Presenters
James Burton
Abstract
The meaning of Forrest Gump (1994) has long been contested by critics. The dominant view holds that the film is conservative, nefariously rewriting history in the service of the Gingrich Republicans capture of Congress in 1994. At the same time, a minority of critics argue that the film’s representation of the past is rather open to negotiation and encourages historical consciousness. This paper will re-read the film through its pop culture afterlife from its regular quotation in film and tv to the profusion of internet memes that reframe the original film. I will examine how the meaning of the film can be seen to evolve over time and within different media contexts, while becoming a vehicle for messages from across the political spectrum.