It’s 1994. The top-grossing film is The Lion King, but right after that is Forrest Gump. Gump, played by Tom Hanks, wins audiences with his memorable phrases (“Life is like a box of chocolates”), his optimistic outlook, and his “right place, right time” escapades through American history. It’s a comedy, a drama, and a movie that left its mark on culture.
What Forrest Gump offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a singular, iconic character perfectly played by Tom Hanks; a meditation on the tumultuous second half of the 20th century; a series of fortuitous events where the nice guy always comes out on top; and a story that refuses to fit neatly into normal categories.