The 1994 film, “Forrest Gump” took a character that was virtually an outsider and made us all fall head over heels in love with him. But when Tom Hanks took on the role in the Robert Zemeckis film, he had no idea it would end up being such a box-office hit.
Even if you’ve seen it a million times, there are some facts about the film you probably know nothing about, like what actually ended up being the cause of Jenny's death.
Historic Moments Were Heavily Featured
“Forrest Gump” features lots of historic moments throughout the film. But while the writers did a great job weaving these stories into Forrest’s personal life, there was one particular moment that simply doesn’t add up.
There Was a Timeline Mistake
During the running scene, it was said that Forrest was running for three years and two months. But the day he started running was on October 1, 1979, which was the day that President Carter collapsed from heat exhaustion. Later in the movie, a letter from Jenny created a major discrepancy.
Jenny’s Letter Revealed a Plot Hole
Forrest got a letter from the love of his life, Jenny, a year and a half after he stopped running. We know this because there’s a scene where you hear the news of President Reagan’s assassination attempt on March 30, 1981. So clearly, Forrest couldn’t have been running for three years and two months, after all.
The Kids on the Bus Weren’t Random Extras
When young Forrest got on the school bus, most of the kids were mean as snakes. But the boy who refused to let Forrest sit with him was movie director Robert Zemeckis’ son. And the girl who refused to let Forrest sit with her was Tom Hanks’ daughter.
The Vietnam Scenes Weren’t Shot in ‘Nam
The scenes where Forrest was fighting in Vietnam were actually filmed off the coast of South Carolina on Fripp Island. To make it look more realistic, the crew used CGI to make it seem like Hanks and the other actors were stuck in a jungle in Vietnam.
There Was a Martin Luther King Scene
In the film, police released a bunch of German Shepherds on Martin Luther King and his supporters. And Forrest, who was standing nearby, distracted one of the dogs with a game of fetch. But there’s a reason why you don’t remember seeing this scene.
The Scene Got Cut
The Martin Luther King scene wound up on the cutting room floor because producers felt that it didn’t do justice to the issues of racial inequality. However, if you buy the collector’s edition DVD, you can see the deleted scene.
Tom Hanks' Accent Required Work
It took Hanks a lot of time to perfect his very believable Southern accent. Fortunately, he had help from actor Michael Conner Humphreys, who played young Forrest. His accent was natural, so Hanks spent a lot of time with Humphreys who taught him how to talk like him.
Lieutenant Dan’s Legs Were an Issue
In the film, Lieutenant Dan lost his legs during a battle in Vietnam, but Forrest saved him. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Dan was mad at him because he felt that he was destined to die fighting just like his relatives before him. But his lack of legs presented a problem for the actor behind the character.
Gary Sinise’s Legs Were Digitally Amputated
Unlike Lieutenant Dan, the actor who played him, Gary Sinise, still had his two legs. So, the film crew covered his legs up with blue fabric and then added the effects later, which worked out perfectly because audiences couldn’t really tell that the actor actually had legs.
Robin Wright Had a Difficult Scene
Robin Wright played Forrest’s love interest, Jenny. And during the infamous night club scene, Jenny is seen playing the guitar without any clothes on in front of a bunch of men. But that wasn’t the reason why Wright struggled with this scene.
She Was Sick as a Dog
The room was extremely chilly, so it didn’t help that she had practically nothing on. But the real reason she suffered during the night club scene was because it took an entire day to film the scene and the actress was sick. But despite having a runny nose, she managed to avoid sniffling while the cameras were rolling.
The Film Opened Opportunities for Robin
Critics and audiences loved Wright’s portrayal of her troubled counterpart, Jenny, who was mistreated as a child and later suffered from substance abuse issues. Wright’s performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress and also opened doors to other opportunities in Hollywood.
Hanks Had to Work With the Flu
Wright wasn’t the only actress who had to suck it up and deal with a bad case of the sniffles. During the football running scene, Hanks was seriously sick with the flu, but this didn’t stop him from pulling off a flawless performance.
Something Was Missing in the Ping Pong Scene
In the scenes where Forrest practices and later plays ping pong for the U.S. team, the special effects team added the ball later on. So essentially, Hanks was pretending to hit a ball that was never there to give off the illusion that he was a professional player.
Bubba’s Lower Lip Was Fake
Mykelti Williamson played Bubba, Forrest’s best friend in the army. The character’s lower lip was iconic so people assumed Williamson’s lip actually looked like that. But it was actually a prosthetic and it took the makeup department a couple of tries to get it to look convincing. But the actor’s performance was also spot on, which later became a problem for his career.
Williamson Couldn’t Break Free of Bubba
Williamson had played the role of a socially awkward person from the countryside so perfectly, that the actor admitted on “The Late Show With David Letterman” that casting directors had a tough time seeing him as anyone other than Bubba. But the role could have easily gone to other actors.
Other Actors Turned Down the Role of Bubba
American rapper Ice Cube was offered the role of Bubba but he didn’t feel comfortable playing a disabled character. Stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle was also offered the role, but he didn’t think the movie would be a hit and didn’t want to waste his time. Hindsight is 20/20, huh?
This Iconic Line in the Film Wasn’t Scripted
The film’s most memorable line was “My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump.” But this wasn’t in the original script. Hanks improvised the line and the director loved it so much that he kept it. He also re-shot a few scenes with young Forrest so that it would include this line.
Other Actors Could Have Played Forrest
Casting directors had considered actors like John Travolta, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray for the role of Forrest Gump. But they all turned it down, so the role went to Hanks, and these actors are probably kicking themselves for their hasty decision.
Kurt Russell Was in the Film
Kurt Russell was not seen on camera and didn’t even appear in the credits, but he did lend his voice when Elvis sang. Producers chose him to sing as Elvis because he had played him in the 1979 made-for-TV film “Elvis.”
Haley Joel Osment Didn’t Know What Was Happening
Haley Joel Osment was four years old, so he was too young to understand what was happening during filming. He knew he was playing Forrest Gump’s son, but he thought he was the star of the film. While he only played a secondary role, the movie helped him land the lead in the film, “The Sixth Sense.”
The Medal of Honor Scene Was Recycled
The scene where Lyndon B. Johnson gives Forrest the Medal of Honor for saving his platoon in Vietnam was actual footage from a 1986 ceremony where military soldier Sammy L. Davis got the medal. So, all the special effects team had to do was swap Davis’ face for Hanks.
Forrest’s Mother Wasn’t as Old as She Looked
Actress Sally Field did a great job playing the role of Forrest’s nurturing mother who was always around to give him great advice. But Field is only ten years older than Hanks so the crew had to use makeup to make it seem like she was older than she looked. The rest was up to Field’s superb acting skills.
What Did Jenny Die Of?
Spoiler alert! Jenny died of an undisclosed illness towards the end of the film, and audiences believed that it was from AIDS-related complications. But Zemeckis later revealed that Jenny had contracted Hepatitis C when she was using controlled substances, which ultimately led to the tear-jerking death scene.