Forrest Gump (1994)
- To accurately portray their role in Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks spent weeks conducting hands-on research and rehearsing directly with director Robert Zemeckis.
- Despite initial studio skepticism, Forrest Gump went on to gross over $678,000,000 worldwide.
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth, based on the 1986 novel by Winston Groom. The film stars Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, a kind-hearted man from Alabama with a low IQ who unwittingly becomes a participant in many of the defining events of the second half of the 20th century, including meeting Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, serving in Vietnam, inspiring the smiley face logo, and the Watergate scandal. The supporting cast includes Robin Wright as his childhood sweetheart Jenny, Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, and Mykelti Williamson as his Army buddy Bubba.
The film was a massive commercial success, grossing over $678 million worldwide against a $55 million budget. It won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Hanks, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The visual effects team pioneered techniques to insert Hanks into archival footage of historical events.
The film's iconic scenes, including Forrest's cross-country run and the floating feather, have become deeply embedded in popular culture.
