16. Platinum Sound Track.
The soundtrack for the film was so popular that it ended up selling over twelve million copies worldwide.
15. Pulling out of the nosedive.
The film was actually the first major success for Paramount Pictures since it was acquired by Viacom.
14. A few awards, not too shabby.
In 1995, the movie won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Tom Hanks, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing.
13. More recognition.
In 2011, the Library of Congress selected Forrest Gump for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
12. Forrest Gump the Astronaut.
The novel that Forrest Gump was based on (by Winston Groom) had many key differences from the movie. For example, the novel features Gump as an astronaut, a professional wrestler, and a chess player.
11. Sweet Home Alabama!
Although most of the film is set in Alabama, filming took place mainly in and around Beaufort, South Carolina, as well as parts of coastal Virginia and North Carolina.
10. Lots of extras, lots of takes.
The scene where Forrest spots Jenny at a peace rally at the Lincoln Memorial required the use of visual effects to create a crowd that large. Over two days of filming, approximately 1,500 extras were used. After each take, the extras were rearranged and moved into a different quadrant away from the camera. With the help of computers, the extras were multiplied to create a crowd of several hundred thousand people.
9. Expensive bench.
The bench that Forrest sat sold at auction in 2013 for $25,000. It is currently in a museum.
8. Whoops again...
Both Terry Gilliam and Barry Sonnenfeld turned down the opportunity to direct before the film went to Robert Zemeckis.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
7. A little inspiration.
Painter Norman Rockwell's artwork inspired the look of Forrests’ hometown. Rockwell was an American painter who portrayed American culture, most notably in his cover illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post, which he did for nearly 50 years
Norman Rockwell painting.
6. "Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real." - Tupac
Tupac Shakur auditioned for the role of Bubba.
5. Money in the bank.
Despite earning over $350 million at the box office, Paramount claimed that they were still $62 million out of profit due to the costs of promotion and distribution.
Forrest Gump, Sally Field and Michael Conner Humphreys, 1994
We think the $62 million loss was well worth it, not just because it's a great movie, but because it inspired so many great online videos, like this bulldog puppy imitating Forrest Gump.
4. A little career jump starter.
Haley Joel Osment's first role ever was in Forrest Gump. He played Forrest Junior.
3. "Imagine all the people."
Almost all of John Lennon's lines in the film are lyrics from his song "Imagine." In the film, Lennon says, "No possessions," "No religion too," and "It's easy if you try."
2. Three, two, one, lift off!
Gary Sinise's character tells Tom Hanks's character that the day Forrest works on a shrimp boat will be the day he's an astronaut. This is a reference to the book, where Forrest actually becomes an astronaut, and the following year, Sinise and Hanks appeared together as astronauts in Apollo 13 (1995).
1. Historical accuracy.
Tom Hanks signed onto the film after an hour and a half of reading the script but agreed only to take the role if the film was historically accurate. He initially wanted to ease Forrest's pronounced Southern accent, but was eventually persuaded by director Robert Zemeckis to portray the heavy accent stressed in the novel.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Share by clicking below!
