"Benjamin Button:" A "Gump" by any other name
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is one of those obligatory Oscar-bait movies, a big, sprawling thing (two hours and 45 minutes!) about the ephemeral, magical moments that make life worth living for movie characters that inspire voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to feel good about giving it a bunch of trophies.
At least, that's how it turned out back when it was called "Forrest Gump."
As I was sitting through a recent advance screening, I kept thinking that "Gump" screenwriter Eric Roth should sue those responsible for "Button's" script for bald plagiarism. Then the end credits rolled, and turns out "Button" was written by ... Eric Roth. No point in suing yourself, I suppose.
Both films concern characters with comically twee names whose stories are related in a series of flashbacks, who lead globe-trotting, ostensibly romantically sweeping lives filled with adventure and eccentricity and who both learn through sappy epigrams that life is both unpredictable and rich with incident. Both were based on stories written by others ("Gump," Winston Groom; "Button," F. Scott Fitzgerald) that were drastically altered by Mr. Roth, though not so drastically altered from one another in their film incarnations. Here are a few more curious similarities.
Tough yet rich upbringing hobbled by physical maladies eventually overcome
"Forest Gump:" Forrest (Tom Hanks) is slow-witted and must wear leg braces and walk about with the use of canes as a child. Eventually, he's strong enough to become a long-distance runner.
"Benjamin Button:" Benjamin (Brad Pitt) is born an old man and ages in reverse. He spends his earliest years confined to a wheelchair, then gets strong enough to walk with the use of canes in his childhood. Eventually, he's a strapping and dashing fellow.
Epic tormented romance
"Forrest Gump:" Forrest meets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn) in his youth and is immediately smitten, but his love for her goes largely unrequited through a series of missed connections and Jenny's own searching spirit, for reasons that only make the story more resonant.
"Benjamin Button:" Benjamin meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett) in his elderly youth and is immediately smitten, but acting on such an infatuation would be, well, creepy. (Not to mention illegal.) They meet later, when the age difference isn't so icky, but still, Benjamin rejects Daisy's advances (for reasons that will forever go bewilderingly un-understood.) They finally hook up, until they don't, for reasons that only make the story more resonant.
A mighty storm at sea
"Forrest Gump:" Forrest, in a shrimping boat, survives a hurricane.
"Benjamin Button:" Benjamin, in a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, survives a hurricane.
In which the characters learn that war is bad
"Forrest Gump:" Forrest loses his best friend in Vietnam; his other best friend loses his legs.
"Benjamin Button:" Benjamin loses his mentor/captain during a surprise attack in World War II.
A shout-out to the Red States
"Forrest Gump:" After serving in Vietnam, Forrest reunites with Jenny, but abandons her after being put off by her free-wheeling ways with her Berkeley hippie friends.
"Benjamin Button:" After serving in World War II, Benjamin reunites with Daisy, but abandons her after being put off by her free-wheeling ways with her New-York-theater bohemian friends.
Cloying symbol of, well, something
"Forrest Gump:" A feather that appears in key moments of the film, cascading downward lightly, spritely, representing the uplifting vicissitudes of survival and existence.
"Benjamin Button:" A hummingbird that appears in key moments of the film, madly flapping its wings, representing the uplifting vicissitudes of survival and existence.
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About this blog
David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place.
Who really cares if the two movies had so many similarities? Not many remember these key elements of "Forrest Gump" that could be compared to "Benjamin Button" anyway.
This was the longest one-hour movie I ever sat through.
Benjamin Button was very Fincher-esque... almost as good as his other stuff if not for some nagging plot holes
>>Vera: Not many remember these key elements of "Forrest >>Gump" that could be compared to "Benjamin Button" anyway
I loved Forest Gump when I first saw it in the cinema. I never watched it again. I watched Benjamin Button and was immediately reminded of Forest Gump for many of the reasons outlined above! What's going on here - bizarre coincidence? Maybe Roth has a checklist of trophy winning themes that a good film should cover - I'm keen to check out his other films for any patterns. . .
f5mando: it had to have been over an hour obviously if you said it was the longest one hour movie you ever sat thru b/c one hr movies are all the same length.
the firstpic goes to Forrest the second BENAJMIN BUTTON he's getting it down but he wasen't retarded and its been how many years since they were released? 14 so benjamin had the upper hand with the artitic and techs.
I am positive they copied forest gump. Forest Gump did pretty well. "life is a box of choclates, you never know what you're going to get," practically became the state motto in {i forget which state it was.} And in Benjamin Button, a simular saying is presented numerous times; "You never know what you're going to get." They had a good idea for a movie; a boy who ages backwards. But, they are indeed copying forest gump to make that movie because it did so well.
I am positive they copied forest gump. Forest Gump did pretty well. "life is a box of choclates, you never know what you're going to get," practically became the state motto in {i forget which state it was.} And in Benjamin Button, a simular saying is presented numerous times; "You never know what you're going to get." They had a good idea for a movie; a boy who ages backwards. But, they are indeed copying forest gump to make that movie because it did so well.
These are some of the worst comments I've ever read. f5, your comment was not lost on me.
uh um yeah. haey mu hu...... Talk about a total rip off. The only difference between to films other than the years that they were released is that I would rather watch Tom Hanks any day than Brad Pitt. AND to end it all off: 3 words--Ice Ice Baby.
I am such a fan of Forest Gump that I feel angry at the Benjamin Buttin production firstly for blatant and illegal copying of almost every aspect of Forest Gump and secondly for putting a poor actor like Brad Pitt to do a role perfectly( and i had hoped one time only)done by Tom Hanks. Shame on you!!!!
I went to see the movie with my girlfriend and at the end we looked at each other and I said "Hey, that's a nice Forrest Gump remake..." I didn't know so many people thought the same...I know that, being written by the same guy, you should expect some similarities but this was ridiculous. It was the same basic plot, some sub-plots were identical too and boy...does this guy love the South!!!