Taglines: Life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get.
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.
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump, a slow-witted but kind-hearted, good-natured and athletically prodigious man from Alabama who witnesses, and in some cases influences, some of the defining events of the latter half of the 20th century in the United States; more specifically, the period between Forrest’s birth in 1944 and 1982. The film differs substantially from Winston Groom’s novel, including Gump’s personality and several events that were depicted.
Principal photography took place in late 1993, mainly in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Extensive visual effects were used to incorporate the protagonist into archived footage and to develop other scenes. A comprehensive soundtrack was featured in the film, using music intended to pinpoint specific time periods portrayed on screen. Its commercial release made it a top-selling soundtrack, selling over twelve million copies worldwide.
Released in the United States on July 6, 1994, Forrest Gump became a commercial success as the top-grossing film in North America released in that year, being the first major success for Paramount Pictures since the studio’s merger with Viacom, earning over US$677 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
In 1995 it won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis, Best Actor for Tom Hanks, Best Adapted Screenplay for Eric Roth, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing. It also garnered multiple other awards and nominations, including Golden Globes, People’s Choice Awards, and Young Artist Awards, among others. Since the film’s release varying interpretations have been made of the film’s protagonist and its political symbolism.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Rebecca Williams, Margo Moorer, Bob Penny, Peter Dobson, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Christine Seabrook
Screenplay by: Eric Roth
Production Design by: Rick Carter
Cinematography by: Don Burgess
Film Editing by: Arthur Schmidt
Costume Design by: Joanna Johnston
Set Decoration by: Nancy Haigh
Art Direction by: Leslie McDonald, William James Teegarden
Music by: Alan Silvestri
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for drug content, some sensuality and war violence.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: July 6, 1994
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