Whether it is the television, movies we watch, books we read, or the music we listen to Existentialism is everywhere we look. The movie "Forrest Gump,"which was given six Academy Awards including best picture, is a prime example of Existentialism in todays culture. This movie is about a "stupid" man's life, the decisions people tell him to make and the outcome of those decisions. There are three tennantes of Existentialism that are displayed in this movie first existence before essence, second alienation, and third the encounter with nothingness.

The first tenente is existence before essence. This means every one's own experience determines theie outlook on life. Forrest Gump says it best, "life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you're going to get." Forrest had many different experiences that defined him as a person. For example, he met three diferent Presidents at the White...