Robin Wright defended her character Jenny in Forrest Gump in opposition to interpretations that she was an “anti-feminist” archetype.
In a brand new interview for The New York Occasions alongside Here co-star Tom Hanks, Wright was requested what she makes of discussions surrounding Jenny’s seeming “punishment” for residing a lifetime of freedom. The six-time Oscar successful romantic drama and historic fiction story exhibits Wright’s main lady embarking on a “freewheeling” life — an upbringing stuffed with youngster abuse contributed to her drug use, intercourse work and total flighty nature — in the end ending in her demise from an unnamed sickness (later stated by director Robert Zemeckis to be associated to AIDS).
“No! It’s not about that,” Wright stated. “Folks have stated she’s a Voldemort to Forrest. I wouldn’t select that as a reference, however she was sort of egocentric. I don’t suppose it’s a punishment that she will get AIDS. She was so promiscuous — that was the selfishness that she did to Forrest.”
She continued, “He was in love together with her from Day 1. And she or he was simply flighty and working and doing coke and hooking up with a Black Panther. After which she will get sick and says, ‘That is your youngster. However I’m dying.’ And he nonetheless takes her: ‘I’ll maintain you at Mama’s home.’ I imply, it’s the sweetest love story.”
In recent times, dialog round Jenny being an antagonist to Hanks’ Forrest has taken on a extra nuanced tone, as followers have famous that the character of childhood abuse paints her character and selections in a extra empathetic mild.
Elsewhere within the interview, Hanks acknowledged his reduction that the movie’s workforce by no means tried for a sequel: “It’s this extraordinary amalgam that stands utterly by itself and by no means must be repeated. And thank God we by no means bothered making an attempt to make one other one. Why put a hat on a hat?”
Wright and Hanks have since reunited with Zemeckis by means of the time-sweeping drama Right here, which options the 2 actors as a married couple throughout many years (by way of synthetic intelligence-supported de-aging expertise). “We simply picked up proper the place we left off. I’m going to say we love one another as a result of we’re really easy with one another,” Hanks said recently of the duo’s reunion.
