Analysis Of The Film 'Forrest Gump' in the Context of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Abstract

Forrest Gump is a movie character who is thought not to be intelligent enough. He also had several physical problems with his legs and back as a child. Due to these disorders, he had to use platinum devices to walk. He is also under pressure due to his physical problems. While Forrest was running to escape from bullying, the platinums on his legs came loose. This incident was a turning point for Forrest. As a result of his experiences, he thought that he should just run when he was exposed to any difficulty or bullying. He joined the Vietnam War, became a table tennis champion, founded a large shrimp company and crossed paths with his beloved Jenny. Forrest narrates important moments in history from his own perspective. In this study, it was aimed to interpret the movie Forrest Gump within the scope of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a postmodern therapy theory derived from the cognitive-behavioral method. Psychological flexibility, one of the descriptors of ACT, explains accepting inner experiences without judgment, being in touch with the moment and being determined to behave in accordance with values. Psychological flexibility is the opposite of psychological rigidity. Scenes in the movie that are thought to be equivalent to these were examined. In this study, the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. It is seen that this film effectively describes the process of an individual living an open, flexible and value-oriented life against the emotional difficulties they experience. It is thought that the film, which contains examples that are compatible with the concepts of contacting the moment and living in accordance with values, will also be useful in the psychological counseling stages in the context of the KKT attitude.