Editing Forrest Gump (section)

== Reception ==

=== Box office ===
Produced on a budget of $55&nbsp;million, ''Forrest Gump'' opened in 1,332&nbsp;theaters in the United States and Canada on Wednesday, July 6, 1994, and grossed more than $8 million in its first two days before expanding on Friday to 1,595&nbsp;theaters and grossing $24,450,602 in its opening weekend, Paramount's biggest opening non-holiday weekend gross, surpassing the record set by ''[[The Addams Family (1991 film)|The Addams Family]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=July 15, 1994|title=Forrest's gumption puts him ahead|page=25}}</ref> Motion picture business consultant and screenwriter Jeffrey Hilton suggested to producer [[Wendy Finerman]] to double the P&A (film marketing budget) based on his viewing of an early print of the film. The budget was immediately increased, in line with his advice. In its opening weekend, the film placed [[List of 1994 box office number-one films in the United States|first at the US box office]], narrowly beating ''[[The Lion King]]'', which was in its fourth week of release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-08-ca-13380-story.html|title='Forrest Gump' Off to Fast Start at Box Office|website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 8, 1994 }}</ref> For the first twelve weeks of release, the film was in the top 3 at the US box office, topping the list 5 times, including in its tenth week of release, when it surpassed ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' as Paramount's highest grossing film in the United States and Canada.<ref name="WeekendBOX">{{cite web |title=Forrest Gump Weekend Box Office |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=forrestgump.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903010146/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=forrestgump.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2009 |access-date=July 1, 2009 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=September 13, 1994|page=5|last=Greene|first=Jay|title=Daze of summer: B.O. does fade fast}}</ref> Paramount removed the film from release in the United States when its gross hit $300&nbsp;million in January 1995, and it was the second-highest-grossing film of the year, behind ''The Lion King'' with $305&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Klady |first=Leonard |date=January 16, 1995 |title='Dumber' still holds No. 1 spot at B.O. |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 23, 1995 |title=Domestic Box Office |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=14}}</ref> The film was reissued on February 17, 1995, after the [[Academy Awards]] nominations were announced.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Klady |first=Leonard |date=February 13, 1995 |title=Oscar talk fuels 'Fall's' gross fire |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=10}}</ref> After the reissue in 1,100 theaters, the film grossed an additional $29&nbsp;million in the United States and Canada, bringing its total to $329.7&nbsp;million, making it the third-highest-grossing film at that time behind only ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' and ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]''.<ref name="WeekendBOX"/><ref name="DomesticGrosses">{{cite web |title=All Time Box Office Domestic Grosses |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803190039/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 17, 1994 |title=Top 100 All-Time Domestic Grosses |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=M-60}}</ref> [[Box Office Mojo]] estimates that the film sold over 78.5&nbsp;million tickets in the US and Canada in its initial theatrical run.<ref>{{cite web |title=Forrest Gump (1994) |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=forrestgump.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804215914/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=forrestgump.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |access-date=May 31, 2016 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

The film was the fastest grossing Paramount film to pass $100&nbsp;million (18 days), $200&nbsp;million (46 days; fourth fastest in history), and $300&nbsp;million (193 days) in box office receipts (at the time of its release).<ref name="Fastest100">{{cite web |title=Fastest to $100&nbsp;million |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/fastest.htm?page=100&p=.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830125641/http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/fastest.htm?page=100&p=.htm |archive-date=August 30, 2019 |access-date=July 1, 2009 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref><ref name="Fastest200">{{cite web |title=Fastest to $200&nbsp;million |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/fastest.htm?page=200&p=.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830130011/http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/fastest.htm?page=200&p=.htm |archive-date=August 30, 2019 |access-date=July 1, 2009 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=August 26, 1994|pages=2–3|title=$200,000,000 (advertisement)}}</ref><ref name="Fastest300">{{cite web |title=Fastest to $300&nbsp;million |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/fastest.htm?page=300&p=.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830130011/http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/fastest.htm?page=300&p=.htm |archive-date=August 30, 2019 |access-date=July 1, 2009 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> After reissues, the film has gross receipts of $330,252,182 in the U.S. and Canada and $347,693,217 in international markets for a total of $677,945,399 worldwide. Ultimately, it finished as the fourth highest grossing [[1990s in film|film of the 1990s]] in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite web| title=Domestic Box Office By Decade – 1990s| url=http://www.boxofficereport.com/domestic1990s.html|work=Box Office Report |access-date=July 14, 2024}}</ref> 

Even with such revenue, the film was known as a "successful failure"; due to distributors' and exhibitors' high fees, Paramount's "losses" clocked in at $62&nbsp;million, leaving executives realizing the necessity of better deals.<ref>McDonald, Paul, and Janet Wasko. The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry. Malden: Blackwell, 2008. Pg:79 #</ref> This has also been associated with [[Hollywood accounting]], where expenses are inflated to minimize profit sharing.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 24, 1995 |title='Gump' a Smash but Still in the Red, Paramount Says : Movies: Writer, who is due to get 3% of net profits, hires lawyer to question the studio's accounting practices. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-24-mn-5473-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116061744/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-24-mn-5473-story.html |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=January 3, 2021 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

''Forrest Gump'' held the record for being the highest-grossing Paramount film until it was overtaken by ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' three years later in 1997. However, it remained the highest-grossing film solely distributed by Paramount until it was surpassed by ''[[Shrek the Third]]'' 13 years later in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title="Titanic' cruises full speed ahead, overtaking "Gump' |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/02/09/titanic-cruises-full-speed-ahead-overtaking-gump/ |access-date=May 28, 2022 |archive-date=May 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528165328/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/02/09/titanic-cruises-full-speed-ahead-overtaking-gump/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

For 12 years, it remained as the highest-grossing film starring Tom Hanks; it was surpassed in 2006 by ''[[The Da Vinci Code (film)|The Da Vinci Code]]''.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 18, 2006 |title=Tom Hanks' Biggest Film? Da Vinci Code! |url=https://deadline.com/2006/06/tom-hanks-biggest-movie-da-vinci-code-365/ |access-date=June 10, 2022 |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610220055/https://deadline.com/2006/06/tom-hanks-biggest-movie-da-vinci-code-365/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Critical reception ===
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|score=75|count=158|average=7.80|consensus=Tom Hanks' rigorously earnest performance keeps ''Forrest Gump'' sincere even when it gets glib with American history, making for a whimsical odyssey of debatable wisdom but undeniable heart.|ref=yes |access-date=February 4, 2025}} At the website [[Metacritic]], the film earned a rating of 82 out of 100 based on 21 reviews by mainstream critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/forrest-gump|title=''Forrest Gump'' Reviews|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=March 1, 2018|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514054429/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/forrest-gump|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a rare "A+" grade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-cinemascore-matters-box-office-225563|title=Why CinemaScore Matters for Box Office|author=Pamela McClintock|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=August 19, 2011|access-date=September 14, 2016|archive-date=April 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426043610/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-cinemascore-matters-box-office-225563|url-status=live}}</ref>

The story was commended by several critics. [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' wrote, "I've never met anyone like Forrest Gump in a movie before, and for that matter I've never seen a movie quite like 'Forrest Gump.' Any attempt to describe him will risk making the movie seem more conventional than it is, but let me try. It's a comedy, I guess. Or maybe a drama. Or a dream. The screenplay by [[Eric Roth]] has the complexity of modern fiction...The performance is a breathtaking balancing act between comedy and sadness, in a story rich in big laughs and quiet truths...What a magical movie."<ref name="EbertReview">{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Forrest Gump |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/forrest-gump-1994 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=July 6, 1994 |access-date=March 31, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620132326/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19940706%2FREVIEWS%2F407060301%2F1023 |archive-date=June 20, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Todd McCarthy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that the film "has been very well worked out on all levels, and manages the difficult feat of being an intimate, even delicate tale played with an appealingly light touch against an epic backdrop."<ref name="VarietyReview">{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |title=Forrest Gump |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117487968/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=July 10, 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110729083909/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=Variety100&reviewid=VE1117487968&content=jump&jump=review&category=1935&cs=1 |archive-date=July 29, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, [[Anthony Lane]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' called the film "Warm, wise, and wearisome as hell."<ref name="NYorkerReview">{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Lane |title=Forrest Gump |url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/forrest_gump_zemeckis |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218211414/http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/forrest_gump_zemeckis |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said that the film was "glib, shallow, and monotonous" and "reduces the tumult of the last few decades to a virtual-reality theme park: a baby-boomer version of [[Disney's America]]."<ref name="EWReviewC">{{cite magazine |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |title=Forrest Gump (1994) |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/07/15/forrest-gump/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=July 15, 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104074440/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302943,00.html |archive-date=November 4, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Gump garnered comparisons to fictional character [[Huckleberry Finn]], as well as U.S. politicians [[Ronald Reagan]], [[Pat Buchanan]] and [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name="GumpHuck">{{cite news |last=Hinson |first=Hal |title=Forrest Gump, Our National Folk Zero |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/fforrestgump1.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 14, 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521095922/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/fforrestgump1.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="GumpClinton">{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |title=The Gump From Hope |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/21/opinion/journal-the-gump-from-hope.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 21, 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110801011242/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/21/opinion/journal-the-gump-from-hope.html |archive-date=August 1, 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name="WorldTime">{{cite news |last=Corliss |first=Richard |author2=Julie Grace |author3=Martha Smilgis |title=The World According to Gump |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981196-2,00.html |magazine=Time |date=August 1, 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110731152338/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981196-2,00.html |archive-date=July 31, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Albert|first=Tim|title='The Ideas Made It, But I Didn't'|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/22/pat-buchanan-trump-president-history-profile-215042|work=Politico|date=June 2017|access-date=November 26, 2018|archive-date=June 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629191411/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/22/pat-buchanan-trump-president-history-profile-215042/|url-status=live}}</ref> Peter Chomo writes that Gump acts as a "social mediator and as an agent of redemption in divided times".<ref name="WangStruggle">{{cite journal|last=Wang|first=Jennifer Hyland|title="A Struggle of Contending Stories": Race, Gender, and Political Memory in Forrest Gump|journal=Cinema Journal|pages=92–102|volume=39|issue=3|date=Spring 2000|doi=10.1353/cj.2000.0009|jstor=1225535|s2cid=144899487 |id={{ProQuest|222244908}}}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' called Gump "everything we admire in the American character – honest, brave, and loyal with a heart of gold."<ref name="RollStone">{{cite news|last=Travers|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Travers|title=Forrest Gump|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5948073/review/5948074/forrest_gump|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=December 8, 2000|access-date=July 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622125023/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5948073/review/5948074/forrest_gump |archive-date=June 22, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reviewer Janet Maslin called Gump a "hollow man" who is "self-congratulatory in his blissful ignorance, warmly embraced as the embodiment of absolutely nothing."<ref name="MaslinGump">{{cite news |last=Burr |first=Ty |title=Loss of innocence: 'Forrest Gump' at 10 |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/06/20/loss_of_innocence_forrest_gump_at_10/ |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=June 20, 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113071954/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/06/20/loss_of_innocence_forrest_gump_at_10/ |archive-date=January 13, 2012 |url-status=live |quote=Film critic Pauline Kael came out of retirement to bash the film on a book tour; by year's end, New York Times reviewer Janet Maslin had gone from mildly praising the film in her initial review to putting it on her worst of 1994 list, describing Forrest as a "hollow man" who's 'self-congratulatory in his blissful ignorance, warmly embraced as the embodiment of absolutely nothing.'  }}</ref> Marc Vincenti of ''[[Palo Alto Weekly]]'' called the character "a pitiful stooge taking the pie of life in the face, thoughtfully licking his fingers."<ref name="PaloAltoGump">{{cite news|last=Vincenti |first=Marc |title=Forrest Gump |url=http://www.paloaltoonline.com/movies/reviews/Forrest-Gump?review_id=655 |work=[[Palo Alto Weekly]] |date=August 1994 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616021948/http://www.paloaltoonline.com/movies/reviews/Forrest-Gump?review_id=655 |archive-date=June 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bruce Kawin and [[Gerald Mast]]'s textbook on film history notes that Forrest Gump's dimness was a metaphor for glamorized nostalgia in that he represented a blank slate onto which the [[Baby Boomer generation]] projected their memories of those events.<ref name="mastshort">{{cite book|last=Mast|first=Gerald|title=A Short History of the Movies: 10th Edition|year=2007|publisher=Longman|location=London}}</ref>

=== Re-evaluation ===

Writing in 2004, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said, "Nearly a decade after it earned gazillions and swept the Oscars, Robert Zemeckis' ode to 20th-century America still represents one of cinema's most clearly drawn lines in the sand. One half of folks see it as an artificial piece of pop melodrama, while everyone else raves that it's sweet as a box of chocolates."<ref name="EWStrikeBack">{{cite magazine |last=Bal |first=Sumeet |author2=Marc Bernardin |author3=Monica Mehta |author4=Joshua Rich |author5=Erin Richter |author6=Michael Sauter |author7=Missy Schwartz |author8=Nancy Sidewater |title=Cry Hard 2 The Readers Strike Back |url=https://ew.com/article/2004/01/09/cry-hard-2-readers-strike-back/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 9, 2004 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412042010/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,570497,00.html |archive-date=April 12, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2015, ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' polled hundreds of academy members, asking them to re-vote on past controversial decisions. Academy members said that, given a second chance, they would award the 1994 Oscar for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] to ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'' instead.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 18, 2015 |title=Recount! Oscar Voters Today Would Make 'Brokeback Mountain' Best Picture Over 'Crash' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/recount-oscar-voters-today-would-773522 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122094645/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/recount-oscar-voters-today-would-773522 |archive-date=January 22, 2019 |access-date=January 3, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en}}</ref>

=== Author payment controversy ===

[[Winston Groom]] was paid $350,000 for the screenplay rights to his novel ''[[Forrest Gump (novel)|Forrest Gump]]'' and was contracted for a 3&nbsp;percent share of the film's ''net'' profits.<ref name="FGLostMoney">{{cite news|last=Horn|first=John|title='Forrest Gump' Has Yet to Make a Net Profit|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_19950525/ai_n10082506/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214194835/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_19950525/ai_n10082506|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 14, 2007|work=[[The Journal Record]]|publisher=[[FindArticles]]|date=May 25, 1995|access-date=July 1, 2009}}</ref> However, Paramount and the film's producers did not pay him the percentage, using [[Hollywood accounting]] to posit that the blockbuster film lost money. Tom Hanks, by contrast, contracted for a percent share of the film's ''gross'' receipts instead of a salary, and he and director Zemeckis each received $40&nbsp;million.<ref name="FGLostMoney" /><ref name="HanksPoints">{{cite journal|last=Davis|first=Charles E.|title=Accounting is like a box of chocolates: A lesson in cost behavior|journal=Journal of Accounting Education|doi=10.1016/S0748-5751(97)00008-0|pages=307–318|volume=15|issue=3|date=Summer 1997}}<!--|access-date=July 1, 2009--></ref> In addition, Groom was not mentioned once in any of the film's six Oscar-winner speeches.<ref name="NoMention">{{cite news|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|title=Calender Goes to the Oscars Analysis Life Is Like a Box of Oscars But Statues Are Divvied Up, Quite Fittingly|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/22753498.html?dids=22753498:22753498&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+28%2C+1995&author=KENNETH+TURAN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Calender+Goes+to+the+Oscars+Analysis+Life+Is+Like+a+Box+of+Oscars+But+Statues+Are+Divvied+Up%2C+Quite+Fittingly&pqatl=google|format=Fee required|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 28, 1995|access-date=June 13, 2010|archive-date=July 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707203448/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/22753498.html?dids=22753498:22753498&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+28%2C+1995&author=KENNETH+TURAN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Calender+Goes+to+the+Oscars+Analysis+Life+Is+Like+a+Box+of+Oscars+But+Statues+Are+Divvied+Up%2C+Quite+Fittingly&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Groom's dispute with Paramount was later effectively resolved after Groom declared he was satisfied with Paramount's explanation of their accounting, this coinciding with Groom receiving a seven-figure contract with Paramount for film rights to another of his books, ''[[Gump & Co.]]''<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Gump-Author-Settles-Fight-With-Studio-3031365.php "'Gump' Author Settles Fight With Studio"]. ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' (June 15, 1995). Retrieved on June 9, 2015. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617111830/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Gump-Author-Settles-Fight-With-Studio-3031365.php |date=June 17, 2013 }}</ref> This film was never made, remaining in [[development hell]] for at least a dozen years.<ref name="2007Sequel">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Forrest-Gump-Gets-A-Sequel-4626.html|title=Forrest Gump Gets A Sequel|last=Tyler|first=Josh|date=March 7, 2007|work=Cinema Blend|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103161608/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/forrest-gump-gets-a-sequel-4626.html|archive-date=November 3, 2010|url-status=live|access-date=October 21, 2010}}</ref>

=== Home video ===

''Forrest Gump'' was first released on [[VHS]] on April 27, 1995, and on [[Laserdisc]] the following day. The laserdisc was [[THX]] certified and released without chapters, requiring the film be watched start to finish. Film magazines of the period stated this was at the request of Zemeckis who wanted viewers to enjoy the film in its entirety. It became the best-selling adult sell-through video, with sales of over 12 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=June 26, 1995|page=9|title=Studio product up to Par|last=Young|first=Paul F.}}</ref> 
A widescreen VHS release debuted a year later on September 10, 1996.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Susan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107891272/letterbox-brings-wide-screen-home/ |title='Letterbox' Brings Wide Screen Home |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311215357/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107891272/letterbox-brings-wide-screen-home/ |date=August 16, 1996 |access-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |page=96 |work=Times Staff Writer |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> It was released in a two-disc [[DVD]] set on August 28, 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hettrick |first=Scott |date=May 21, 2001 |title=Par's 'Forrest' branches out |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/news/par-s-forrest-branches-out-1117799811/ |access-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref> Special features included director and producer commentaries, production featurettes, and screen tests.<ref name="SpecialFeatures">{{cite news|last=Lowman|first=Rob|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EE3576468090812&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D|format=Fee required|title=Video Enchanted Forrest the Much-beloved "Forrest Gump" Arrives on DVD with Sweetness Intact|work=[[Beacon Journal]]|date=August 28, 2001|access-date=July 2, 2009|archive-date=October 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009052656/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EE3576468090812&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] in November 2009.<ref name="BluRayRelease">{{cite news |last=Schweiger |first=Arlen |url=http://www.electronichouse.com/article/paramount_saves_top_titles_for_blu_ray_sapphire_treatment/C157 |title=Paramount Saves Top Titles for Blu-ray 'Sapphire' Treatment |work=Electronic House |date=June 23, 2009 |access-date=October 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710181200/http://www.electronichouse.com/article/paramount_saves_top_titles_for_blu_ray_sapphire_treatment/C157 |archive-date=July 10, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Paramount released the film on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] in June 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Paramount/Disc_Announcements/paramount-preps-forrest-gump-for-4k-ultra-hd-bluray/41197|title=Paramount Preps 'Forrest Gump' for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray {{!}} High-Def Digest|website=highdefdigest.com|language=en|access-date=April 3, 2018|archive-date=April 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403234639/https://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Paramount/Disc_Announcements/paramount-preps-forrest-gump-for-4k-ultra-hd-bluray/41197|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 7, 2019, Paramount Pictures released a newly remastered two-disc Blu-ray that contains bonus content.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blu-ray |first1=Webmaster |title=Forrest Gump 25th Anniversary |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Forrest-Gump-Blu-ray/238653/ |website=Blu-ray.com |access-date=November 7, 2019 |archive-date=November 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107220253/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Forrest-Gump-Blu-ray/238653/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{{Main|List of accolades received by Forrest Gump|l1=List of accolades received by ''Forrest Gump''}}

''Forrest Gump'' won [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Best Actor in a Leading Role]] (Hanks had won the previous year for [[Philadelphia (film)|''Philadelphia'']]), [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]], [[Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)|Best Adapted Screenplay]], and [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]] at the [[67th Academy Awards]]. The film was nominated for seven [[52nd Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]], winning three of them: [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]], [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]], and [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]. The film was also nominated for six [[Saturn Awards]] and won two for [[Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film|Best Fantasy Film]] and [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor (Film)]].

In addition to the film's multiple awards and nominations, it has also been recognized by the [[American Film Institute]] on several of its lists. The film ranks 37th on ''[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers|100 Years...100 Cheers]]'', 71st on ''[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies|100 Years...100 Movies]]'', and 76th on ''[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)|100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)]]''. In addition, the quote "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get," was ranked 40th on ''[[100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]]''.<ref name="AFILists">{{cite web|url=http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100YearsList|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716070826/http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100YearsList |archive-date=July 16, 2011|title=AFI's 100 Years... The Complete Lists|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=July 2, 2009}}</ref> The film also ranked at number 61 on ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]''{{'}}s list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Empire's 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time|url=https://empireonline.com/500/51.asp|work=Empire|access-date=November 16, 2013|author=Braund, Simon|display-authors=etal|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927023434/http://www.empireonline.com/500/51.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In December 2011, ''Forrest Gump'' was selected for preservation in the [[Library of Congress]]' [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-movies/forrest-gump-hannibal-lecter-1277319.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111160501/http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-movies/forrest-gump-hannibal-lecter-1277319.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm |archive-date=January 11, 2012|title=Forrest Gump, Hannibal Lecter join film registry|author=Nuckols, Ben|newspaper=Associated Press|publisher=Cox Newspapers|date=December 28, 2011|access-date=December 28, 2011}}</ref> The Registry said that the film was "honored for its technological innovations (the digital insertion of Gump seamlessly into vintage archival [[footage]]), its resonance within the culture that has elevated Gump (and what he represents in terms of American innocence) to the status of folk hero, and its attempt to engage both playfully and seriously with contentious aspects of the era's traumatic history."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-240.html|title=2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates|publisher=Library of Congress|date=December 28, 2011|access-date=December 28, 2011|archive-date=July 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704135038/http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-240.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

'''[[American Film Institute]] lists'''
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies]] – #71
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]]:
** "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." – #40
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]] – #37
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)]] – #76