Robin Wright faced some criticism over her Forrest Gump character Jenny Cullen, which she addressed during a recent interview with The New York Times while pushing her new movie, Here. Critics claim her role as Gump’s lover was anti-feminist due to her life’s decline.
Melena Ryzik asked Robin to share her thoughts about the debate, to which she responded that Jenny was simply selfish and seemed undeserving of Gump’s love, but her character was not set out to push against feminist values.
Robin Wright clarifies the anti-feminist assumption about Jenny
Jenny lived a carefree life of social liberation with vices like drugs and multiple sexual partners, which some people have mistaken to mean feminist values. However, it was a time when women tasted economic and financial freedom for the first time, and it is not a surprise they sometimes went overboard.
Jenny had a tragic end after contracting AIDS, which seemed like a consequence of how she lived her life. It seemed like a warning to feminist women with a hint of fear tactics or effect. Gump loved her to the very end, regardless, as he offered to take care of her at his mother’s house. They eventually married, but sadly, Jenny died shortly after.
Robin Wright reflects on her time on ‘Forrest Gump’
Robin admitted that working on Forrest Gump was a great experience she will always hold dear, adding that she worked with an incredible team. Lead actor Tom Hanks, who won Oscars for best picture and actor for the ‘90s hit movie, said Forrest Gump requires no sequel.
Forrest Gump gained the love of viewers upon release, earning its spot as 1994’s second highest-grossing movie. It also made the United States National Film Registry through the Library of Congress in 2021. Forrest Gump has won six Academy Awards so far amid many nominations.