Actors - Forrest Gump

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	Actors - Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is the name of the lead character of the 1985 novel Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, and of the 1994 Paramount Pictures film based on the novel. The film was a huge commercial success earning $677 million worldwide during its theatrical run (the top grossing film in North America released that year), although Paramount, in line with Hollywood accounting, claimed it was a commercial failure, and did not pay Groom his share of the profits. As such, Groom has refused to allow the novel's sequel, Gump and Co., to be filmed, stating that he could not in good conscience sell the rights to film the sequel to a failure. The film garnered a total of 13 Academy Award nominations, of which it won 6, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

The film tells the story of a simple man's epic journey through life, meeting historical figures and experiencing first-hand historic events largely unaware of their significance, due to his low IQ of 75. The film differs substantially from the book on which it was based.

Plot

Young Forrest Gump was born in fictional Greenbow, Alabama with a crooked spine, forcing him to walk with the aid of leg braces from a young age. Since his low I.Q. caused him to be unfit for school his mother did anything to get him in school, she Had sex with the Principal. His odd walk proves paramount to the inception of young musician Elvis Presley's dance routine. When he finnally went to school he was befriended by a girl named Jenny,who was being raped by her father. Overcoming his physical handicap one day when he is attacked by other children with rocks, his friend Jenny tells him to "Run, Forrest, run.", he runs off, with his braces breaking off and he discovers that he can 'run like the wind blows'. When he is older a similar incident occurs when he is running away from people throwing things at him in a car. He runs away from them, through a football field where scouting is taking place, and he is spotted by the coach and signed up for the football team. This running ability brings him great success with the football team of the University of Alabama (playing for the legendary Paul Bryant). About this time he is spotted on television behind Governor George Wallace on June 11, 1963 when the governor stands in front of a schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama in an attempt to stop desegregation of that institution by the enrollment of two black students. Forrest goes to college while playing football. and after five years, receives a college degree, (the audience is not told the major, but it includes a class on home economics).Also he stops jenny from probably losing her virginity for the first time since her father. On his graduation day, he is approached by an Army recruiter and asked to sign up for the army. Before getting shipped out, he finds out that jenny has become a stripper and gets in the way again and getting her fired. He appoligizes and tells her he is going to Vietnam. She then tells him to run if he is ever in trouble. While serving with the US Army in the Vietnam War, he carries wounded members of his platoon to safety during an ambush by the Viet Cong, earning him the Medal of Honor. During this rescue, his commander, Lieutenant Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise) loses his legs, and his army buddy Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue (Mykelti Williamson) is fatally wounded and dies in Forrest's arms. While Forrest recovers from a wound sustained during the rescue(shot in the ass), he becomes such an expert in playing Ping-Pong, that he goes to play in People's Republic of China during the Ping Pong Diplomacy period. He becomes a national hero and is offered $25,000 to endorse a certain brand of Ping-Pong paddles.

Forrest appears on a television show with John Lennon. As Forrest recalls his experiences in Vietnam, he gives Lennon the idea for his song Imagine. Lennon remarks "No Possessions?!" and then "And No Religion Too?!?" which become central points and lyrics within his hit song Imagine.

Upon visiting President Nixon after his visit to China, Nixon pays for his stay in Washington at the Watergate complex. Gump sees men with flashlights in the Democratic campaign offices and reports them, because he can't get to sleep from the lights. He doesn't realize the significance of his actions and is discharged from the Army.

He returns home, takes the $25,000 for the Ping-Pong paddle endorsement, and after buying some things for his mother and himself, uses the balance of $24,562.47 to buy his own shrimping boat - the Jenny after his girl friend - and starts a shrimp business, drawing on advice given to him by Bubba. Lieutenant Dan joins him in his business venture, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Corporation, which was named after his fallen comrade. Despite Forrest's praying, the business is unsuccessful - they can't catch any shrimp! Their fortunes improve when they take the Jenny out during Hurricane Carmen. Returning to port after the hurricane, they find that all the other fishing boats in the area have been destroyed by the storm, giving them an instant monopoly in the shrimp market and thus making Forrest a very wealthy man. In addition, his financial advisor (Lieutenant Dan) has him purchase shares of Apple Computer before the company's rise to fame, making Forrest even wealthier once the company takes off. Forrest imparts a portion of his fortune to the mother of his late friend Bubba, feeling it only just, that his friend receive his share of the profits, even if he is not there to enjoy the 'fruits of his labor'. After his mother's death, he remains in his childhood home. Jenny meets up again with Forrest and lives with him for a while, then leaves after Forrest asks her to marry him. plain and simple she has sex with him and leaves. After her departure, Forrest trying to escape the pain of her leaving begins to run across the country continuously for "three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours," inspiring many people, and becoming a national celebrity again.

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Actors - Forrest Gump

Plot

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