicked the ads to help you get paid :)
2001: A Space Odyssey kills them both. This debate is a fail. We should be doing this:
2001 vs Vertigo
Wow, '94 was a good year. I always hated that Forrest won out over Pulp Fiction, but Shawshank was in there too? Damn.
You gotta admit Forrest Gump is at least better than most of this year's nominees. Bleh.
Pulp Fiction destroys Gump, Pulp changed the direction of film similar to Nirvanas affect on music, important film.
Its idiotic to compare the two films. Pulp Fiction is probably my favorite film of all time, Its an artsy movie, Gump is not as much. They are both wonder in there own rights. Get over the fact The oscars didnt reward best picture to Pulp Fiction, its more of a crime that Dances with Wolves beat Goodfellas or Rocky beating Taxi Driver or English Patient beating Fargo.
Thanks Nash, I could get LOUD about all those too! Never even bothered to watch The English patient after all I heard.
Seriously I didn't read past your first 2 paragraphs.your write up is a total dog crap.Forrest gump is always on the top 100 of most all time greatest..doesn't that ring a bell in your empty skull??
And yeah..f**k that ..I heard so much of pulp fiction's amazingness and apart from Sam Jackson and Bruce Willis,the film is just too f**king mediocre!!s**t I couldn't even finish it self.mstcheeeew!!
Can I just ask on what grounds you are able to critisise Pulp Fiction. The way you've made your comment suggests that you have only watched part of it, and heard 'too much about pulp fiction's amazingness' If you give it a chance, you'll realise just what an amazing film it is.
When you compare it to Forest Gump- a sweet little American feel good movie- you'll notice how superior, cinematically, Pulp Fiction is. Forest Gump has little plot. Essentially it just follows a man who convieniently appears just about everywhere.
Can't really compare Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump. They're both amazing and unique in their own ways. If they were the same genre, then a comparison would be plausible. My two cents.
Tarantino fails to accept that there is a world outside of his cinematic masturbation. Sure it's entertaining and well crafted.
Who doesn't like a good hand job?
Pulp Fiction is truly the best movie in last 25 years.Amzing...simply outstanding...The Bonnie Situation ....LOLZ...So please(WITH SUGAR ON TOP) all of you accept this.
Pulp fiction sucks big time. Forrest Gump is one of the best movie ever.
talented_ink 3 years ago
When I watched Forrest Gump, I only looked at it as the comedy it is, but the movie was like 3 1/2 hours long! There's not that much love for Tom Hanks in the world for it to be so long! I liked Pulp Fiction and I think Tarantino is a really good director because I could watch both Kill Bills and Death Proof at least once a month. Speaking of which, I think I'll go watch Pulp Fiction again. Good hub.