• Tom Hanks gave an Oscar-winning performance as Forrest Gump in the film of the same name. The film was based on the 1986 book Forrest Gump by Winston Groom. Forrest is a remarkable man with a sub-normal IQ, who finds himself at the center of iconic historical events through three decades of American history.

• Fast Facts

  1. Release date: July 6, 1994
  2. Running time: 141 min
  3. Budget: $55 million
  4. MPAA Rating: PG13
  5. Starring: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright
  6. Director: Robert Zemeckis
  7. Screenplay: Eric Roth

• Forrest Gump Plot

  The audience first meets Forrest and his mother, played by Sally Field, in the 1950s. Forrest's only friend is a girl named Jenny. We learn he has a very low IQ, and his only ability seems to be able to run very fast. As he grows up, attends college, plays football, goes to Vietnam, he meets a variety of people who learn from him and become his friends. By the end of the film we see that his limited IQ has not limited his ability to live a full and rich live, and even experience love and fatherhood.

• "Life is like..."

  The most timeless quote from the film is one Forrest says while sitting on a bench waiting for a bus, to a stranger: "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." The saying makes a good summary of the film, as well as demonstrates the folksy wisdom that the film imparts.

• Awards and Nominations

  • 13 Academy Award nominations, 6 wins
  • 8 BAFTA nominations, 1 win
  • 7 Golden Globe nominations, 3 wins
  • 3 SAG Award nominations, 1 win

  
  

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Tom Hanks | Robin Wright | Gary Sinise | Sally Field | Winston Groom | Bubba Gump Shrimp | Michael Jace | Eric Roth

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page