Mama always told us the book is better than the movie. But sometimes, Mama’s wrong. Such is the case with Winston Groom’s 1986 novel, Forrest Gump. Though critically and artistically appreciated, the book tanked commercially, failing to connect with the masses and selling a measly 30,000 copies. It actually wasn’t until Robert Zemeckis and screen legend Tom Hanks adapted it into a 1994 film that the story found its global audience.
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Back in the ’80s, Groom was reportedly inspired by an anecdotal story his father shared about a “slow-witted” kid who just so happened to also be a musical prodigy. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Vietnam veteran, and former Washington Star reporter, the author blended historical fiction with fragments of his father’s lore, writing the first chapter of Forrest Gump in a single evening. With three novels and one Pulitzer Prize-nominated nonfiction read already in his repertoire, Groom hoped the comedy would land with the public. Alas, it misfired.
That all changed in the summer of 1994, when Forrest Gump, the ParamountPictures film, sprinted into theaters. Starring Hanks, GarySinise, Robin Wright, and Sally Field, the sentimental dramedy was an instant hit, nabbing six Academy Awards including Best Picture and grossing nearly $700 million worldwide. Groom’s novel suddenly found new life, becoming a best seller almost a decade after its release. But here’s the thing: Readers were shocked to learn the book was a cynical, wild, and bizarrely raunchy read.
Forrest, according to Groom, is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound man who curses freely and sees the glass as half empty. Alongside watershed moments and historical milestones, he also becomes a professional wrestler in a diaper, travels to space with an orangutan named Sue, and gets captured by a clan of cannibals. His military service is far more brutal and relationship with Jenny much bleaker.
Zemeckis, whose oeuvre includesBack to the Future, Contact, Cast Away, and The Polar Express, took a lighter approach to the material, softening the edges of Groom’s satire to create a feel-good fable. Fans of the helmer know Zemeckis is a master at blending technological wizardry with deeply resonant emotion to deliver universally crowd-pleasing productions. And that’s exactly what we got with his Forrest, Forrest Gump: one of the greatest films of all time.
Related: 1963 Timeless Anthem That Opens a Legendary Film Ranked Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Movie Moment
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