Robert Zemeckis’ films have never felt especially personal. It’s not that he lacks a point of view, or investment in his work. It’s just that once he started augmenting the zippy comedy of his earliest films, like I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Used Cars, with the adventure, action, and effects work of Back to the Future or Who Framed Roger Rabbit, he has most often appeared interested in telling stories through technological challenges and innovations.
Even his more overtly emotional movies don’t play like acts of soul-baring. His 1994 Best Picture-winning Forrest Gump, for example, has heartstring-tugging moments. But it’s still a picaresque comedy that doubles as an extended demo reel on the art of seamlessly integrated visual effects,...