Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Rating:

Well, shut mah mouth, as we used to say down in Louisiana.

I came back from my first visit to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., the new theme restaurant in the Mall of America, full of snuff and vinegar, ready to write some indignant tirade about how phony it all was and corporate America ripping off Southern culture and all that stuff.

And then, suddenly, it hit me:

This restaurant is about Forrest Gump, and Forrest Gump is about being dumb and happy.

Happy is good.

Dumb is good.

It's all good. Don't fight it.

Stop being such a critic.

The movie "Forrest Gump" starred Tom Hanks as a young man from Greenbow, Ala., with an IQ of 75, whose indomitable spirit makes him an inspiration to all around him. He isn't the brightest guy in the world, but his heart is pure and his intentions are always honorable. Forrest never knew exactly what he was doing in Vietnam -- "We took long walks and were always looking for this guy named Charlie," but he did his duty.

The movie came out in 1994, but it's the perfect feel-good restaurant theme for 2003. At a time when it seems like everybody in the world hates us, Forrest Gump is the kind of guy who makes you feel proud to be an American. We might make mistakes, but we mean well.

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