History Awesome / ForrestGump

[[caption-width-right:1000: "You've been awarded the Medal of Honor, Sir." "How come?"]]

** The really awesome part is how Forrest's decision to honour his friend changed Mrs Blue's life. From the fact that she fainted, we as the audience know that she and her family are now set for life. Forrest confirms this, saying that she immediately retired from housekeeping and that the whole family moved into a Florida condo. For extra points, the now wealthy Mrs Blue hired a housekeeper of her own, but did ''not'' turn this into a WhosLaughingNow moment. Instead, she is shown being far [[NiceToTheWaiter more friendly to the housekeeper]] than her employers ever were to her.

[[caption-width-right:1000: “You’ve been awarded the Medal of Honor, Sir.” “How come?”]]

--> '''Bryant:''' He must be the stupidest son of a bitch alive, but he sure is fast. HAHAHAHA!!!!

--->'''Drill Sergeant:''' Gump! What's your sole purpose in this army?
--->'''Forrest Gump:''' To do whatever you tell me, drill sergeant!
--->'''Drill Sergeant:''' God damn it, Gump! You're a god damn genius! This is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard! You must have a goddamn I.Q. of 160! You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump.

---> "He should '''NOT''' be hitting you, Jenny."

---> "I never thanked you for saving my life."

-->"And y'know what? She didn't have to work in nobody's kitchen no more."

* At the end, despite his InnocentInaccurate understanding of Jenny's past, he '''[[DestroyTheAbusiveHome orders her abusive father's house to be bulldozed.]]''' It really goes to show how much he respects her even when he doesn't entirely understand what's going on.

** What really makes this scene is Gump isn't ''trying'' to be heroic. He's trying to find Bubba, and keeps coming across fellow soldiers wounded in the ambush. He doesn't pick them up and carry them to safety because he's ''brave'', he does it because he's a decent person and it's the decent thing to do, and he's just too straightforward to think about it.
** The fact that Forrest singlehandedly carried five wounded people to safety itself is remarkable. Between all of their weaponry and equipment those had to be 200-pound men that Forrest was carrying.

* At the end, despite his InnocentInaccurate understanding of Jenny's past, he '''orders her abusive father's house to be bulldozed.''' It really goes to show how much he respects her even when he doesn't entirely understand what's going on.

* What happens to Mrs. Blue and the rest of Bubba's family. Bear in mind that she comes from a long line of servants and slaves, and openly told Forrest that his plans were futile. Not only does he prove her wrong, but he also sends her Bubba's share of the money. It is also heartwarming, as its shows just how much Forrest really cared about Bubba and making sure that his plan succeeded even though he was not there to see it.
** The really awesome part is how this Forrest's decision to honour his friend, changed Mrs Blue's life. From the fact that she fainted, we as the audience know that she and her family are now set for life. Forrest confirms this, saying that she immediately retired from housekeeping and that the whole family moved into a Florida condo. For extra points, the now wealthy Mrs Blue hired a housekeeper of her own, but did ''not'' turn this into a WhosLaughingNow moment. Instead, she is shown being far [[NiceToTheWaiter more friendly to the housekeeper]] than her employers ever were to her.

* At the end, despite his InnocentInaccurate understanding of Jenny's past, he '''orders her abusive father's house to be bulldozed.''' It really goes to show how much he respects her, even when he doesn't entirely understand what's going on.

This is also the first time Lieutenant Dan calls Forrest by his first name instead of "Gump". Their relationship has definitely changed at this point in time.

* At boot camp, Gump is so good at assembling his [[CoolGuns/BattleRifles M14]], that he even earns praise from the DrillSergeantNasty:

* Whenever Forrest shapes history, from Elvis's controversial hip shaking to giving John Lennon the inspiration for "Imagine", and especially ''inadvertently busting the Watergate robbery and leading to Nixon's downfall.''

** The really awesome is how this changes Mrs Blue's life. From the fact that she fainted, we as the audience know that she and her family are now set for life. Forrest confirms this, saying that she immediately retired from housekeeping and that the whole family moved into a Florida condo. For extra points for the now wealthy Mrs Blue hired a housekeeper of her own, but did ''not'' turn this into a WhosLaughingNow moment. Instead, she is shown being far [[NiceToTheWaiter more friendly to the housekeeper]] than her employers ever were to her.

* Mrs. Blue, who comes from a long line of servants and slaves, receiving Bubba's share of the money and moving to a Florida condo. With a white housekeeper. And extra points for Mrs. Blue ''not'' making this a WhosLaughingNow moment, but being [[NiceToTheWaiter more friendly to the housekeeper]] than her employers ever were to her.

* Forrest's Crowning Moment of Awesome would almost certainly have to be when he breaks out of his leg braces, and runs for the first time.

* Lt. Dan, legless, up in the rigging on top of the shrimp boat, in front of a wildly waving American flag, maniacally laughing and shouting at Hurricane Carmen and daring God Himself to [[SmiteMeOhMightySmiter sink that boat]]. Not the crowning moment he set out to have back in Vietnam, but it's enough. Then, a few minutes of screen time later, he casually goes for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico.
** Forrest, at least, considers the swim to be the awesome part.
** Also doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.
--> "I never thanked you for saving my life."

* For someone as dumb as Forrest he does show some badass moments when during the ambush: he was seen as one of the men firing back, he admitted that he was scared but never once panicked, ran ''back'' into the fray to look for Bubba, and still held himself together when realizing one of his squad mates next to Lt. Dan was dead. Forrest did what Jenny and Bubba told him to- to run- but he was certainly no coward.
* The scene where Forrest, in Vietnam, runs repeatedly into the jungle looking for Bubba, pulling out people as he goes, and then after finally finding Bubba, runs out [[StuffBlowingUp while napalm explodes]] [[OutrunTheFireball all around them]].
** Any scene for which someone earns a Medal of Honor, fictional or otherwise, is by definition a [=CMoA=].
** What really makes this scene is Gump isn't ''trying'' to be heroic. He's trying to find Bubba, and keeps coming across fellow soldiers wounded in the ambush. He doesn't pick them up and carry them to safety because he's ''brave'', he does it because he's a decent person and it's the decent thing to do, and he's just too straightforward to think about it.
* Mrs. Blue, who comes from a long line of servants and slaves, receiving Bubba's share of the money and moving to a Florida condo. With a white housekeeper. And extra points for Mrs. Blue ''not'' making this a WhosLaughingNow moment, but being [[NiceToTheWaiter more friendly to the housekeeper]] than her employers ever were to her.
-->"And y'know what? She didn't have to work in nobody's kitchen no more."

* Forrest and Jenny reuniting in the reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument is obviously a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}, but the image of a crowd of thousands cheering wildly for two people running to each other in waist-deep water, hugging after years of separation ... wow-ee.
** Even made more awesome when the anti-war Hippies applaud their reunion (while Forrest is still dressed in full Army regalia).
** Matched if not topped by Forrest catching sight of Jenny's hippie boyfriend slapping her in the face at the Black Panther "party" and running over, doing a full-body tackle and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beating the shit out of the little creep]].
--> "He should '''NOT''' be hitting you, Jenny."

* At the end, despite his InnocentInaccurate understanding of Jenny's past, he '''orders her abusive father's house to be bulldozed.''' It really goes to show how much he respects her, even when he doesn't entirely understand what's going on.
* Forrest deciding on a whim to just start running, ''and not stopping for anything other than primal urges (eat, sleep, poop) for three years.'' '''''From coast-to-coast'''''.

--->'''Drill Sergeant:''' God damn it, Gump! You're a god damn genius! This is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard. You must have a goddamn I.Q. of 160. You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump.

* Forrest deciding on a whim to just start running, ''and not stopping for anything other than primal urges (eat, sleep, drink) for three years.'' '''''From coast-to-coast'''''.

* Forrest deciding on a whim to just start running, ''and not stopping for anything other than primal urges (eat, sleep, poop) for three years.'' '''''From coast-to-coast'''''.

* Lt. Dan, legless, up in the rigging on top of the shrimp boat, in front of a wildly waving American flag, shouting at Hurricane Carmen and daring God Himself to [[SmiteMeOhMightySmiter sink that boat]]. Not the crowning moment he set out to have back in Vietnam, but it's enough. Then, a few minutes of screen time later, he casually goes for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico.

'''Drill Sergeant:''' JESUS H. CHRIST! This is a new company record! If it wouldn't be a waste of such a damn fine enlisted man, I'd recommend you for OCS, Private Gump! YOU ARE GONNA BE A GENERAL SOMEDAY, GUMP, NOW DISASSEMBLE YOUR WEAPON AND CONTINUE!

** Any scene for which someone wins a Medal of Honor, fictional or otherwise, is by definition a [=CMoA=].