“Forrest Gump” is 20 years old. Despite its age, the movie is still incredibly popular, relatable and worth another watch. And just this past Friday, it was re-released in IMAX theatres.

One movie released this summer has striking similarities to the Tom Hanks classic because of its narrative progression, its encapsulation of American history and its critical acclaim.

“Boyhood”, the newest Richard Linklater movie was filmed over the course of 12 years, and follows the growth of a young boy, Mason. This groundbreaking project received positive reviews even before its release because of people’s interest in seeing the characters naturally age.

“Boyhood” is the “Forrest Gump” of our generation because both serve as reflections of our collective past.

“Forrest Gump” follows the extraordinary life of a man everyone underestimated. Despite his low IQ and need for leg braces as a child, Forrest grew up to be a part of the All-American football team, fight in the Vietnam War, meet three presidents and become a shrimp boat captain.

Time and time again, seemingly by happenstance, Forrest affects the course of American history. He teaches Elvis how to dance, initiates the investigation of the Watergate scandal and creates the “Smiley Face” logo.

Mason’s life is not nearly as extraordinary as Forrest’s but his is much more relatable; he learns about the war in Iraq, he watches Roger Clemens pitch for the Astros and he helps his father campaign for President Barack Obama in ’08.

Just as Mason misses pinnacle moments in history, the audience misses the benchmarks in his life. No glimpse of his first kiss, when he learns to drive a car or his high school graduation. Instead there are moments that affect his character: when he discovers his passion for photography, his first heartbreak and when he realizes his parents are just as lost as he is.

The “Forrest Gump” soundtrack carefully arranges hits from 50s through the 80s to match the scenes’ place in time, “Boyhood”’s is natural. The opening credits of “Boyhood” feature “Yellow” by Coldplay setting the scene in the early 2000s. And it is overwhelming when “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye plays and the audience realizes this is the beginning of the end.

Despite its technical differences, both movies serve as time capsules for the generation it reflects.

The children of the 40s and 50s remember their grief when JFK was assassinated, their frustration with the War in Vietnam and time of the hippie counterculture. While Forrest’s experiences are in the eye of the storm, his emotions are equivalent with that of the audience.

Viewers from our generation are likely to feel the pang of nostalgia while watching “Boyhood” as Mason plays with his Game Boy and attends a Harry Potter midnight book release. He is also woken up by his sister singing “Oops I Did It Again” as a child and he deletes his Facebook page in high school after questioning why we are all so hooked on virtual interactions.

Only time will tell how “Boyhood” holds up against “Forrest Gump.” But things are looking good considering since its July 11 release, it has received overwhelmingly positive reviews with a 100 percent rating on MetaCritic and a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Come award season, it will certainly snag a few nominations. Not only because of its novelty but as a result of the solid performances from the entire cast.

“Boyhood” may not launch any restaurant chains like “Forrest Gump” did, but it has already made history.

And 20 years from now, it will be worth watching again.

Erin G. Kelly is a senior broadcast and digital journalism major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @egknew.

Published on September 8, 2014 at 12:07 am