Guest(s):
Sarah Duncan (@thenomadicarchaeologist; Previous Episodes: Zodiac, My Fair Lady, The Artist, Inglourious Basterds, and The Great Dictator)
Joe Boukhari (Instagram and Letterboxd Film Commentator - I'll Get to It When I Get to It and @bagodonuts)
Cast:
Robert Zemeckis, Director
Eric Roth, Writer
Alan Silvestri, Music
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump
Michael Conner Humphreys as young Forrest Gump
Robin Wright as Jenny Curran
Hanna R. Hall as young Jenny Curran
Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor
Mykelti Williamson as Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue
Sally Field as Mrs. Gump
Haley Joel Osment as Forrest Gump Jr.
Peter Dobson as Elvis Presley
Dick Cavett as himself
Sam Anderson as Principal Hancock
Geoffrey Blake as Wesley
Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Dorothy Harris
Sonny Shroyer as Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
Grand L. Bush, Michael Jace, Conor Kennelly, and Teddy Lane Jr. as the Black Panthers
Richard D'Alessandro as Abbie Hoffman
Tiffany Salerno and Marla Sucharetza as "Cunning" Carla and "Long-Limbs" Lenore
*Recognition:
Forrest Gump premiered on June 23, 1994.
Based on the novel of the same name by Winston Groom, the film would go on to gross $329 million making it the #2 film of 1994.
The $329 million gross also made Forrest Gump surpass Raiders of the Lost Ark for total box office, and placed it 4th all-time during its release.
Forrest Gump would receive widespread critical acclaim, and would go to be nominated for 12 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor (Sinise), Original Score (Silvestri), Sound Effects Editing, Sound, Art Direction, Cinematography, and Makeup. It would win Best Picture, Director (Zemeckis), Actor (Hanks), Adapted Screenplay (Roth), Costume Design, Film Editing, and Visual Effects.
In the years since, Forrest Gump has become a lightning rod for reanalysis by online film fans and critics alike; many of which feel it is the inferior film to two other all-time classics previously discussed on this show: The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction.
In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter polled hundreds of Academy members, asking them to re-vote on past controversial decisions. Academy members said that, given a second chance, they would award the 1994 Oscar for Best Picture to The Shawshank Redemption instead.
In spite of this, it has been recognized by the AFI on the following lists:
The film also ranked at number 61 on Empire's list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.
In 2011, Forrest Gump was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry.
Forrest Gump currently holds a 76% on RT, an 82% on Metacritic, and a 4.1/5 on Letterboxd.
Plot Summary: In Robert Zemeckis' "Forrest Gump," we follow the extraordinary journey of a seemingly ordinary man through decades of American history. Tom Hanks delivers a career-defining performance as Forrest, a man with a pure heart and limited IQ, whose life intertwines with pivotal moments from the 1950s to the 1980s.
The film is a nostalgic reflection on the turbulent events that shaped a nation, viewed through Forrest's innocent eyes. From his childhood leg braces to becoming a college football star, Forrest's life unfolds in unexpected ways, guided by his unwavering optimism and an accidental knack for being in the right place at the right time.
At its core, "Forrest Gump" is a tale of resilience and the enduring power of love and friendship. Supported by a stellar cast including Robin Wright and Gary Sinise, Zemeckis weaves together a narrative that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit amidst chaos and uncertainty. With its iconic quotes, memorable soundtrack, and poignant storytelling, "Forrest Gump" stands as a testament to the enduring charm of cinema that captures the essence of American life with humor, heart, and a touch of magic.
Did You Know:
When Forrest gets up to talk at the Vietnam rally in Washington, the microphone plug is pulled and you cannot hear him. According to Tom Hanks, Forrest said, "Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don't go home at all. That's a bad thing. That's all I have to say about that."
Prior to filming, Paramount Pictures had cut the original budget by about $10 million, and were trying to force director Robert Zemeckis to cut out scenes they felt were unnecessary, like the shrimp boat or the Vietnam scenes. Zemeckis fought the studio hard to keep those scenes, and Paramount executive Michelle Manning was even sent to the set to supervise filming, and make sure the movie stayed within budget. Zemeckis eventually gave up part of his and Tom Hanks' salary to keep most of the scenes, and eventually agreed to cut out Forrest's running sequence. However, Zemeckis then simply ignored the studio's wishes, even receiving support from Manning. The running scenes were shot in secrecy without the studio's knowledge, and Tom Hanks' younger brother, Jim Hanks, doubled for him in many of them. According to Jim, "Tom had other doubles but they couldn't do the run", referring to Forrest's geeky stiff stride "that's a stupid Hanks thing." The studio eventually found out, but when they saw the raw footage, they relented. Only the scene at Monument Valley was still missing because the money had run out, and since the studio refused to pay for it, Hanks and Zemeckis did it themselves. When the studio imposed budget cuts, both director Robert Zemeckis and star Tom Hanks waived a large part of their fee in exchange for percentage points, which ultimately netted Hanks in the region of $40 million.
When Forrest first learns to play ping-pong in the infirmary, he is told the trick is to "keep his eye on the ball at all times" by another soldier. After that moment, whenever he is shown playing ping-pong, he never blinks.
Tom Hanks signed onto this film after an hour and a half of reading the script, but agreed to take the role only on the condition that the film was historically accurate. He initially wanted to ease Forrest's pronounced Southern accent, but was eventually persuaded by Robert Zemeckis to portray the heavy accent stressed in the novel, and he patterned his accent after Michael Conner Humphreys (young Forrest), who actually spoke that way. The crew and especially studio head Sherry Lansing initially had serious doubts about Hanks' goofy accent, but Zemeckis stuck to his guns.
During the ambush in Vietnam the enemy is never actually seen. This led many combat veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, to rate this as one of the most accurate combat scenes in movie history. It was very sudden, the enemy isn't seen, and it happens very quickly.
Ask Dana Anything:
Sarah Duncan:
What was your favorite/funniest memory at Beloit College?
Best Performance: Tom Hanks (Forrest)/Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan)
Best Secondary Performance: The Soundtrack/Eric Roth (Writer)/Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan)/Robin Wright (Jenny)
Most Charismatic Award: Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan)/Tom Hanks (Forrest)
Best Scene:
Run, Forrest, Run!
Raining in Vietnam
Gotta Save Bubba...
Anti-War Rally
Bubba Gump Shrimp Strikes it Big
Running Cross Country
Little Forrest
Favorite Scene: Gotta Save Bubba.../Anti-Vietnam Rally/Running Cross Country/Run, Forrest, Run!
Most Indelible Moment: Gotta Save Bubba.../In Jenny's Dorm/Little Forrest
In Memorium:
Tamayo Perry, 49, American actor, surfer (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Evans Evans, 91, American actress (Bonnie and Clyde, The Iceman Cometh, Dead Bang)
Taylor Wily, 56, American actor (Hawaii Five-0, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Magnum P.I.) and sumo wrestler.
Bills Cobbs, 90, American actor (That Thing You Do!, The Ghosts of Mississippi, Hudsucker Proxy, Night at the Museum)
Jamie Kellner, 77, American television executive (Fox, The WB, TNT, TBS, and CNN at Turner)
Jonathan Morano, 56, American television writer (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson)
Russell Morash, 88, American television producer and director (creator of This Old House, producer for The French Chef, The Victory Garden)
Donald Sutherland, 88, Canadian actor (M*A*S*H, Animal House, Backdraft, Klute, Ordinary People). Primetime Emmy Award winner - 1995.
Best Lines/Funniest Lines:
Forrest Gump: My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
Lieutenant Dan Taylor: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?
Forrest Gump: I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.
Forrest Gump: I had run for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours.
[he stops and turns around]
Young Man Running: Quiet, quiet! He's gonna say something!
Forrest Gump: [pause] I'm pretty tired... I think I'll go home now.
Forrest Gump: Sorry I had a fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.
Jenny Curran: Run, Forrest, run!
Forrest Gump: You died on a Saturday morning. And I had you placed here under our tree. And I had that house of your father's bulldozed to the ground. Momma always said dyin' was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn't.
Forrest Gump: Bubba was my best good friend. And even I know that ain't something you can find just around the corner.
Forrest Gump: It happens.
Bumper Sticker guy: What, shit?
Forrest Gump: Sometimes.
Forrest Gump: Stupid is as stupid does.
Forrest Gump: My Mama always said you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on.
Forrest Gump: They said it was a million dollar wound, but the army must keep that money 'cause I still haven't seen a nickel of that million dollars.
Forrest Gump: Lieutenant Dan, what are you doing here?
Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: I'm here to try out my sea legs.
Forrest Gump: But you ain't got no legs, Lieutenant Dan.
Jenny Curran: Do you ever dream, Forrest, about who you're gonna be?
Forrest Gump: Who I'm gonna be?
Jenny Curran: Yeah.
Forrest Gump: Aren't-aren't I going to be me?
Forrest Gump: Forrest: Momma said there's only so much fortune a man really needs and the rest is just for showing off. So, I gave a whole bunch of it to the Foursquare Gospel Church and I gave a whole bunch to the Bayou La Batre Fishing Hospital. And even though Bubba was dead, and Lieutenant Dan said I was nuts, I gave Bubba's momma Bubba's share. And you know what? She didn't have to work in nobody's kitchen no more...
Forrest Gump: I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both.
Forrest Gump: One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night...
Forrest Gump: If I'd a known that was the last time I was gonna talk to Bubba, I would've thought of something better to say.
Forrest Gump: Me and Jenny goes together like peas and carrots.
Forrest Gump: Bubba was going to be a shrimping boat captain, but instead, he died right there by that river in Vietnam.
The Principal: Your Mama sure does care about your education, son.
Forrest Gump: I'm not a smart man... but I know what love is.
Forrest Gump: I don't remember bein' born. I don't recall what I got for my first Christmas and I don't know when I went on my first outdoor picnic. But I do remember the first time I heard the sweetest voice in the wide world.
Drill Sergeant: Gump! What's your sole purpose in this army?
Forrest Gump: To do whatever you tell me, drill sergeant!
Drill Sergeant: God damn it, Gump! You're a god damn genius! This is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard. You must have a goddamn I.Q. of 160. You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump.
Mrs. Gump: What's normal anyways?
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 8.25
Impact/Significance: 9.13
Novelty: 6.75
Classic-ness: 6.75
Rewatchability: 5.5
Audience Score: 9.45 (94% Google, 95% RT)
Total: 45.83
Remaining Questions:
Why didn't Lt. Dan lose a relative in the Korean War?
How did Gump's boat crash behind him if it was the other direction when he leapt off it?
If Jenny hadn't gotten sick, would she have ever told Forrest about Forrest Jr.?
When does this movie take place?
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