Ladies and gentlemen, grab your boxes of chocolates and get ready for a hilarious ride through
the bloopers, blunders, and mistakes of one of the most beloved films of all time: Forrest
Gump!
From shrimp boats to ping pong tournaments, Tom Hanks's iconic performance as the lovable
Forrest has captured our hearts for decades.
But did you know that behind the scenes, things weren't always smooth sailing?
From flubbed lines to prop problems, we're about to reveal the funniest and most memorable
mistakes from the making of this cinematic masterpiece.
So sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to laugh your way through the many bloopers of
Forrest Gump!
FactsVerse Presents: This Scene Wasn't Edited Look Closer at His Forrest Gump Blooper
Jimmy Carter’s Heat Exhaustion
As Forrest embarks on his epic three-year run, he sprints past a barbershop in town,
where the blaring voice of the TV announcer catches his attention.
In a moment of serendipitous timing, the announcer reports that President Jimmy Carter has just
been struck down by heat exhaustion.
The date of this event is etched into history as September 15th, 1979.
Prior to that time, the logo featured the Motter Tektura font.
Notably, the Garamond font was not even created until 1977.
It is also worth mentioning that even though Apple was established in 1976, the company
didn't go public with it’s IPO until 1980.
Furthermore, the letter mentioned that the Lisa computer was currently under development.
However, the development of the Lisa computer did not commence until 1978.
Time Traveling Newspaper
During a scene set circa 1970, an individual is spotted perusing a copy of USA Today, even
though the newspaper was not brought into existence until 1982.
Three-Point Line
As Forrest engages in a riveting game of ping-pong prior to his discharge, the gymnasium's basketball
court can be seen with a 3-point line displayed.
Although the ABA had integrated the 3-point line as early as the 1960s, it wasn't until
between 1979 and 1984 that this rule gained widespread adoption within the NCAA, international,
and NBA games.
Forrest Face Swap
In the movie, Forrest is awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Vietnam
War.
Interestingly, the footage of Forrest receiving the medal is authentic and was taken from
the 1968 ceremony honoring Sammy L. Davis for his valiant service.
The only difference is that Hank's face was superimposed onto Davis' body in the film.
Forrest Makes Five
Before the Medal of Honor ceremony, a newsman announces that a total of four service members,
one of each branch, will be receiving the Medal.
However, during the ceremony, there are four members from each branch wearing the Medal
around their necks, in addition to Forrest.
This means that there are five recipients in total, instead of the originally announced
four.
All You Need Is Love’s
In the movie, when Jenny secures a position as a "folk singer" in Memphis, Forrest pays
her a visit and reveals that he is preparing to depart for Vietnam.
Based on contextual hints, it can be inferred that this encounter takes place in 1967.
While outside the club in Memphis, Jenny expresses to Forrest that he is unaware of what love
truly means, and interestingly, there is a prominent Love's truck stop sign displayed
in the background.
However, it should be noted that Musket Corp did not change its name to Love's until 1972,
and it is improbable that there was a location of this nature in Memphis at that time.
Nevertheless, it serves as a poignant visual element for the scene.
All Smiles
According to the movie, it’s implied that Forrest Gump served as the inspiration for
the iconic happy face logo in the late 1970s.
However, there is some contention regarding the origins of the smiley face, with some
suggesting it was first used in the mid-1960s.
In the early 1970s, brothers Murray and Bernard Spain employed the image in a drive to market
novelty items like pin-back buttons.
By the time the late 1970s rolled around, the smiley face had already reached its peak
of popularity and was no longer the new craze that the movie suggests it was.
Tis The Season
The scenes in the film featuring the Protest Rally at the Washington Monument show inconsistent
foliage.
While the trees behind Forrest on the podium have no leaves, suggesting a late autumn or
winter season, the trees surrounding the reflection pool in front of him are green, indicating
summer.
Additionally, when Forrest watches Jenny board the bus later on, the leaves on all the trees
are a mix of different colors, resembling the height of autumn.
Stolen Valor
Despite Forrest evidently achieving the rank of Sergeant, Lt. Dan persists in referring
to him as Private Gump throughout the film.
This error is emphasized by the sergeant patch on Forrest's sleeve, which clearly indicates
his true rank.
Return To Sender
The letters Forrest wrote to Jenny are returned to him while he is in the hospital recovering
from a butt injury.
However, there is an inconsistency in the zip codes on the envelopes.
The first envelope bears the zip code 39902, while the second envelope has the zip code
96602.
The zip code on the remaining envelopes reverts back to 39902.
Deja Vu
When Forrest runs down to meet Jenny after delivering his speech pertaining the war in
front of the reflecting pool, he walks past a man wearing a top hat twice.
Similarly, when Forrest and Jenny stroll past a glowing candlelit vigil in front of the
White House, the camera catches the same five or six individuals multiple times, as well
as a couple of the guards at the gate, as they seemingly loop around the area.
Run, Forrest, Run!
The early scenes in the movie show Forrest struggling to walk with his leg braces, making
it impossible for him to run.
However, when he and Jenny run to their favorite tree, he appears to run normally, despite
still having the braces on.
Later on, when he is chased by bullies on bikes, he reverts to his old gait with the
braces.
It's only after the braces are removed that he is able to run effortlessly.
Just a Gardener?
In the film, Forrest was the President of the well-known Bubba Gump shrimp company.
If this new reporter had done her research before running the story about Forrest's cross-country
run, you would think she would have referred to him as the owner of the company, rather
than just a local gardener from Alabama.
Snow Way!
As Forrest stands outside the stage door at The Dick Cavett Show, the ramp behind him
is devoid of snow.
However, as Lt. Dan slides down the ramp moments later, it is now covered in snow.
Regenerating Window
After Jenny breaks a window with a rock at her old house in Greenbow, Alabama, the camera
cuts to a scene where Forrest is comforting her on the ground, but the window is clearly
no longer broken.
No More Jenny
The boat scene where Forrest jumps off after seeing Lt. Dan shows that the boat does not
have the name "Jenny" painted on it, despite it being painted earlier in the film.
Also, the camera angles during Forrest's conversation with Lt. Dan on the pier after jumping off
the boat are inconsistent, as some shots show him completely dry despite having just swum
in the water moments before.
Dick’s Jacket
The color of Dick Clark's jacket on the TV in the bar during the New Year's Eve sequence
is brown, while on Jenny's TV during the same event, the jacket is blue, as the scene switches
between the two.
Gear Shifted
As Forrest gets on the school bus for the first time, shots from the outside of the
bus show the driver with her hand on the gear shift while interior shots show her hand on
the door lever.
It’s a small detail, but nonetheless one worth keeping an eye out for.
The Cigar Situation
The length of the ash on the end of Lt. Dan's cigar changes inconsistently between shots
when he meets Forrest after he becomes a shrimp boat captain; it appears longer when the camera
faces Forrest and shorter when the camera faces Lt. Dan.
Audibly Inaccurate
The sound of the fireworks bursting comes simultaneously with the visuals as Forrest
and Jenny watch the Fourth of July display.
However, there should be a slight delay due to the sound wave traveling a certain distance.