Forrest Gump (1994)
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The life of an Alabama man with a low IQ becomes intertwined with some of the most significant events of the 20th-century United States.
The story
In 1981, a feather lands at a bus stop in Savannah, Georgia, where Forrest Gump begins recounting his life story to strangers on a bench. The narrative takes the audience back to the 1950s in the fictional city of Greenbow, Alabama, where Forrest is a young man with a physical disability and low intelligence. Despite the challenges of his circumstances, Forrest navigates a series of significant life events, including his time in school, his experience as a college football player, and his subsequent service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. The film explores his journey through various historical milestones and personal milestones.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Forrest Gump, a man with a low IQ who experiences a series of significant events in 20th-century America. After being bullied for his disability, his leg braces break, revealing him to be a fast runner. He earns a football scholarship, meets President John F. Kennedy, and serves in the Vietnam War, where he is awarded the Medal of Honor after his friend Bubba is killed. He later becomes a ping-pong star and a successful shrimp businessman alongside Lieutenant Dan, who survives the war with amputated legs. Throughout his life, he maintains a connection with his childhood friend, Jenny Curran, who leads a tumultuous life. In 1981, Forrest meets Jenny and her son at a bus stop. They move to Alabama, and Forrest and Jenny marry before she dies from an incurable virus. The film ends with Forrest and his son at a bus stop as a feather floats away.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 142
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Zemeckis
- Writers
- Eric Roth · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tom Hanks · Forrest Gump; Robin Wright · Jenny Curran; Gary Sinise · Lieutenant Dan Taylor; Mykelti Williamson · Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue; Sally Field · Mrs. Gump; Haley Joel Osment · Forrest Gump Jr.; Peter Dobson · Elvis Presley
- Genres
- comedy-drama
- Themes
- American identity; fate; resilience
- Tone and mood
- comedy; drama
- Premise and plot tags
- historical fiction; coming-of-age; war; sports
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, performances, story, writing, emotional weight, visual effects, music, character development and screenplay. It was a major success at the box office, becoming the top-grossing film in the United States released that year.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 21
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Win; Academy Award · Best Actor · Win; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · Win; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · Win; Golden Globe · Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama · Win; Golden Globe · Best Director – Motion Picture · Win; Golden Globe · Best Motion Picture – Drama · Win; Saturn Award · Best Fantasy Film · Win; Saturn Award · Best Supporting Actor (Film) · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2011.; The soundtrack sold over 12 million copies.; Tom Hanks' brother, Jim Hanks, served as his acting double for running scenes.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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