Tom Hankshas been working in Hollywood for over four decades and has been a part of some of the greatest films of all time, but his best-known film is perhaps the 1994 comedy-dramaForrest Gump. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on Winston Groom’s book of the same name,Forrest Gumpfollows the life of a slow-witted yet kindhearted man who witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century United States.Forrest Gumpwas released to critical acclaim and grossed nearly $700 million worldwide. The film also swept the Oscars that year, winning six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
As beloved asForrest Gumpis today, many fans and critics believe it wasn’tthe best movie of 1994. That title belongs to eitherPulp FictionorThe Shawshank Redemption. Upon further re-evaluation, as per today’s standards,Forrest Gump’s legacy has been put into question, but Tom Hanks thinks otherwise. In a recent interview withThe New York Times, Hanks defendedForrest Gumpagainst naysayers and argued that it was more than just a “boomer nostalgia-fest.”
“The problem withForrest Gumpis it made a billion dollars. If we’d just made a successful movie, Bob and I would have been geniuses. But because we made a wildly successful movie, we were diabolical geniuses. Is it a bad problem to have? No, but there’s books of the greatest movies of all time, andForrest Gumpdoesn’t appear because, oh, it’s this sappy nostalgia fest. Every year there’s an article that goes, ‘The Movie That Should Have Won Best Picture and it’s always ‘Pulp Fiction.’Pulp Fictionis a masterpiece without a doubt. Look, I don’t know, but there is a moment of undeniable heartbreaking humanity inForrest Gumpwhen Gary Sinise — he’s playing Lieutenant Dan — and his Asian wife walk up to our house on the day that Forrest and Jenny get married.”
Related:Here’s Where the Cast of Forrest Gump is Today
Tom Hanks Thinks Forrest Gump Resonated More With The Viewers Than Pulp Fiction
Tom Hanks seems to thinkForrest Gump’s box office success and overall popularity is why people look past it nowadays. Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fictionwas equally well-received by fans and critics alike and even won the Palme d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. Hanks admitsPulp Fictionis a “masterpiece” but knows why it lost toForrest Gump: it didn’t resonate with the viewers enough, and that’s not the filmmakers’ fault.
Pulp Fiction’snon-linear narrative, graphic violence, profanity, and drug use were subjects the audience wasn’t accustomed to at the time. Then there’s Tarantino’s avid use of the N-word. Compare that to the countless heartfelt moments ofForrest Gump,and it’s clear which film an average moviegoer or an Academy voter will prefer. Hanks says Lieutenant Dan’s magic legs scene is proof enough whyForrest Gumpis still adored all over the world.Lal Singh Chaddha, aBollywood remakeof the film, is also in the works, with Aamir Khan playing the titular role.
But the fact remains thatPulp FictionandForrest Gumpwill both be counted among the greatest films of all time, and viewers can have different interpretations of the films. It doesn’t make one better or worse than the other. And if it’s any consolation, three decades have passed sinceForrest Gump’s"undeserving" Best Picture win, and the Academy still tends to honor popular and melodramatic crowd-pleasers.Green BookandThe Shape of Waterare a few recent examples.
Tom Hanks will next appear as Colonel Tom Parker inElvis, due out July 08, 2025.Hanks is also reuniting with theForrest GumpteamforHere. Robert Zemeckis is directing and Eric Roth is writingHere, an adaptation of Richard McGuire’s graphic novel of the same name.Hereis described as a sprawling epic told over thousands of years and also stars Robin Wright.
