Forrest Gump (1994)

The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the events of Vietnam, Watergate, and other history unfold through the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Winston Groom (novel), Eric Roth (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise

Top Rated Movies #12 | Won 6 Oscars. Another 40 wins & 68 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Forrest Gump
Rebecca Williams	...	Nurse at Park Bench
Sally Field	...	Mrs. Gump
Michael Conner Humphreys	...	Young Forrest
Harold G. Herthum	...	Doctor (as Harold Herthum)
George Kelly	...	Barber
Bob Penny	...	Crony
John Randall	...	Crony
Sam Anderson	...	Principal
Margo Moorer	...	Louise
Ione M. Telech	...	Elderly Woman
Christine Seabrook	...	Elderly Woman's Daughter
John Worsham	...	Southern Gentleman / Landowner
Peter Dobson	...	Young Elvis Presley
Siobhan Fallon Hogan	...	School Bus Driver (as Siobhan J. Fallon)

Storyline

Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low I.Q. but good intentions. He is running through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His 'mama' teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny. Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, starts a ping-pong craze, creates the smiley, writes bumper stickers and songs, donates to people and meets the president several times. However, this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny Curran, who has messed up her life. Although in the end all he wants to prove is that anyone can love anyone.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam war | amputee | war hero | vietnam | mother | 

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Taglines:

The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content, some sensuality and war violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 July 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Forrest Gump: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,450,602, 10 July 1994, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$330,252,182

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$677,945,399

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (The Digital Experience) Dolby SR SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The vintage microphones, into which Forrest speaks while in Washington, D.C., and the sound rig, of which the uniformed man pulls cables out, were all provided by Brandywine Electronics, LTD (now known as BEL.com), and are still on display in its offices in New Castle, Delaware.

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Goofs

In the end credits section where the producers wish to thank companies that provided assistance, Dr Pepper is incorrectly listed as Dr. Pepper (with the period). It hasn't had a period in its name since the 1950s.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Forrest Gump: Hello. My name's Forrest, Forrest Gump. You want a chocolate?

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Alternate Versions

On the Nine Network, the channel alters scenes to avoid an M rating.

• Jenny contemplating over suicide while standing on the top of a roof is shortened
• The Vietnam battle scene is shortened due to violence
• Jenny snorting drugs in a club is cut, instead showing Jenny talking to people at a table

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Connections

Spoofed in Saturday Night Live: Octavia Spencer/Father John Misty (2017)

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Soundtracks

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
(1959)
adaption and music by Pete Seeger
Performed by The Byrds
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

The zen of Forrest Gump.

This is a powerful yet charming movie; fun for its special effects and profound in how it keeps you thinking long after it's over. Like others, I've seen this movie more than once. One comment I've never heard is that Forrest's simplicity is almost zen-like. I should read the novel to get the author's intention (I remember some people preferring the book and complaining that no one at the Academy Awards gave him any credit.) But rather than an implication that you should do what you're supposed to do and believe in God and you'll win in the end, I see it as zen-like, i.e., living in the moment and not having expectations or particular cravings (other than his loving Jenny.) So he ends up just stumbling into all the major historical events of the time. Granted, he achieves this only because he doesn't have the brains to think otherwise and actually have expectations, but so many of our problems are because we do have higher intellect and desires, which ironically makes us unhappy because we know what we are missing. We love our cats and dogs for the same simplicity and always being in the moment. There's a line in the movie wondering if everything is predestined or happens randomly or it's a combination of both. It is something to mull over for a long time.