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Plot, Details & Awards

Forrest Gump

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

PG-13 In Theaters 07/6/1994 , 142min.
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Plot & Details

"Stupid is as stupid does," says Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks in an Oscar-winning performance) as he discusses his relative level of intelligence with a stranger while waiting for a bus. Despite his sub-normal IQ, Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringside seat for many of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Entirely without trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a football star, meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honor in Vietnam, meets Lyndon Johnson, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, hangs out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tennis, meets Richard Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Computers, and decides to run back and forth across the country for several years. Meanwhile, as the remarkable parade of his life goes by, Forrest never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy, who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon. Featured alongside Tom Hanks are Sally Field as Forrest's mother; Gary Sinise as his commanding officer in Vietnam; Mykelti Williamson as his ill-fated Army buddy who is familiar with every recipe that involves shrimp; and the special effects artists whose digital magic place Forrest amidst a remarkable array of historical events and people.
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • Genre(s): Comedy
  • Run Time: 142min.
  • Theatrical Release Date: 07/06/1994
  • DVD Release Date: 08/28/2001
  • Status: In Theaters
  • Distributor(s): Paramount
  • Director(s): Robert Zemeckis
  • Starring: Tom Hanks , Robin Wright Penn , Gary Sinise , Mykelti Williamson , Sally Field
  • Themes: Unrequited Love,Mothers and Sons,Rags To Riches,Saintly Fools
  • Tone: Sweeping,Whimsical,Earnest,Bittersweet,Heartwarming,Nostalgic,Sentimental
  • Keywords: family,football,friendship,handicap,love,mental-retardation,ping-pong,running,shrimp,underdog,war
  • Language: English

Awards

Academy Awards

Year Award CategoryCast & Crew Result
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound William B. Kaplan Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Randy Thom Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director Robert Zemeckis Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Cinematography Don Burgess Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Tom Johnson Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup Dan Striepeke Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup Judith A. Cory Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actor Gary Sinise Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup Hallie D'Amore Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actor Tom Hanks Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Score Alan Silvestri Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture Steve Starkey Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture Steve Tisch Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction Rick Carter Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing Arthur Schmidt Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay Eric Roth Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects Allen Hall Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Effects Gloria S. Borders Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture Wendy Finerman Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Effects Editing Randy Thom Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Dennis S. Sands Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects George Murphy Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction Nancy Haigh Nominated
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects Ken Ralston Won
1994 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects Stephen Rosenbaum Won

Golden Globes

Year Award CategoryCast & Crew Result
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Gary Sinise Nominated
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Score Alan Silvestri Nominated
1993 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director Robert Zemeckis Won
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director Robert Zemeckis Won
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Tom Hanks Won
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay Eric Roth Nominated
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Robin Wright Penn Nominated
1994 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama Won