“It’s something different”: the movie that convinced Tom Hanks to star in ‘Forrest Gump’
Few actors were as successful as Tom Hanks in the 1990s, who managed to sweep up many prestigious awards and land countless leading roles in some of the decade’s most popular movies. Following his breakthrough in the ‘80s with movies like Splash and Big, Hanks starred in films like the sports comedy A League of Their Own and the rom-com Sleepless in Seattle.
However, when he starred in Philadelphia in 1993, Hanks proved himself to be more than just a comedy actor. As the main character in Jonathan Demme’s film, Hanks played Andy, a man who seeks legal advice to take down his homophobic employer after he is fired for having AIDS. The powerful drama won Hanks an Academy Award, but it would only take him another year to sweep another ‘Best Actor’ accolade from the Oscars.
Hanks won again for playing Forrest Gump in the movie of the same name, directed by Robert Zemeckis. The beloved movie saw Hanks embody the titular character with great success, doing his best Southern accent to portray the kindhearted, mentally disabled character. As he recounts stories from his life, we discover that, by chance, he’s been a part of some of the greatest moments in American history, inspiring Elvis Presley’s signature dance moves and even winning a Medal of Honour for his time in the army.
Upon its release, Forrest Gump was widely praised, earning a box office gross of $678million. However, it doesn’t hold up as strongly today, with many criticising it for promoting American propaganda and warping history to paint a white man as a heroic saviour. Still, it remains a beloved piece of cinema for many, with lots of people classing it as a childhood classic that reminds them of simpler times.
Without it, Hanks might not have earned the same amount of success – following Forrest Gump, he immediately landed roles in Apollo 13, Toy Story, and, a few years later, Saving Private Ryan. Talking to Oprah Winfrey, Hanks revealed that the way he picks out his roles is all down to his “gut”. When he found out that Eric Roth, a screenwriter that Hanks admired, was penning an adaptation of the novel Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, he was instantly interested.
“I was fascinated by a script entitled The Postman, which was written by Eric Roth. I didn’t do that script, but I met Eric and we shared a lot of the same parameters of why we do what we do,” he explained. Thus, when a producer asked Hanks what he thought of the book Forrest Gump, Hanks was excited to discover that Roth was in charge of adapting it for the big screen and instantly went with his gut decision to hop on board the project.
“I said, ‘That guy can write anything!’ About a year and a half later, I got Eric’s script—and it was a rocket. Reading a script is usually as exciting as reading a boilerplate legal document, so when you read one that makes you feel as if you’re seeing the movie, you know it’s something different,” Hanks added.
Clearly, Hanks’ gut was right, and Forrest Gump is still one of his most iconic roles, beloved by generations across the world. The Postman came out in 1997, with Kevin Costner directing and starring in the main role. Ironically, it was incredibly unsuccessful, losing $50million at the box office – quite an astounding feat. Clearly, Hanks could see something in the screenplay that no one else could.
