History Trivia / ForrestGump

* IAmNotSpock: Gary Sinise became so strongly identified as Lieutenant Dan that he decided to just start a band called the Lieutenant Dan Band, with the proceeds from the band's performances going to veterans' charities. He also starred in a series of ads as Lieutenant Dan supporting suicide hotlines for veterans. He also last-named his ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' character, Mac Taylor, after Lt. Dan. (The first name was after his son.)

** Creator/JohnTravolta was offered the role of Forrest, but turned it down. He regretted doing so, but [[Film/PulpFiction he did pretty well anyway]]. Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/BillMurray, Creator/SeanPenn, and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered, while the book's author thought Creator/JohnGoodman would have been perfect.

** AnArmandaLeg

* ImageSource

** Creator/JohnTravolta was offered the role of Forrest, but turned it down. He regretted doing so, but [[Film/PulpFiction he did pretty well anyway]]. Creator/ChevyChase Creator/BillMurray, Creator/SeanPenn and Creator/RobinWilliams were also considered, while the book's author thought Creator/JohnGoodman would have been perfect.

** AnArmmandaLeg

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: The script had bounced around Hollywood for the better part of a decade, and part of the concession for finally getting it produced was that Hanks and Zemeckis agreed to take a percentage of gross rather than a straight fee (a common practice if the producers think the movie is risky, so if it does poorly, revenues aren't eaten up by salaries). Reportedly Hanks made '''$65 million'''.

* WeirdCrossover: The rare Real Life example. During filming of the first three installations of the Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean series, the ''Black Pearl'' set sail for location shots from Bubba's hometown of Bayou Le Batre (a real small-town fishing port in Alabama).

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!!Miscellaneous Trivia
* Mykelti Williamson later appeared in season 3 of ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' as Chief Sinclair, the boss of Gary Sinise's character Mac Taylor.
* After the film, Sinise would later play George Wallace, whom Forrest interacts with in the movie, in a made-for-TV film. He won an Emmy for his performance.
* Magician Ricky Jay designed a special wheelchair for Gary Sinise that used an illusion to hide his legs, which were on a hidden platform underneath. The contortion required to sit in it meant that Sinise could only be in it for about ten minutes at a time.

** Creator/JohnTravolta was offered the role of Forrest, but turned it down. He regretted doing so, but [[Film/PulpFiction he did pretty well anyway]]. Creator/ChevyChase and Creator/BillMurray and Creator/SeanPenn were also considered, while the book's author thought Creator/JohnGoodman would have been perfect.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #71
** AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes:
*** #40, "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
** AFIS100Years100Cheers: #37
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #76

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

* ShownTheirWork: In the Watergate scene, the security guard who answers the phone is named Frank Wells. A security guard by that name really did discover the Watergate break-in taking place (and actually played himself in ''Film/AllThePresidentsMen'').

* ActorAllusion: At one point Creator/RobinWright's character is involved with [[Film/ThePrincessBride a guy named Wesley]].

* BigNameFan: According to an interview with his widow Joanne, Creator/FredRogers was not only a big fan of Tom Hanks as an actor but saw this particular movie "at least 40 times." Hanks would eventually play Rogers in ''Film/ABeautifulDayInTheNeighborhood''.

* ActorInspiredElement: Creator/TomHanks based Forrest's accent on that of Michael Conner Humphreys, the child actor who played young Forrest (not [[spoiler:Forrest Jr.]]).

* DevelopmentHell: The adaptation of the book sequel, ''Gump and Co.'', featuring more of Forrest's crazy adventures, from encyclopedia selling to pig farming to attending the Academy Awards, helped by the fact that due to UsefulNotes/HollywoodAccounting, author Winston Groom didn't get a dime out of the $676 million the film took worldwide. It was also reported that another reason was that the script for the sequel was submitted on September 10, 2001, and the fact that the novel included Forrest getting deployed and having hijinks in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar ( his tank crew briefly captures Saddam Hussein!) became [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents too soon]] in light of [[TooSoon/SeptemberEleventh the attacks the day after.]]

* DevelopmentHell: The adaptation of the book sequel, ''Gump and Co.'', featuring more of Forrest's crazy adventures, from encyclopedia selling to pig farming to attending the Academy Awards, helped by the fact that due to UsefulNotes/HollywoodAccounting, author Winston Groom didn't get a dime out of the $676 million the film took worldwide. It was also reported that another reason was that the script for the sequel was submitted on September 10, 2001, and the fact that the novel included Forrest getting deployed and having hijinks in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar ( his tank crew briefly captures Saddam Hussein!) became TooSoon in light of [[TooSoon/SeptemberEleventh the attacks the day after.]]

* ThrowItIn:
** Creator/TomHanks based Forrest's accent on that of Michael Conner Humphreys, the child actor who played young Forrest (not [[spoiler:Forrest Jr.]]).
** When Bubba tells him "My given name is Benjamin Buford Blue, but people call me 'Bubba,'" Forrest responded with "My name is Forrest Gump. People call me 'Forrest Gump.'" This wasn't in the script.
** Gary Sinise suggested the "Hey! I'm walking here!" bit to director Robert Zemeckis, who liked the idea so much he underscored the scene with music from ''Film/MidnightCowboy''.

* FontAnachronism: The letter from Apple Computer is dated 21 September 1975. The font used on the logo, Apple Garamond, wasn't used by Apple until the launch of the Macintosh in 1984. The font was only designed in 1977.
** For that matter, the rainbow Apple logo was first used in May 1976.
* IAmNotSpock: Gary Sinise became so strongly identified as Lieutenant Dan that he decided to just start a band called the [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Lieutenant Dan Band]], with the proceeds from the band's performances going to veterans' charities. He also starred in a series of ads as Lieutenant Dan supporting suicide hotlines for veterans. This leads to:
** [[IAmNotLeonardNimoy I am not Gary Sinise.]]
** He also last-named his ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' character, Mac Taylor, after Lt. Dan. (The first name was after his son.)

** When Bubba tells him "My given name is Benjamin Buford Blue, but people call me 'Bubba,'" of course Tom Hanks would respond with "My name is Forrest Gump. People call me 'Forrest Gump.'" This wasn't in the script.
** Gary Sinise suggested the "Hey! I'm walking here!" bit to director Robert Zemeckis, who liked the idea so much he underscored the scene with music from Film/MidnightCowboy.

** Creator/DaveChappelle (who would work with Hanks in ''Film/YouveGotMail'') was offered the role of Bubba, but turned it down, believing the movie would bomb. He, too, has regretted passing on his offer. And given what happened to Creator/MykeltiWilliamson, the actor who played Bubba, he may have done alright in the end. To wit, Mr Williamson was quoted in interviews a few years later, saying that after "Gump", [[UncleTomfoolery he was primarily offered roles as a comedic black character]] in films, only to be rejected because his lips weren't big enough.

** Music/TupacShakur auditioned for Bubba. Music/IceCube turned down the role, as he refused to play an idiot.

-->'''Forrest''': Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That's all I have to say about that.

** Interestingly, Sinise also played George Wallace, whom Forrest interacts with in the movie, in a made-for-TV film. He won an Emmy for his performance.

* DevelopmentHell: The adaptation of the book sequel, ''Gump and Co.'', featuring more of Forrest's crazy adventures, from encyclopedia selling to pig farming to attending the Academy Awards (helped by the fact that due to UsefulNotes/HollywoodAccounting, author Winston Groom didn't get a dime out of the $676 million the film took worldwide).

* BeamMeUpScotty: The line is not "Life is like a box of chocolates," the line is actually, "Mama always said life ''was'' like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." [[DownplayedTrope A minor case]], but still a misquote.

* BeamMeUpScotty: The line is not "Life is like a box of chocolates," the line is actually, "Mama always said life "was" like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." [[DownplayedTrope A minor case]], but still a misquote.

* BeamMeUpScotty: The line is not "Life is like a box of chocolates," the line is actually, "My mom always said life ''was'' like a box of chocolates." [[DownplayedTrope A minor case]], but still a misquote.

* IAmNotSpock: Gary Sinise became so strongly identified as Lieutenant Dan that he decided to just start a band called the [[TropesAreNotBad Lieutenant Dan Band]], with the proceeds from the band's performances going to veterans' charities. He also starred in a series of ads as Lieutenant Dan supporting suicide hotlines for veterans. This leads to:

* {{Defictionalization}}: Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. In a sense. The movie's Bubba Gump was a shrimp extraction concern, the defictionalized Bubba Gump is a chain of casual dining restaurants.

* IAmNotSpock: Gary Sinise became so strongly identified as Lieutenant Dan that he decided to just start a band called the [[TropesAreNotBad Lieutenant Dan Band]], with the proceeds from the band's performances going to charity. He also stars in a series of ads as Lieutenant Dan supporting suicide hotlines for veterans. This leads to:

** He also last-named his ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' character, Mac Taylor, after Lt. Dan. (the first name was after his son.)

** When Bubba tells him "My given name is Benjamin Buford Blue, but people call me 'Bubba'", of course Tom Hanks would respond with "My name is Forrest Gump. People call me 'Forrest Gump'". This wasn't in the script.

* WordOfSaintPaul: According to Creator/TomHanks, this was Forrest said to the crowd at the March on the Pentagon:

** Interestingly, Sinise also played George Wallace, whom Forrest interacts with in the movie, in a made-for-TV film.

* ShownTheirWork: In the Watergate scene, the security guard who answers the phone is named Frank Wells. A security guard by that name really did discover the Watergate scandal taking place.

* ShownTheirWork: In the Watergate scene, The security guard who answers the phone is named Frank Wells. A security guard by that name really did discover the Watergate scandal taking place.