Summary
- The opening scene of Forrest Gump subtly hints at three major story events that will unfold throughout the film, such as Forrest’s booming shrimping business and his history as a ping-pong champion.
- The feather that lands next to Forrest represents his journey throughout the movie, as he drifts through various historical events and yearns for a place to settle down.
- Placing the feather in the middle of the Curious George book symbolizes that the audience is in the middle of the story, highlighting the film’s unique narrative structure and deeper themes of time and history.
With some subtle foreshadowing, the opening scene of Forrest Gump sneakily gives away three major story events that will unfold throughout the film. Based on Winston Groom’s novel of the same name, Forrest Gump stars Tom Hanks as the title character, a warm-hearted young man who recounts his life story to various strangers while waiting at a bus stop. Throughout his life, Forrest stumbles into first-hand experiences with some of the most crucial events in 20th-century American history, like the Vietnam War, the Black Panther Party, the Flower Power movement, various presidential administrations, the Watergate scandal, and the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.
In 1995, Forrest Gump swept the 67th Academy Awards, taking home six statuettes – more than any other film at the same ceremony – including Best Picture, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis, Best Actor for Hanks (his second consecutive Oscar victory after winning for Philadelphia the previous year), and Best Adapted Screenplay for Eric Roth. Roth’s Oscar-winning script sets the stage for the movie spectacularly with an opening scene that hooks viewers straight away. The first few minutes of Forrest Gump include a couple of subtle spoilers for the narrative events that have yet to come, from Forrest’s booming shrimping business to his history as a ping-pong champion.
How Forrest Gump’s Opening Scene Sets Up His Entire Story
The opening shot of Forrest Gump follows a feather that floats down from the sky and lands next to Forrest. The audience first meets the character as he sits at a bus stop with a suitcase and a symbolic box of chocolates. This is followed by three major hints at the story events that will unfold throughout the movie.
The feather lands next to Forrest’s muddy sneakers, which picked up a lot of dirt while he was running back and forth across the country. He opens his suitcase to reveal a Bubba Gump Shrimp hat and a ping-pong paddle, both of which similarly foreshadow later events in the movie. While the significance of this seemingly random assortment of objects is not immediately clear, eagle-eyed viewers are rewarded for noticing these items, especially on repeat viewings.
The Real Meaning Of Forrest Gump’s Opening Scene Explained
The feather in the opening scene of Forrest Gump represents Forrest’s journey, which will be covered throughout the rest of the film. Like the feather, Forrest drifted all over the place, dipping his toes into various historical events across the world, and like the feather, he just wanted to find a place to settle down. After picking up the feather, Forrest places it in the middle of the Curious George book his mother used to read to him when he was a little boy. This tells the audience that they’re in the middle of the story, setting up the movie’s somewhat atypical narrative. There’s plenty of backstory to fill in, but Forrest’s journey isn’t over yet either, touching on the film’s deeper themes of time and the irrepressible tide of history.