The oddly specific table tennis easter egg in ‘Forrest Gump’
There are 101 reasons why the Robert Zemeckis drama Forrest Gump is considered to be such a favourite among fans and critics around the world, with the film chronicling the world events of the 20th century through the eyes of a plucky young man. Starring Tom Hanks in the lead role, the 1994 Best Picture winner is packed full of details and easter eggs, referencing specific world events and much more.
Ranked by many as one of the greatest contemporary movies, Forrest Gump is a bombastic globetrotting journey of American history in which a humble man from Alabama seeks love from his childhood sweetheart whilst getting caught up with the politics of contemporary America. Limited to a robotic amble in his youth thanks to a pair of leg braces, Gump, iconically performed by Tom Hanks, is a gentle fool, loving and idealistic, yet undeniably hampered by his intelligence.
Still, this doesn’t stop him from achieving his dreams. Gump graduates from college in 1966, then enlists in the US Army and heads to Vietnam to fight in the war. A while later, he is discharged after receiving a Medal of Honor for his heroism from President Lyndon B. Johnson. Gump then participates in a number of activities, becoming an elite American football player, a shrimp fisherman and a professional table tennis player.
It is in the simple game of ping-pong that Zemeckis and screenwriter Eric Roth nestle a neat little easter egg that is so specific only true fans of the sport could spot it.
When learning to play the sport during his recovery in the hospital following his service in Vietnam, Gump picks up the ping pong paddle and uses the shakehand grip, a traditional grip that is used by the majority of European and American players in real life. As we see montages of his progress, he continues to use this grip up until the moment he travels to China.
Playing against Chinese opponents, he experiences players using the penhold grip, an alternative style of holding the paddle, which became particularly popular in Asia. Favoured by Chinese players, especially during the mid-20th century, Gump later uses this grip when he plays with Forrest Jr. towards the end of the movie. The very nuanced easter egg is one of the many reasons Zemeckis’ film is considered such a classic, paying attention to the smaller details.
As well as Best Picture, Forrest Gump also walked away with an award for Best Director Oscar for Zemeckis, as well as statuettes for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects and Best Leading Actor for Tom Hanks.
Take a look at the table tennis scene for the iconic 1990s movie below.
