Released in 1994, the American comedy-drama film Forrest Gump was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. John Travolta, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase probably regret passing on the opportunity of playing the titular Forrest, but truth be told, we can’t imagine anyone else starring in the lead role other than Tom Hanks. Spanning over several decades, the plot focuses on the slow-witted but kind-hearted Alabama man Forrest Gump, who unwittingly influences major American historical events.
Forrest Gump differs from the original novel written by Winston Groom, but still became a major commercial success, earning over $678.2 million worldwide and becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1994. The movie took the world by storm and has managed to become an important part of American culture. The question that many asks: is the story based on real-life events? Did Forrest Gump really exist? Here’s what we know.
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Forrest Gump Effect On Pop Culture
Paramount Pictures
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that many have heard of the goody two shoes Forrest Gump at least once in their lifetime, or has heard a reference from the movie in other forms of pop culture. Forrest Gump has become such prominent fixture in the film industry that it’s nearly impossible to have gone without encountering some aspects of it. And, if the story somehow didn’t manage to touch your hearts, it’s more than likely you’ve become accustomed to some of the life mottos shared in the movie, from “Life is like a box of chocolates” to “Stupid is as stupid does.”
There have also been numerous interpretations made of the movie, with the recent one being the Indian remake Laal Singh Chaddha. Due to its political symbolism and cultural significance, Forrest Gump has also been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The movie earned six Academy Awards, with Best Picture, Best Actor (for Hanks), and Best Director (for Zemeckis) included. Despite even Hanks not thinking that the park bench scenes would be of importance, they get quoted time and time again. Maybe it’s due to the political significance or the human nature of the storytelling, but many swear that watching the movie will change your life or at least completely shift your morals.
Real-Life Events in Forrest Gump
The Tisch Company
As you already know, the central objective of the movie is Forrest somehow entangling himself and making an impact on major American historical events. Maybe you’re already aware of all the references, but let us take a look at just how many are there. Even Forrest himself was named after the founder of the racist KKK organization Nathan Bedford Forrest to constantly remind him that people do unbelievable things. Even at a young age, Forrest was already making an impact on pop culture: when Elvis Presley stayed at their home in Alabama, little Forrest danced to “Hound Dog” with his metal leg braces, which Presley later used as inspiration for his signature dance move. Additionally, Forrest got accepted to the Alabama University due to his running skills and accidentally got involved when the University first started accepting Black students; during the protest against it, he helps pick up a book for a young Black woman. After finishing university, he gets drafted in the infamous Vietnam War. As part of the National Football Team, Forrest meets President John. F. Kennedy, and he also participates in Ping-Pong diplomacy between China and the U.S. Joining John Lennon on a talk show, Forrest inspires the hit “Imagine”. He causes the Watergate Scandal, attends a Black Panther meeting, survives Hurricane Carmen, invests in Apple, and becomes even richer. The list is endless, and the fun in it is that everything happens by accident.
Sammy Lee Lewis: Veteran of the Vietnam War
Although Forrest Gump wasn’t a real person, there’s a high possibility that he was partly inspired by veteran Sammy Lee Lewis, whose Vietnam War story is very similar to that of Gump’s. Joining the Army fresh out of high school, Lewis was asked to fight in Vietnam. While the Vietcog launched a heavy ground assault, Lewis provided covering fire for his crew. Despite not knowing how to swim, he navigated his crew to the other side of the river. On the way, he managed to rescue three wounded soldiers, gave them all morphine, and took them back to base. Lewis himself was shot 30 times all over his body, as well as his buttocks — similarly to Forrest Gump in the movie. Per Slash Film, the editors even used the footage where Lewis is awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the movie, but edited Hanks in his place and added the scene where he shows the President his buttocks wound.
Author Winston Groom and His Friends As Inspiration
Anders Krusberg / AP
Adapted from Winston Groom’s novel of the same name, the author was bound to have some real-life inspirations for the events and characters. Groom dedicated the novel to his childhood friends Jimbo Meador and George Radcliff, whose speech patterns are very similar to Gump’s. Even the Bubba Gump Seafood Company was inspired by a conversation the author had with Meador. Meador appeared to know everything about shrimp, just as Bubba did, as he worked in a seafood processing job. As for Radcliff, it appears that his adventurous nature throughout history inspired Gump’s involvement in historical events. For example, Radcliff once won against Paul McCartney in arm-wrestling without knowing who he was.
