Forrest Gump star Robin Wright defends role following backlash over her ‘anti-feminist’ character

After watching Forrest Gump with a set of fresh eyes, a batch of first-time viewers have recently taken aim at the Oscar-winning blockbuster online, branding it 'anti-feminist'.

Now, actress Robin Wright - who plays Tom Hanks' co-lead Jenny in the 1994 hit - has had her say on the criticism, ruthlessly defending the film with a passionate statement.

For readers who've never watched Forrest Gump - which is, quite frankly, jail-worthy behaviour - the hard hitting drama tells the tale of a mentally-challenged Alabama man growing up in 20th century America.

Academy Award winner Hanks, now 68, plays the much-loved titular character - who ceaselessly finds himself in the most bizarre of life circumstances, including as an American football champion, a Vietnam War hero, a captain of a shrimp boat, a worldwide table tennis victor, a cross-country runner and a doting father-of-one.

Throughout his unpredictable life, Forrest is joined by his best friend Jenny - played by Wright - a troubled woman who he'd met when they were both children and who he'd fallen immediately in love with.

Whilst Forrest ceaselessly delights those around him with his charming yet clueless attitude to life, Jenny embarks on a different path.

And whilst the multi-award winning movie is both beautifully-heartbreaking and lovingly comedic, many viewers can't help but feel for the fate that befalls Jenny, whom Forrest had adored from the very beginning.

Robin Wright plays female lead Jenny in Forrest Gump (Paramount)

As we say, however, Jenny's character has recently been slammed by several new viewers, many of whom have much to say about her tragic arc - an example being reporter Louis Chilton from The Independent.

Not only did he include Forrest Gump in the list of 'most problematic films ever made', but he accused producers are including 'puritanical slut-shaming towards Robin Wright’s Jenny'.

Thankfully for fans of the flick, however, Wright has recently fled to the movie's defence, telling the New York Times that it is far from the 'anti-feminist' reputation it had recently harboured.

Asked whether Jenny was 'punished for her choices', the actress bit back: "No! It’s not about that.

"People have said she’s a Voldemort to Forrest. I wouldn’t choose that as a reference, but she was kind of selfish."

After being removed from the care of her sexually-abusive father as a little girl, the story sees Jenny falling into the wrong crowd at college, and joining the drug-heavy, free-love movement of the 1960s and 70s.

Robin has addressed the film's criticism (Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

She is beaten by several of her love interests and winds up at rock bottom, dabbling in heroin and prostitution as a means of getting by.

Following a one-night stand with Forrest, she welcomes a child, but doesn't reveal this to him until her son is around four-years-old.

It's at this point that she also reveals that she has been diagnosed with a disease and doesn't have long to live, after which Forrest takes the two of them home, cares for her until she dies, and raises their son, little Forrest, all by himself.

Wright recently went on to confess, however: "I don’t think it’s a punishment that she gets AIDS. She was so promiscuous — that was the selfishness that she did to Forrest.

“He was in love with her from Day 1. And she was just flighty and running and doing coke and hooking up with a Black Panther."

Wright continued: "And then she gets sick and says, ‘This is your child. But I’m dying'. And he still takes her: ‘I’ll take care of you at Mama’s house’. I mean, it’s the sweetest love story.”