MOVIE REVIEW 2 1
Movie Review 2
Hannah K. Smith
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
TRMA 800: Child Adolescent Research Design
Dr. Anthony Coy
September 14, 2025
Movie Review 2
The Review
Forrest Gump could be referred to as a classic, especially if you ask someone if they have
seen the film. Many would say the movie tells a story full of inspiration as you see the
challenges faced and overcome, love as seen by Forrest’s mother, and perseverance as Forrest
had to learn how to navigate life with his physical and cognitive disabilities. Jenny and Forrest
both experienced trauma. Its lasting impact affected them in different ways, much because of
the support they each had. Their trauma led them down different roads.
One way the movie shows trauma in Forrest’s life is through the bullying he experiences.
He is bullied for his physical disability. Forrest had to wear leg braces, and because of them he is
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mocked by his peers and was often excluded from things. In the scene when some children ride
up on their bikes and begin to throw rocks at Forrest is a good depiction of the bullying and
victimization he endured. As they begin to chase his down that road, this is where the famous
line “Run, Forrest, run!” comes from. His response to the bullying always stemmed out of
resilience. As counselors, we know what bullying can do to a child. It can negatively change the
way their view themselves and cause other issues. Forrest never lacked love or support from his
mother.
Jenny’s childhood trauma was far different than what Forrest went through. She had an
abusive father that would hurt her physically and sexually. There is a scene with Jenny and
Forrest running through the corn from her father, and they stop and pray. Jenny prays to God to
make her a bird so she can fly far away from there, from her father. This scene shows Jenny
leaning on her faith, even as a child, and her approach to coping with the situation she was in.
she developed the coping strategies and used them in situations when she felt unsafe, as seen
in this scene. The movie is not graphic on her abuse, but it is clear what is meant. Jenny went
through severe abuse and neglect during her young years. These are the years that shape and
mold people, and it did. Her trauma became foundation for who she became as she got older.
Everything that she did not get as a child led to her struggles, poor decision making, and being
self-destructive.
When comparing Forrest and Jenny’s upbringings, you can see a huge contrast in their
resilience. Even though Forrest had disabilities that he would live with forever, his mother’s
consistency in his life helped instill a sense of worth and increased his own outlook on his ability
to do. Jenny did not have a positive constant in her life. Her father did not provide stability, and
the abuse she went through was not acknowledged by the adults around her for some time. The
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lack of providing support and protection for her showed the systemic failure that can even be
seen in real life situations with children today as there are often times that abuse is overlooked
or even dismissed. You can see how the trauma affected Jenny and the personal wounds that
never quite healed.
Their adolescent years brought more challenges. Forrest continues to be marginalized
but this time based on the intellectual disability. He does have moments when he is accepted in
sports and the military though. Trauma survivors often struggle with their idea of self-worth,
setting boundaries, and relationships, (Lanza & Levand, 2023), and Jenny was no exception. Her
choices stem from the issues she faced in her childhood. The same things that she lacked as a
child like love and support are the things that she is now looking for in other places as an
adolescent and adult. Some may say she had no moral character because of the choices she was
making, but I would say her behaviors are connected to and deeply rooted in her early trauma
as she is seeking love and acceptance now as an adult.
Therapeutic Implications
Forrest Gump gives multiple scenes that can used in counseling sessions when working
with children and adolescents. The scenes can be used to show the impact that trauma has on
children and the role and importance of resilience in one’s life. Forrest and his mother’s
relationship can be used as a good teaching tool for children. It can help show them how
important it is to have someone their to love and support you even if there are mean people
around you. You want to have cheerleaders that are so loud you never notice the negative
around you, and that is what Forrest’s mother did. Jenny’s situation can be used as a teaching
tool as well. She did not have the love and support, and that along with the unaddressed abuse
became a domino effect in her life. The love and acceptance that she did not get from her father
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caused her to seek it in others as she grew older. Her risky behaviors and decision making would
soon catch up.
As a counselor, I would incorporate the scene where the kids were throwing rocks at
Forrest and yelling hateful things at him. This scene can be a powerful tool in helping my
students with their own feelings of rejection. I can use this scene to help my students connect
their feelings to the application pieces beyond that. I could guide them in discussion by asking
them how they thought Forrest felt when he was treated that way or even asking them what
they would say if they were his friend. By using the movie scene and providing discussion
prompts, I can help lead my students to practice empathy and give them the chance to verbalize
their own pain by relating it to a character. This also gives me the chance to practice coping
strategies with my students and having a further discussion on them having a safe person to go
to when they see anything that can hurt another person.
Parents are supposed to be the people you run to as a child for love and protection, but
Jenny did not have that. Her experiences are a bit more significant in application. The scene
where she prays with Forrest in the cornfield is another scene that I could use in sessions. Jenny
begged God to make her a bird so she could fly far away. Jenny relied on her faith. She called
out to God and used that as her safe place. Helping children use their imagination to take them
to a place they feel face can be another therapeutic tool. If a child feels secure when they pray,
then I will encourage that. If they have not thought about that, I will encourage that or for them
to imagine they were somewhere that makes them happy. For that brief time, they can mentally
remove themselves from the stressful situation they are in. This gives them an escape from
reality for a little bit and lets them regain a sense of control (Rubinstein & Lahad, 2023). This can
be a coping strategy taught and they can carry it with them forever.
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Jenny’s choices stem from her trauma. To encourage critical thinking and deepen
conversations, I could show teenagers different clips of Jenny and her choices. I could prompt a
discussion by asking them what their thoughts are on why she is making the choices she is.
This can lead adolescent children to reflect. During this moment, they will hopefully
connect the behavior with the past trauma and recognize that often actions are often rooted in
something, and in this case, they are rooted in her trauma. It can also help them see that others
go through stuff too and normalize their own experiences. As they make connections it will be
important to note why we need to treat trauma because research has shown that childhood
trauma is apparent in adult lives and can be seen throughout it (Grace et al., 2024).
No matter what Forrest went through, his mother was always there supporting him.
Forrest knew he could rely on his mother. As a counselor, I could use this as a teaching moment
on the importance of having that supportive person in your own life. With empirical evidence
to support a positive parent-child relationship contributing to their subjective well-being, it is
even more important to have these relationships (Li et al., 2024). If a child does not have a
positive parent figure in their life, I can use the discussion and take it in the direction of building
that connection with someone else like their teacher or a mentor. Having a person you trust can
be a preventative measure in bad decision making as well.
Overall, the movie can be used to help teach children about resilience and perspective.
Jenny’s trauma shows us what happens when wounds never heal and Forrest’s journey shows
us that hard times do not have to define you or your future and how having support can help.
The movie shows many important factors, and I find it informative on how it cautions against
ignoring trauma going on and how having hope and resilience are possible in overcoming
challenges.
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Personal Implications
Knowing what I know now, as I watched Forrest Gump my personal understanding of the
lasting impact trauma can leave was deepened. Jenny’s experiences in the movie were
impactful. They showed the silent suffering she went through. She experienced abuse behind
closed doors from her father. As Jenny begged God in that cornfield, I began to think about how
I need to be more attentive to the subtle, unspoken signs of trauma. She did not go to an adult
but she had cries for help.
As a school counselor, I see bullying and the mocking of others every year. Forrest’s story
was personal for me, but in a different way. I loved the hopeful and gentle spirit he had. A lot of
that is because of his mother’s love and care, but no matter what he never let the bullies get to
him. Resilience may partly be an inherent trait, but it can still grow. You see how it grew in
Forrest as his mother was a consistent positive figure in his life. Seeing how he grew and
flourished was an affirming factor in how important it is for me to foster supportive
relationships with children at work and in my personal life.
Forrest clearly had a physical impairment. He wore his leg braces got made fun of. His
mother made sure to always tell him that he was no different than the other kids. Her
relationship with Forrest helped build him up. This example showed us the impact that a
positive figure can have on someone’s life. She providing stability and a supportive relationship
for him and that greatly impacted the way he turned out. It helped keep him on track. While
research supports positive parent-child relationships as an effective means for reducing
problematic behaviors (Jianhua et al., 2025), not everyone can have that. Therefore, this makes
me want to be that stabilizing presence for others. I want to communicate hope, acceptance,
and belief in a child’s life and make sure they feel that and know that they have it in me.
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Forrest and Jenny’s experiences show how trauma effects people differently and how the
outcomes can also vary depending on the amount of support they receive. While my childhood
was far from what both characters was, I could not help but consider the times that I personally
felt supported from the encouragement of others. How might my life had been different if I had
not gotten that support? I am grateful for what I got, but it does spark more responsibility in
me. My role as a counselor, and a human, is important in helping children. I can be that
changing factor for them, but I must be intentional in my own work.
Watching Forrest do so well and Jenny struggle was hard. Their ability to thrive or
struggle did not stem from their worth, but it did from the factors they had available. Forrest
had all the support in the world from his mother, and it helped him thrive. Jenny did not have
any support, and you see that as the movie goes on. This makes me want to advocate for
systemic changes to be made so that there are less instances of childhood trauma being
unaddressed.
Children need advocates as they cannot always speak for themselves.
This movie can give you hope and heartache. Trauma does not have to be one’s destiny,
but if it is left untreated and unacknowledged, many could suffer throughout their childhood
and on into adulthood. I now have a sense of urgency to be more aware and proactive in
identifying and responding to trauma in the lives of the children around me. I plan to do all of
this in my personal life and in my professional life.
Professional Implications
I wonder how different Jenny’s life could have been if she had support. We saw her
trauma come out through her choices. As a counselor, it goes deeper for me as a professional. I
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am not only treating the symptoms my client is having, but we must also address the underlying
cause behind it too. This deepened my own thoughts as I am also reflecting on a specific
student at my school now. Her behavior is terrible almost every day resulting in her removal
from class. I am now wondering if her defiance should be relabeled. No matter what, I think a
deeper look into what is driving her choices is important. This movie was a good little reminder
to look for the why behind the behavior. Once we know that, then we can make sure the
interventions are addressing the root of it instead of just the surface level. How could early
intervention have helped Jenny? The abuse she went through was able to be seen somewhat,
but no adult helped. As a school counselor, this emphasizes the importance of being vigilant in
child protection and mandated reporting. There are times when we will miss things, but it is
important to act because failure to act allows trauma to deepen and hurt more. Her exposure to
the trauma she endured affected her behavior, and if someone had been vigilant, they could
have gotten her help sooner before the unhealthy choices she began to make became fixed in
her lifestyle (Jakobovich et al., 2023).
Watching Forrest go through what he did and how he had the protection of his mother
with him all the time emphasizes the role of that those factors play in the outcome. I help
children process their trauma, but I can also serve them by helping them strengthen their
support groups. Whether I provide resources for families, offer a mentor program, or peer
support groups, counselors can play an important role in helping individuals build on those
protective layers to support themselves.
The movie reminded me that I can be empathetic but also hold clients accountable.
Jenny’s behaviors were stemming from her childhood trauma, and they harmed herself along
with others. Using trauma-informed practices, I can hold both realities of understanding the
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guiding force behind the behavior but also guiding clients to making healthier choices. I can
balance both and ensure we do not minimize the seriousness of their actions while helping
them begin to road to recovery.
The movie helped me professionally by increasing my awareness on how early trauma
can shape one’s life, but it also was a reminder that early intervention is key as well. There is
value in having positive relationships. As a counselor, I play role in both prevention and
intervention. They may experience childhood trauma, but it does not mean they have to stay in
that spot forever. I cannot change the life they have at home, but I can make a point to be the
positive they get at the school. I will follow all rules and laws that I must, but when they are in
situations that do not require others to get involved and they are just in a tough spot, I can be
there positive constant. I may not change every child’s life that is living through trauma, but if it
is only one, I call that a success. As a professional, I am hopeful in furthering my own practices
to ensure that I am better serving my students. Trauma is hard, and I hope to lead them with
grace acceptance. I want them to know there is hope and that they will get through it.
Conclusion
Forrest Gump is more than a classic movie with a good storyline. It is a movie that shows
us the impact that trauma has on one’s self-image, their personal relationships, and life
outcomes. We see bullying, marginalization, abuse, and neglect. Forrest and Jenny’s stories
show us the pain they felt and the mark trauma left on them and how support from others, or
lack thereof, reinforced positive or negative outcomes. This movie provides a number of ways to
use it in supporting connection with youth, normalizing their own struggles, and foster
resilience while teaching coping skills and helping them heal. I plan to be more attentive movie
forward and make sure I am listening to the things that are left unsaid and still extend empathy
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and compassion to my students. I want to help my students know that while they may be going
through though times, those times do not define where they can go in life.
References
Grace, P. J., Everhart, K. K., Marcolini, E. G., Grace, P. J., & Marcolini, E. G. (2024). Ethical
Decision-making using trauma-informed principles: A case example. AACN Advanced
Critical Care., 35(3), 272–279. https://doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2024114
Jakobovich, R., Berry, E. M., Levita, A., & Levin-Zamir, D. (2023). Developing healthy lifestyle
behaviors in early age—An intervention study in kindergartens. Nutrients, 15(11), 2615.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112615
Jianhua, H., Su, X., & Shuhui, X. (2025). Parent–child attachment and adolescent problematic
behavior: The mediating effect of legal emotions. Frontiers in Psychology, 16,
1546895. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1546895
Lanza, T., & Levand, M. A. (2023). Ignored components of sexuality: The need for competent
clinical practice with child survivors of sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual
Abuse, 32(2), 164-183. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2023.2166886
Li, W., Song, Y., Zhou, Z., Gu, C., & Wang, B. (2024). Parents’ responses and Children’s
subjective well-being: The role of Parent–Child relationship and friendship
quality. Sustainability, 16(4), 1446. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041446
Rubinstein, D., & Lahad, M. (2023). Fantastic reality: The role of imagination, playfulness, and
creativity in healing trauma. Traumatology., 29(2), 102–111.
https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000376
