I adore Forrest Gump. I guess to address the complaints now - The feather and Forrest as an allegory is about as preachy as the film gets. But you can describe it as pro-conservative or nihilistic really. Either way. Even playing "running against the wind" during the film to drive it home, I don't think it ever gets too heavy handed. It takes an angle on everything, but gives enough breathing room to enjoy it as is. I don't think it's trying to answer life either. I always took it that Forrest's life started pure shit, but there was no way of telling how his life would go. There's no road map to it all. From there, his life ends up turning comically charmed at a lot of points, but I don't see it any different than a Simpsons episode. A lot of characters end up surprised by Gump's success, but I don't think it tells you "live like this, things turn out well". It's just Forrest Gump. His unfortunate beginnings don't lead to a doomed existence for him. That's what makes his scene with his son so fantastic, its the closest to a resolution to Forrest's life, and it turned out alright. He didn't fuck up. If his character took pure joy in all his other successes, maybe it would be a different film. As is, there's just a lot to enjoy about the movie.
On another point, I disagree Forrest's life was pure charms, or that he didn't feel sorrow. The scene where he runs across America is nearly a battle with depression, and he invests in pretty much nothing to get over it, just running (and time). Were it just a charmed life absent of real sorrow, they easily could have sent some divine help his way, but it instead just plays itself out in a really satisfying sequence. One of the best, really.
Forrest as a character, actually kind of reminds me of The Dude. Maybe things turn out a little better for him, but basically just moving through weird character, unfortunate events, etc. Dude has to struggle a little more to stay apathetic to it all. Forrest, people make a pass for (disability) or he seemingly finds his way through conflict unscathed and inpersonal about it all. There's a weird similarity to them though. Something like the "Time Man of the Year" I can easily see happening to either of them, with the same corresponding reaction.
The movie's also got a great soundtrack though, some good characters, a few truly great dramatic scenes (Forrest meeting his son), and high comedy from Tom Hanks. I don't see how you can't love this movie, if you love Tom Hanks. He was killing it in the mid 90s. It's almost the equivalent of hating Rocky.
