Earnings
Forrest Gump is a comedy-drama that was released in 1994. It is based on a novel called Forrest Gump that was written by Winston Groom. It was rated very highly by critics and viewers, and it became a top film that has since been an American classic. The movie was watched by so many people, yet, there are a few things about this movie that will definitely surprise you. This article focuses on the things that Forrest Gump producers hid from their fans.
The movie earned over $677 million. However, Tom Hanks did not get paid for acting. He only accepted percentage points which in the end, earned him $40 million.
Tricks
During the Ping-Pong matches, there was no ball used. It was purely computer generated imagery.
The Lead Role
John Travolta, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase all turned down the role of Forrest Gump. They were among the first people to be approached to act in the movie.
However, none of the accepted the accept the offer of which they surely regretted later on.
Sally Field
In the Film, Sally Field's character appears to be very old compared to Tom Hanks. But in reality, she's only ten years older than him.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was given the lead role that was supposed to be given to Chevy Chase. This role gave him an opportunity to transition from being a comedic actor to a dramatic actor.
This was a great turning point for Tom Hanks since he aced the performance.
Blue checked shirt
In every transitioning stage, Forrest was wearing a blue checked shirt. Is this a coincidence or was it planned?
Closed eyes
It is almost unbelievable that Forrest had his eyes closed in all the photos found in the movie.
This is fascinating becuase it's not expected of such lead actors.
Robin Wright
Wright was nominated for both a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe for her role as Jenny in 1994’s beloved Forrest Gump.
A Brotherly Double…
In many of Tom Hanks’ running sequences, his younger brother Jim Hanks is said to have doubled for him.
This is surprising because they don’t necessarily look alike.
Vietnam scenes
During the Vietnam rally that was held in Washington, Tom Hanks’ microphone was not audible. These are the exact words he 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.”
People Call Me Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks ad-libbed the line “My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump,” and it turned out to be a line used in the film.
It stayed in the final cut of the film because the film's director, Robert Zemeckis, loved it so much that he allowed it to be used.
His Daddy’s Named Forest, Too…
Haley Joel Osment, who famously acted in The Sixth Sense, acted as Forrest and Jenny’s son. He acted amazingly and most people who watched the movie liked him.
The most amazing and surprising thing is that this was his first film performance yet he aced it.
Tourists Make Excellent Reporters…
When Tom Hanks visited Washington DC after his visit from Vietnam, there was a scene that had a reporter. The reporter was not an actor.
He was a tourist who was visiting DC together with his wife. He was just given the script and asked to read, which he did perfectly.
Those Aren’t Blue Leggings…
In the scene where Gary Sinise had no legs, a distinctive blue fabric had been covered on his legs, which made it easy to digitally remove them.
The Actual Footage…
The actual footage of Sammy L. Davis being awarded a Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B.
Johnson was used for Forrest’s medal ceremony. Forrest’s head was digitally superimposed on Davis’ body, which made the scene appear more realistic.
Iced Shrimp…
Mykelti Williamson acted as Bubba who was Forrest’s friend, whom he met after joining the army. This role had been offered to Ice Cube and Dave Chappelle, who turned it down.
They, later on, acknowledged that they thought the film was a joke and it was bound to fail, but when it succeeded, they regretted not accepting the role.
Thank You Very Much…
Elvis Presley voice was provided by Kurt Russell. According to some sources, Kurt Russell was never recognized for the voice.
This is very frustrating especially because the movie was a huge success.
Quote The Truth Where You Find it…
The line used by Forrest Gump during the famed run on the silver screen was inspired by a 16-year-old boy who ran to San Francisco from New Jersey as a way of supporting the American Cancer Society. The inspired line was: “I just put one foot in front of the other,” it goes. “When I get tired I sleep.
When I get hungry I eat. When I have to go to the bathroom, I go.”
A Long Day…
Robin Wright was having a very bad cold when she was performing a scene in a nightclub. Despite this, she was able to sing her own song during a shoot that took 24 hours nonstop.
Additionally, she was holding a guitar and nearly naked.
Running With A Cold…
Tom Hanks was suffering from influenza when he shot the football running scene.
Picture Perfect…
Norman Rockwell painting “Girl with a Black Eye” inspired the scene where Gump sits on a bench waiting for his mother to talk to the principal.
The Bench That Got Benched…
The bench Gump sat on for many parts of the movie was at Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia. Since then, it is has been removed and put in a museum to avoid damage from unfavorable weather.
Up to today, the bench is in the historical Savannah History Museum.
Character Differences…
The film differs extensively from the original version of the novel. This is in terms of both character and turn of events.
For example, Gump is naive and reflexive, unlike in the novel. This can be clearly seen in the chocolate scene.
The Doors…
The Doors played some of their music in the film.
Unlike other bands, it had more than six songs which were loved by most viewers.
Family Bus Ride…
Among the kids who greeted Gump with ridicule on the school bus, were Tom Hanks’ daughter Elizabeth and and Zemeckis' son Alexander.
The Book…
After the success story of the Forrest Gump movie, the author of the novel "Forrest Gump", Winston Groom, decided to write another novel that focuses on the result of the movie.
The novel was called Gump & Co.
Jenny’s Real Last Name…
Jenny’s last name is Curran.
Though, it's funny that she was never addressed by her last name the entire movie.
Tom Hank’s Accent Inspiration…
Tom Hank’s accent was inspired by Michael Conner Humphrey’s. When he was given the role of Forest, he was reluctant to use the accent.
However, contrary to what was expected, he did a great job using that accent.
He Signed On After Reading This…
With the excellent acting that Tom Hanks portrays, one would think he took several hours or even days reading the script.
However, it took him only one and a half hours after reading the script to sign into the movie.
Historical Precision Clause…
Tom Hanks only agreed to participate in the film on a condition that the movie was historically precise.
Emotion Plays A Role…
According to some sources, Tom Hanks confessed that there are times that he got really emotional when playing the role of Forrest Gump.
An Oscar-Worthy Performance…
Tom Hanks had won an Oscar award in the year 1994, which was his first Academy Award.
Cast In Savannah…
Many scenes of the movie were filmed in Savannah, Georgia. However, some of the scenes were filmed in South Carolina, Fripp Island and also the hunting island were some of the filming locations.
This enabled the movie to look historical and also easily relatable.
600 Million In Profits…
According to some sources, the movie was able to get $600 million, however by the end of the year the movie was released, it had yet to make a profit.
R.I.P Jenny…
Jenny who was the lover and wife to Forrest was born in the year 1945.
She later died in the year 1982.
Mykelti Williamson’s Dilemma…
Mykelti Williamson claims that he could not get any opportunities to act in other films after acting in the Forrest Gump movie due to typecasting.
Chappelle Disputed Rumors…
Some sources say that Dave Chappelle had auditioned for the role of Bubba. However, this is not known by facts.
Dave Chappelle once attended the Daily Show in the year 1999 where he said that he was not a fan of the movie because according to him, he could not understand how Forrest Gump could out do him in acting.
Corner Chooses Career…
Michael Corner acted as Forrest Gump at his young age. He aced the performance and it would be expected that he would continue with his acting career.
However, he joined the army and dropped the acting career.
Only American Music…
According to the Film's director, all the songs that were played in the movie were from American bands.
He said that Gump would not have accepted anything that was non-American.
About 15 Dr. Peppers…
When Forrest met JFK, he says he was so thirsty rather than hungry. He said he drank 15 Dr.
Peppers.
From Book To Movie…
Warner Bros.
is said to have bought the rights to cast the movie "Forrest Gump" when the original book Forrest Gump was still a script.
The Real Necklace…
L.T Dan is seen wearing a necklace in many parts of the movie. The necklace is said to have been worn in Vietnam by the brother in law of Gary Sinese.
It was, therefore, one with value and not just from a prop shop.
The Gump Home…
The house which was acted in as Forrest Gump’s home is no longer in existence. It was demolished after filming the movie.
Therefore, no one can find where the movie depicts it to be.
The Bus Stops Here…
The scene that shows the bus stop was shot in Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia.
Bus Traffic Flow…
The movie depicts traffic around the square.
In order for the bus door to open, traffic flow had to be reversed.
Bubba Gump Shrimp…
Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant was never in existence before 1996. It was opened after the release of the film.
It has since developed into a chain restaurant found throughout the United States.
Scripts That Went Un-Used…
Initially, Groom was the one writing the script for the movie.
However, his scripts were never used because other writers such as Eric Roth were asked to write the full script.
The Famous Hurricane Scene…
The famous Port Royal S.C Ports Authority was used for the boat hurricane scene.
The original book
The original book was written by Winston Groom in 1986. When the book hit the market, only 30,000 copies of the book managed to sell.
However, after the release of the movie Forrest Gump, 1.6 million books were sold. This is surprising but it clearly shows that the movie got a lot of viewers who enjoyed it and, in return, bought the book.
Statistics
According to statistics completed after the release of the film, there were as many negative critics as there were positive critics.
Some people thought it was a great movie and thus gave positive critiques, while others thought it was an outdated movie meant for the aging generation.
Apple Company
In the movie, Dan is seen investing Gump’s money into a company, which is apparently Apple. The movie does not tell exactly how much money was invested.
However, if Forrest Gump would have left his investments in Apple Company, the stock would have earned him million of dollars.
Sounds of clinking coins
According to Director Robert Zemeckis, the movie was to be released with sounds of clinking coins. However, the movie was released to the theaters without the sounds.
This was without Robert’s approval. But, a new version of the movie was edited such that what the director wished for the movie would come to be.
Edited version of Forrest Gump
After more than twenty years, a new and edited version of Forrest Gump hit the studios.
This was music to the ears of the lovers of Forrest Gump.
President Trump
Basing on some reviews done on the movie, there is a rumor that the movie was initially done as an advertisement for Trump.
However, when he did not run for the post, the movie was reviewed and edited to look like a movie narrating a story.
A lot of special effects
A lot of special effects were used during the movie. This enabled Forrest to be seen meeting various presidents who have already been assassinated.
This makes the movie appear more real and easy to relate to.
A lot of meanings
The feather seen floating from the beginning of the movie has many different meanings. It was white to show the innocence that Forrest Gump had and his enthusiasm to do anything or achieve anything he wants no matter the difficulties.
It also symbolized the quote on chocolate that was mentioned by his mom.