Robert Zemeckis's 'Forrest Gump' is a life-defining movie that celebrates the inner spirit of human beings. 'Forrest Gump' is an Oscar-winning movie evoking an abundance of different emotions which linger with the viewers even long after it ends. Based on Winston Groom's 1986 novel of the same name, the movie revolves around an intellectually challenged man named Forrest Gump who never gives up and turns his weakness into strength. Depicting the journey of Gump, it actually teaches a lot about life and makes us realize that "life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get". This is a masterpiece in the truest sense with incredible script, proficient execution and Tom Hanks' nuanced performance as the protagonist. Here are some interesting yet lesser-known trivia about the film: Tom Hanks' portrayal of Forrest Gump is considered as one of the finest performances ever in the history of cinema. But it was first offered to John Travolta and then to other actors like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Sean Penn etc. As all of them turned it down, the role finally went to Tom Hanks and the rest is history. Sally Field, who portrayed Forrest's mother in this film, is only 10 years older than Tom Hanks. Forrest's unique accent in this film is loved by all. However, it's actually the real accent of the actor Michael Conner Humphreys who portrayed the character's childhood. Hanks liked it so much that he decided to speak with exactly that accent in the film. Forrest is seen wearing a blue plaid shirt in the first scene of all the transitions the character goes through. The phrase "My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump." was not in the script, but improvised by Tom Hanks on the set. The director liked it so much that he decided to keep it in the film. Remember the scene where Gump is playing ping-pong? The ball we see in the sequence is not real, rather drawn with the application of computer graphics. Another fun fact, the character never blinks while playing the game as he's told to keep his eyes on the ball. The famous running scene is inspired by a true event that took place in 1982. A teenager named Louis Michael Figueroa ran from New Jersey to San Francisco for the American Cancer Society. Everybody loves the beautiful chemistry between Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise in this film. However, the two renowned actors have appeared together in two other films 'Apollo 13' (1995) and 'The Green Mile' (1999). While all of these films got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, only 'Forrest Gump' won this award.
