GUEST COLUMN: Differences Between the “Forrest Gump” Film and the Original Book

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Differences Between the Forrest Gump Film and the Original Book

By Lewis Robinson

The film Forrest Gump solidified Tom Hanks' reputation as a well-rounded film actor capable of performing comedy and drama. The film itself is hard to classify as one or the other. It is a "slice of life" film and, like life, has some funny moments, some tragic ones, and some that are just confusing. If you had already read the book upon which it was based, you may have been even more confused because the filmmakers made some significant changes to the plot and characters when adapting the novel into a motion picture.

Running

One of the most memorable and mystifying sequences in the movie is when a discontented Forrest decides, out of nowhere, to put on his running socks and shoes and sets out for a run. He keeps running for months on end, attracting a lot of attention, and other people start following him to see where he is going and what he will do when he gets there. Suddenly, without warning, Forrest stops, turns around, and announces that he is tired and wants to go home, leaving many confused people in his wake. None of this happens in the original book.

In the movie, the fact that Forrest can run at all is remarkable. He is born with a spinal defect and has to wear braces on his legs. When escaping from bullies as a child, he runs away at young Jenny's prompting and, remarkably, the leg braces fall away and he doesn't need them anymore. Forrest's running is a recurring motif throughout the movie, with the recurrent episodes foreshadowing the big run, but the plot of the book doesn't include any of it.

Character

In the book, Forrest is physically stronger and more aggressive than his book counterpart. The book character would be more likely to stand up to the bullies, even going so far as to throw punches, than to run away from them. In the book, Forrest also uses profanities consistently. This may not mean that the book character is less innocent than the movie character. Indeed, it may reflect that Forrest does not realize that some words are offensive to others or understand the reasons why.

There are practical reasons why Forrest wouldn't have been able to swear in the movie, even if the filmmakers had wanted him to. The film was rated PG-13 and, according to MPAA standards, if a film contains multiple utterances of the F-word, it automatically gets an R rating, meaning that admittance to theaters is restricted.

Relationship With Jenny

In the movie, Forrest's relationship with his childhood sweetheart is bittersweet. He gets to spend a brief period with her before she dies of an undisclosed disease, but then he gets to raise the son they have together, whose existence he was previously unaware of. In the book, the outcome is much harsher: Jenny leaves Forrest to raise his son with another man. Forrest finds out he is the father of Jenny's child but doesn't get to have a relationship with him.

Intelligence

In both the book and the movie, Forrest is understood to have a lower-than-average IQ. However, the book shows that there are certain intellectual pursuits in which he has some aptitude. For example, in the book Forrest becomes a world-class chess player. This may have been left out of the movie for several reasons. Movies have time constraints, while books do not. When adapting a book to the screen, certain elements always have to be left out. Film is a visual medium, and chess competition may not have been considered the most compelling spectator sport.

The Iconic Box of Chocolates

Even people who have never seen the movie know the famous, "Life is like a box of chocolates…" line. Forrest, and his mother before him, use it as a metaphor representing the unpredictability of life and how it can render surprises both pleasant and otherwise. In the book, Forrest merely observes that his life is "no box of chocolates," hinting at vague misery.

The Main Takeaway

Books and movies are two different media. Therefore, variations between the two are inevitable even when they have the same story. What version do you prefer?