Did Jenny Really Love Forrest? Scene Breakdown and Analysis of Forrest Gump

Forrest loves Jenny BUT does she love him? In 1994, Forrest Gump came out and I've been asking myself that same question ever since. Sure, Forrest has his Mamma, Bubba, Lt. Dan and a lot of chocolate but does he have Jenny?

[shabadoo]

Dont befriend a woman who is an interest. A lesson we all learned the hard way

[xRussianbishop]

Loved him - yes
In love with him - No

[zeeski]

She loved him in her own way, which is an unhealthy toxic fucked up way because that's who and what she was. Unhealthy people aren't the best people to love

[bustarhymes-rsw]

So she basically didn’t want the man until she caught HIV? That’s fucked up😭😭😭

[apanernarro]

I'd really love to look at it this way, since we all hate Jenny. But the thing is... I don't think it was like that really. I think Jenny wanted to be free, you know, as a bird (tons of references to birds in the movie. Jenny's prayer when she's a kid, freebird, the feather at the end...). And she thought that was joining things, being an artist, going wild, sleeping around. The thing is, what she started to go through, when her body and mind started to collapse, was when she realized Forrest was right all along. She told him he didn't know what love was. And here I think the same that you. SHE didn't know what love wss, but she didn't know that then. When she says "You don't wanna marry me", it's not because she doesn't. It's because she thinks she does not deserve him. Why would this celebrity, amazing war hero want to marry her, ajunkie in rehab. Why would she deserve love. When she finally got to forgive herself, for all that she did to herself and others, it was the moment where she could finally approach him again. Her kid made her realize how lucky she was. She had a kid from a man that loved her every single moment of his life. She wanted to finally make things right, but it was kind of late. That's life, it just sucks, but it happens. And we love to see the beauty in all that tragedy.

[TristanandIsolt]

Jenny loved Forrest without any question whatsoever. Think of all the time they spent together and how Forrest was always the most important man in her life. Jenny wasn't where he sent her the letters. They got returned to him because she couldn't be found. She doesn't believe she's good enough for Forrest.

[kcluu]

Jenny is what youd call a "fearful avoidant". She does love but love is scary to her because thats how it was when she grew up.

[osmanyousif]

Something to note is that there are movies where the female leads are toxic but were victims of some type of abuse, yet still a bit empathetic (instead of sympathetic, keep that in mind....). This however doesn't change their actions and has us (the audience) continuously asking why the male leads can't see that they're a lost cause and just leave them. Two movies that do this right, are Of Human Bondage (1934) and Casino (1995).
In Of Human Bondage, the character Mildred (Bette Davis) is established as quite a jerk towards our main character Philip. Who despite trying to show her kindness, Mildred states that she plans to marry much more wealthier men, therefore Philip is wrong for having feelings for her, only for her relationships to all go south as the men she chooses are either abusive, conniving, liars who even were already married, establishing how she doesn't have trust in actual people who are much more lower class like Philip and why she chooses the wealthier ones. But this only leads makes her to grow more and more cruel and manipulative, as we watch as Philip sacrifices everything to help her. This leads to us (the audience) groaning at the screen saying, "Philip, she not worth it!". But the movie knows this. Therefore, watching him near the end finally leave her is pretty satisfying, seeing how he finally has opening his eyes to who Mildred is.
Same case for Casino (1995), which ironically came out a year after Forrest Gump. Ginger (Sharon Stone) is a street-smart hustler at several Vegas casinos. She's has grace, wit, beauty, and could have been having a successful life (despite her crooked ways), if it wasn't for her abusive pimp Lester, who's been using her at a very young age and continuously takes everything she earns. But Sam "Ace" Rothstein was so in love with her that he felt the need to help her, therefore gave her everything she wanted, but it was never enough for Ginger. Heck, Ace even proposes to her after knowing her for only a few months, and despite Ginger pleading to Ace that he really shouldn’t and how he doesn't know her or what love even is, they still marry. But again, this isn't framed as a huge “happily ever after”, but how Ginger would lead to Ace's downfall. Although it's established that he's no better, due to him being a long time gangster with several mob ties and is quite a ruthless dude himself. Which I guess is the major difference between him and characters like Forrest and Philip.
But in any event, unlike in Forrest Gump (1994), rather than being framed as someone who'll save the woman they love from their toxic and abusive life, Casino and Of Human Bondage frame their male leads as complete fools (And a bit of a simp...) who are letting women, who are nothing but bad news, lead them to collapse. And the women who had live a bad life will never change for the bad deeds they've done, despite we (the audience) understand why they ended up that way. With them even meeting a horrible fate.

[TheMightyThor]

The most unrealistic part of this movie is that once Forrest is a successful millionaire, owner of a shrimp company, war hero, college football all American, ping pong champion, and all around great guy, that other women weren’t around him trying to wife him up.

[swampsprite]

"Think of it like Jenny has entered rehab" 😂🤣 That gave me a good laugh, and you're right.

[greytoeimp]

It’s such a bizarre film when looked at in this way. I don’t think it was ever meant to be scrutinized which is why I consider it good bad (or is it bad good?)

[Robertperezshow]

Forest Gump was physically attractive that alone wouldve gotten his foot in the door. But he was too much of a good boy. And he didn't know Jenny is not attracted to good boys.

[andrewrivera]

I guess from a Christain perspective, Forrest's love is in the sense what 1 Corinthians 13 says. He never loved her because she was beautiful or that she had something he needed. He loved her because all those years he saw the girl that was first kind to him. He never saw it as pity, he was just greatful for the friend he had and was always willing to support and be there for her. Jenny on the other hand didn't really understand Forrest's love, she thought love was what her father gave her so she seeked out more abuse. When she finally realized what she wanted was right in front of her it was too late. However, Forrest didn't care that it was too late, he just wanted to take care of the woman he loves. Forrest never obsessed over her nor did her persue her. He just lived his life and was there for her when she needed him. The only time he thought about running after her he ran litteraly every where else in America. The love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13 is agape, God's devine love. Agape is the love Christians are to give, even for those that don't diserve it. Is it easy? Absolutley not. Because it requires us to give and not expect anything in return. Our own selfishness makes us desire more or to be appreicated. However, in order to truly appreciate love when it is given to us we must first know the cost of what it truly means to love someone else.

[PeacefulPalmTrees]

I always felt this way about Jenny in Forrest Gump she treats Forest like a dog and just because she has trauma from her childhood doesn't give her the right to treat others worse like how she was treated as they say hurt people hurt people.

[mehoyminoy]

Eery how similar Jenny is to the modern culture. “I wanna be famous.” (False sense of love and approval) so she proceeds to get naked and chase fame like a Tick Tock or OF actor.

[jrobertlysaght]

Thank you for this video. I thought I was crazy, being the only one who noticed these things.

[iliketotrade]

That's why I am subscribed. Very good video man🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽

[wilmergimenez]

My opinion is she married him out of selfishness when she was young and have all her life in front of her she never even considered sharing her life with Forrest she just followed her heart (and other parts of her body I'm not going to mention because I'm a gentleman) and her heart was with the classic bad boys she wanted to live fast and wild, but the party is over she is already old and sick knowing she doesn't have much time now she wants to experiment love and commitment she wanted her fairy tale ending marrying in a white dress to a man who love her but if she weren't sick and already middle age she for sure will still be partying and using drugs and sleeping with bad guys and never considering Forrest as a possible love interest.

A proof of this is that we really don't see romantic love in their interactions even in the wedding, there is a certain coldness in every moment, definitely not passion they are getting married and Jenny is acting like they are already an old couple tired of each other there are intimacy in their gesture but is cold something product of the routine no passion

Jenny is the modern woman who only want the bad guy because she finds them more interesting and exciting and the romantic guy who really love her, well, she doesn't have eyes for him until her options starting to getting short, and she is not attracting the same kind of dude she attracted in her prime, is then she starts to care for things like love and romance she want that out of selfishness not because she loves the guy, the party is over what she really wanted cant have it anymore, so she settles

[Trxpamvs]

I think Jenny knew she would be not good for Forrest, I think her always running away from him is her own fucked up way of protecting him from herself, I used to hate Jenny now I realize she never had a chance of a normal life the moment her father abused her.

[y.cyferfreemoney]

0:50 seconds was genius.

But Jenny did respond to Forrest’s letters. He wasn’t able to get them bcuz he was in a war zone. He received all her letters when he was in the hospital. When he gave the ice cream to Lieutenant Dan.