Forrest Gump
1994
2:15 runtime
CAST
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Tom Hanks – Forrest Gump
Robin Wright – Jenny Curran
Gary Sinise – Lt. Dan
Sally Field – Mrs. Gump
Word of the Day: Pathos
Definition of
Pathos:_____________________________________________________
Which of the following films have you seen Tom Hanks in?
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Toy Story 3
Angels & Demons
Charlie Wilson's
War
The Da Vinci Code
Cars
The Polar Express
Elvis Has Left the
Building
The Terminal
The Ladykillers
Catch Me If You
Can
Road to Perdition
Band of Brothers
(TV mini-series)
Cast Away
The Green Mile
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Toy Story 2
You've Got Mail
Saving Private
Ryan
From the Earth to
the Moon (TV
mini-series)
That Thing You
Do!
Toy Story
Apollo 13
Forrest Gump
Philadelphia
Sleepless in Seattle
A League of Their
Own
Radio Flyer
The Bonfire of the
Vanities
What is your general impression of him as an actor?
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Joe Versus the
Volcano
Turner & Hooch
The 'burbs
Punchline
Big
Dragnet
Every Time We
Say Goodbye
Nothing in
Common
The Money Pit
Volunteers
The Man with One
Red Shoe
Bachelor Party
Splash
Section 1 (Opening – 12:20 Elvis)
1) What is your first impression of the opening of the film?
2) Right away we should pick up on one of the film’s motifs. What do you predict that
pattern is (think about the feather)?
3) How does the filmmaker clue us in that the flashback is to that of Forrest’s childhood (at
least two ways?
4) Now, the filmmakers had a choice about showing or not showing the scene where Mrs.
Gump “helps” Forrest to get into school. They chose NOT to show that. Do you agree
with their choice why or why not?
Section 2 (After Elvis 12:20 – 21:10 Football)
5) Analyze the set design of the “South” throughout. Does this seen authentic to you? Why
or why not?
Section 3 (21:10 Football – 32:00 Vietnam)
6) Do a little research. Who is the football coach supposed to be? What costuming choice
reveals the filmmaker’s efforts to connect the character to the historical person?
7) We have our first example of the special effects used in this film with the integration of
Forrest into historical film footage. Do you find this effective? How does this add or
detract from the literary level?
8) Again, the filmmakers chose to be less graphic than they could have been in the scene
where Jenny and Forrest are in her dorm room. Do you agree with this choice of editing
for content? Why or why not?
Section 4 (32:00 Vietnam – 56:47 Battle End)
9) We see a parallel bus scene to one earlier in the film. What does this imply about
Bubba’s and Forrest’s relationship?
10) We meet Lt. Dan! What other films / TV shows have you seen him in? What are your
thoughts about him as an actor?
11) We see a cut to a parallel story. Is this clear? Why or why not?
Section 5 (56:47 Bullet – 1:15 Meeting Dan After the War)
12) Predict – How do you think they filmed the scenes where Lt. Dan doesn’t have any
legs? How might they have done that?
Section 6 (1:15 Dan in Wheelchair – 1:33 On Shrimp Boat)
13) To what famous line and movie does Dan allude to when crossing the street in his
wheelchair?
14) Why would the filmmakers make Lt. Dan come back from the war handicapped? What
might the point be?
Section 7 (1:33 On Shrimp Boat – 1:58 Stop Running)
15) How do you interpret the scene where Dan jumps into the water? Is there a deeper
meaning (no pun intended) that we are to get from this?
Section 8 (1:58 Stop Running – End)
16) In this section, pathos seems to be the rule of the day. HOW do the filmmakers appeal
to the pathos of the audience?
This film has been criticized because its plot is just TOO impossible to accept. Do you agree
why or why not?
How does the film impact the audience’s emotions? (Think about the balance between humor
and pathos – not sure what that is? Look it up!)
Where does the SCRIPT (the written words from which the actors are talking) create Tom
Hanks’s character, Forrest Gump?
Where does Tom Hanks’s acting ability shine through (or mess up)?
What is your analysis of the songs, not the score, in this film (not the score)? Do they work?
Not? Why or why not?
How long does the plot of this movie really take place…approximately? How long does the story
of the film actually take place?
Where are some of the occasions where the filmmakers use ARCHIVE footage in this film?
(Archive footage is authentic, historical footage from real events). WHY might the filmmakers
choose to include footage like this into a FICTIONAL film?
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