Why Tom Hanks thought nobody would like ‘Forrest Gump’: “Is anyone gonna give a shit about this?”
Tom Hanks is one of the prevailing sweethearts of Hollywood, known for a perfect blend of comedic and dramatic roles that has led him to become one of the most beloved American film stars. From his endearing performance as a grown-up kid in Big or his depiction of urgent to reluctant survival in Castaway, the actor has established himself as one of the foremost figures in the industry, with a slate of of projects that spans all genres of the medium, with animated films, romantic comedies and war dramas.
However, Hanks is perhaps most recognisable for one particular role, with endlessly quotable lines that have haunted him ever since.
Robert Zemeckis occupies a similar space in Hollywood to Hanks, with a collection of stories that appeal to a brighter side of the human spirit through their youthful optimism and playfulness. After directing films like Used Cars, Death Becomes Her, and Back to the Future, the filmmaker became synonymous with a specific era in American cinema in which life-affirming and family-friendly spectacles were favoured by mass audiences, which grew in popularity after the success of films like Close Encounters and ET The Extra Terrestrial.
However, the director is also known for creating a lifelong partnership with Hanks, with the pair collaborating on multiple films, such as Castaway and The Polar Express. But as a duo, they are most celebrated for their 1994 story of Forrest Gump, a man who defies all the odds and finds his own version of the American dream.
While some people would consider Forrest Gump to be another form of American propaganda and celebration of conservative fantasies, with a disturbing underlying ideology that pushes the pursuit of conformity in order to achieve capitalist ideals that distract us from our own subjugation, there are some people who would consider it to be a ‘masterpiece’. Some lines from the film have clung onto the bones of popular culture, with a persevering timelessness to the genius metaphor of life being like a box of chocolates—whoever wrote that deserves a Nobel Prize.
However, it is exactly the kind of story that would appeal to mass audiences, with people praising the heartfelt message in the film that shows how anyone can lift themselves up from their bootstraps and achieve all their wildest dreams, because if you do as you’re told, then you will be rewareded with success. The film was even awarded the Oscar for ‘Best Picture’, beating Pulp Fiction and forever being remembered for the film that somehow managed to prevail over a genuinely experimental and artistic piece of work.
Hanks later shared his initial doubts about the project succeeding, saying, “I said, ‘Bob [Zemeckis], is anyone gonna give a shit about this?’ I was aware that it was a crazy-ass moment, but by that time I was like a somnambulate”. While Hanks was wrong and people most certainly do give a shit about the film, perhaps with the benefit of increased hindsight and reflection, people will soon begin to reevaluate the so-called ‘genius’ of a film that is distinctly average.
