Forrest Gump Forrest Gump Forrest Gump is a 1994 American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth, and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump (Hanks), a slow-witted but kind-hearted man from Alabama who witnesses several defining historical events in the 20th century in the United States. The film differs substantially from the novel. Principal photography took place in late 1993, mainly in Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Forrest Gump (novel) of the book, Forrest honors Bubba's memory by starting a shrimp business. The novel was adapted into a feature-length film by Paramount Pictures in 1994. Before being made into an Academy Award winning movie, the novel sold an estimated 30,000 copies. The movie does not mention Forrest's being an idiot savant, and sanitizes his sex life and the character's profanity. According to the author, the movie "took some of the rough edges off" Forrest, whom he envisioned being played by John Goodman. The movie takes great advantage of special effects to have the characters interact with real people from history.