Movie #271 - Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
1993 - Rated G - 1 hr 24 min
Director: Duwayne Dunham
Starring: Michael J Fox, Sally Field, Don Alder, Robert Hays, Jean Smart, Don Ameche

This was a personal favorite when I was growing up.  What kid doesn't love a good adventure story told by two dogs and a cat? Especially when they have such vibrant personalities (and celebrity voices).

So does it hold up now?  Mostly, yeah.  The kids missing their pets and the pets missing their kids is still a compelling story line... but is this really believable?  I guess this does happen, the whole pets walking all the way home thing.  Every once in a while there's a story on the news about a courageous travelling pet.  I don't know any of these pets -- my dog is certainly not a potential cross-country traveller -- but it's not totally unbelievable that they're out there.

If you can believe the story line, then the movie is fun and easy to enjoy.  The three pets are characterized well and some of the lines are still funny.  Overall, this is one I can easily see myself sharing with my daughter when she's a little older.

Movie #213 - Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump
1994 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 12 min
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Haley Joel Osment

This movie has the unique ability to appeal to viewers of nearly any age.  I remember seeing this in the theatre at 12 and enjoying it.  My parents loved it even more, because they'd live through most of the major events that appear in it.  And I can appreciate it even more now, as adult, since I get the hints and subtleties.

The innocence of this character is what makes him great.  He is exactly as he appears: friendly, easy going, simple, his heart on his sleeve.  Forrest Gump is the kind of man you want good things to happen to. And in this movie they do and they don't.  Life happens to him, and simultaneously, he happens to life.  It's so well written and so flawlessly executed you forget it's fictional. 

And who doesn't love all those Forrest pop-ups in archival footage?

So I love this movie. If you haven't seen it (because you live under a rock), see it.  It's deserving of the experience. Just like Hanks was deserving of that Oscar win.