While millions are familiar with the film version of forrest gump, fewer are aware that the inspiration for that work came from a novel written in 1986 by winston groom. The books gump, who narrates in a garbled form of english, isnt a passive observer. Now he returns in the longawaited sequel to the book hailed by larry king as the funniest novel i have ever read. The title character retells adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships, to thinking about. Forrest gump, the novel, was written in 1986 by the author winston groom. Meet forrest gump, the lovable, hurculean, and surprisingly savy hero of this remarkable comic odyssey. The phenomenal hit film forrest gump garnered six academy awards, including best picture and best actor. Gumps adventures in the book are quite nutty but grooms imagery and southern drawl for forrest interspersed with forrest gumps grasp of things, carries the story brilliantly.
See more ideas about forrest gump, movie quotes and forrest gump quotes. It is not the less honest for being so funny, for bringing the woebegone archangels of our culture and history to judgement. Differences between forrest gump book vs movie page 2. Forrest gump is a 1994 american epic comedydrama romance movie. Forrest gumps character in the novel is much different than that of the man portrayed by actor tom hanks. Anyone who doesnt read this book deserves to spend the winter in north dakota jim harrison a superbly controlled satire, the washington post. How is the book forrest gump different from the movie. His early life may seem inauspicious, but when the university of alabamas football team drafts forrest and makes him a star, it sets him on an unbelievable path that will transform. Like the movie, the soundtrack to forrest gump succeeds at repackaging the familiar in the film, we. You need to read the book as a distinct entity from the film and then you will enjoy both. The movie portrayed forrest gump in a different way and as sometimes more innocent than his character in the book. Differences between forrest gump book vs movie page 3.
I have read the book forrest gump and also watched the forrest gump movie version. The title character retells adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships, to thinking about his childhood love, as he bumbles his way through american history, with everything from the vietnam war to college football becoming part of the story. Director robert zemeckis won an oscar for his inspired directing, which partially blunts the satirical edge of winston grooms novel but creates an. The book characters, for me, took on the face and voice of the film, which in turn made the book even more enjoyable. Adapting forrest gump turned a caustic satire into a. Inside the old suitcase are an assortment of clothes, a pingpong paddle, toothpaste and other personal items. He looks at the feather oddly, moves aside a box of chocolates from an old suitcase, then opens the case. The book and the movie have the same general idea, where theres a man with a low iq, who is part of many major events during the 20th century, but there are few similarities besides that. In this book, gump is not only older but he also wiser as well. At its core, forrest gump is a love storya love story between forrest and his momma, but more importantly, a love story between forrest and jenny. It was written to chronicle forrests life throughout the 1980s.
The movie forrest gump was created by paramount pictures in 1994. Recently, i rewatched the film forrest gump as part of the series on my top 10 favourite films, which im currently doing on my youtube channel. Thanks to the awardwinning performance from tom hanks, winston grooms 1986. After accidentally becoming the star of univerity of alabamas football team, forrest goes on to become a vietnam war hero, a worlclass pingpong player, a villainous wrestler, and a business tycoon as he wonders with cildlike wisdome at the insanity all around him. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Following that, i decided to check out the original novel by winston groom, published in 1986. Forrest pulls out a book titled curious george, then places the feather inside the book. After accidentally becoming the star of university of alabamas football team, forrest goes on to become a vietnam war hero, a worldclass pingpong player, a. The paperback of the forrest gump by winston groom at barnes. It is the sequel to his novel forrest gump 1986, and the academy awardwinning film of the same name released in 1994, with tom hanks. In the 20 years since it hit theaters, forrest gump has eclipsed the book it was based off of. Forrest gump book vs movie did this deserve an oscar. Its been thirteen years since forrest gump first ran into theaters, and now it looks like americas favorite chocolate loving mental deficient may be back for a sequel.
Forrest gump simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Forrest gump is the main character of both the movie and book. Thinking that the book, forrest gump would be just as amazing as i think the movie is, i decided to read it. There is a short closed tear to the front panel of the jacket at the t in gump and an associated crease. Now, forrest gump returns in this sequel, which has been hailed by the likes of stephen king as one of the funniest novels that he has ever read. He served in vietnam with the fourth infantry division and lives in point clear, alabama.
Forrest gump by winston groom, first edition abebooks. Very well written and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Here is a very rare example of a movie that is vastly superior to its source material. Tom hanks stars as the main character forrest gump. Six foot six, 242 pounds, and possessed of a scant iq of 70, forrest gump is the lovable, surprisingly savvy hero of this classic comic tale. His early life may seem inauspicious, but when the university of.
The monkey somehow gets hold of one of the waste receptacles and because the monkey doesnt lik. But considering all the failed efforts to convert great books into great movies, its clear that the mediums. Winston groom is the author of twenty previous books, including forrest gump, conversations with the enemy pulitzer prize finalist, shiloh 1862, and the generals. The book had sold about 30,000 copies before the release of the film. Forrest gump is line bred out of voltaire and huck finn.
Forrest gump the movie i think its safe to say that its more common to hear the book is way better than the movie than the other way around. Forrest gump by winston groom is a memoir of a halfwit in the 1960s70s whose life is not like a box of chocolates but is not at all humdrum. The surprise hit of the 1994 summer movie season traces the life of a halfwit through the major historical events of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and this soundtrack album is a travelogue of the same period, from elvis presleys 1956 hit hound dog to bob segers 1980 hit against the wind. As we, the readers, journey through gumps life, from his truthful perspective, winstom groom perfectly portrays his created character, it is unsuprising that it was made into a film and was the new york times bestseller. Forrest gump has an iq of about 70, but realizes that he is smarter than a lot of normal people. The book also has a sequel, released in 1995, called gump and co. The title character retells adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships, to thinking about his childhood love, as he bumbles his way through american history, with everything from the vietnam war to college football becoming part of the story gump is portrayed as viewing the world simply and truthfully. Roth had adapted the screeplay from the 1986 book, forrest gump by winston groom although he substantially changed various aspects such as gumps personality and some events depicted. The black panther party forest gump by prezi user on prezi. There is a bump to the rear cover where the book likely took a fall. While he spends nearly the whole movie mooning over jenny, she spends the whole.
All i really knew about the novel was that it differs in many ways from the film, so i was interested to see just how much. Why it took forrest gump author nearly 20 years to. Forrest gump is the baby boom generations tribute to itself, a panorama of american culture from the sleepy south of the 1950s to the aids epidemic of the 1980s. Top ebookreader, geniales display, sehr gute akkulaufzeit. Readers invited to free virtual book club event featuring. Forrest has a low iq, but he proves himself to have savant like ability when it comes to physics. The book was written by winston groom and released in 1986.
Forrest gump book vs movie english literature essay. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. Why it took forrest gump author nearly 20 years to write a new novel after forrest gump became a bestseller, winston groom says he ran out of good ideas for novels. In epilouge, if i were to choose one book to bring with me onto a desert island, it would probably be forrest gump by. It is based on the 1986 book of the same name by winston groom.
Grooms depiction of gump is rougher, with gump remaining very much a idiot throughout the entirety of the book, whereas by the end of the movie the character matures into a more thoughtful, wiser, and smarter person. It earned more money than any other movie in north america that year. The film is a technical masterpiece, skillfully weaving together numerous cultural reference points, all without ever causing the audience to pause for thought. The black panther party forest gump significance in forest gump the panthers are characterized as being angry because of racial discrimination. Despite flaws the binding is tight and the book itself. He has preferences over how his life goes and demonstrates selfawareness over being an idiot his word, but, probly, tho, im closer to bein a imbecile or maybe even a moron, but personally, id. The 1994 film stars tom hanks, robin wright, and gary sinise. Gump and co is the second book in the forrest gump book series.