Strong friendships are based on a foundation of strong values. One of the most important values of companionship is loyalty. In my own sense, I choose to remain loyal to those who care about me. Forrest Gump is a film that has played a significant role in shaping my value of being loyal. There are many different values that people can take from Forrest Gump, but I believe that loyalty is the most prominent. Forrest’s character repeatedly displays his loyalty throughout the story by both his words and his actions.
A well-known portrayal of loyalty in the film is Forrest’s devotion to his dear friend Bubba. Bubba was Forrest’s one and only faithful comrade while they served together in Vietnam. The pair fell asleep and sat with their backs to each other so that they could refrain from laying down in all the mud. From watching Forrest and Bubba do this, I can relate and recognize their value of loyalty, it reminds me that I should always be watching out for my loved ones and letting them know how much I care for their well-being. I think that friends who want to be loyal should constantly have each other’s backs no matter what.
Forrest met his lifelong friend on the bus during his first day of elementary school, and her name was Jenny. For many years, they were good friends, but they were living distant lives in their adulthood. Forrest kept trying to contact his friend, but she was on a different route. Jenny had been living a disastrous lifestyle that included drugs and abuse while continuously being on the move.
Their different lifestyles made they grow apart from each other, however Forrest did not lose any hope for Jenny. Forrest kept trying to show his love and care for Jenny, who had no idea that she was making her own life worse. I had an extremely similar experience with how Forrest dedicated himself to his friend.
I met one of my current best friends while I attended elementary school. We kept each other out of trouble and stuck up for each other when we needed to. I found out that my friend had abusive parents, so I would provide all my support. It wasn’t until we went to different colleges when I realized that he was starting to take a self-destructive path. I would try to reach out to him, but our conversations were brief, and he would disappear for periods of time. I didn’t want this to jeopardize our friendship, so I continued to let my friend know that I cared about him. I was certain that he was not trying to be a bad friend, he was just in a hard place and didn’t know what to do.
Eventually, I found out that he turned to drugs to cope with anxiety while was having suicidal thoughts, and it didn’t help that he was hanging out with the wrong crowd. I offered attention, assistance and encouragement to my friend, as well as making time to visit with him. In time, my friend was able to set a new course for his life. The film Forrest Gump directly conveys a value of loyalty, which is to never give up on your friends, even if they’re heading in the wrong direction. You should always show them you’re there for them with your support.
Forrest Gump can show the audience possible rewards of upholding your values. Bubba turned to Forrest while in Vietnam and said, “You know why we a good partnership, Forrest? ‘Cause we be watchin’ out for one another. Like brothers and stuff.” What Bubba meant was that their friendship is strong because they make their loyalty obvious to each other, and everyone could use a friend to depend on. Forrest Gump has primarily enabled me to observe the significant value of being loyal to the people who care about me.