Forrest Gump (1994)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers (WGA):

Winston Groom (novel)
Eric Roth (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 July 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

The story of a lifetime.

Plot:

Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny, eludes him.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Vietnam | Destiny | Shrimp | Table Tennis

Awards:

Won 6 Oscars. Another 32 wins & 38 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Forrest Gump
Robin Wright Penn	...	Jenny Curran (as Robin Wright)
Gary Sinise	...	Lt. Dan Taylor
Mykelti Williamson	...	Pvt. Benjamin Buford 'Bubba' Blue
Sally Field	...	Mrs. Gump
Rebecca Williams	...	Nurse at Park Bench
Michael Conner Humphreys	...	Young Forrest Gump
Harold G. Herthum	...	Doctor (as Harold Herthum)
George Kelly	...	Barber
Bob Penny	...	Crony
John Randall	...	Crony
Sam Anderson	...	Principal
Margo Moorer	...	Louise, Mrs. Gump's Housekeeper
Ione M. Telech	...	Elderly Woman
Christine Seabrook	...	Elderly Woman's Daughter

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-12 (re-rating) | Finland:K-14 (original rating) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Germany:12 | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Poland:15 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Greenbow, Alabama (Forrest's town) is fictional. However, there is a Bayou LaBatre (Bubba's town) in Alabama.

Goofs:

Continuity: The ramp outside the stage door at the Dick Cavett show as seen over Forrest's shoulder is clear of snow, yet moments later it covered with snow as Lt. Dan slides down it.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Charmed: Run, Piper, Run (#8.3)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Respect

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.