Forrest Gump
US (1994): Drama/Comedy
This unlikely story of a slow-witted but good-hearted man somehow at the center of the pivotal events of the 20th century is a funny and heartwarming epic. Tom Hanks plays the title character, a shy Southern boy in love with his childhood best friend (Robin Wright) who finds that his ability to run fast takes him places. As an All-Star football player he meets John F. Kennedy; as a soldier in Vietnam he's a war hero; and as a world champion ping-pong player he's hailed by Richard Nixon. Becoming a successful shrimp-boat captain, he still yearns for the love of his life, who takes a quite different and much sadder path. The visual effects incorporating Hanks into existing newsreel footage are both funny and impressive, but the heart of the film lies in its sweet love story and in the triumphant performance of Hanks as an unassuming soul who savors the most from his life and times. (Amazon.com)
13 nominations, 6 Awards
· Best Picture of the Year 1994: Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch and Steve Starkey - Producers (Steve Tisch/Wendy Finerman, Paramount)
· Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 1994: Tom Hanks
· Best Achievement in Directing 1994: Robert Zemeckis
· Best Achievement in Writing - Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published 1994: Eric Roth - screenplay
· Best Achievement in Film Editing 1994: Arthur Schmidt
· Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1994: Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum, Allen Hall
· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1994: Gary Sinise
· Achievement in Art Direction 1994: Rick Carter - Art Direction, Nancy Haigh - Set Decoration
· Achievement in Cinematography 1994: Don Burgess
· Achievement in Makeup 1994: Daniel C. Striepeke, Hallie D'Amore, Judith Alexander Cory
· Achievement in Music (Original Score) 1994: Alan Silvestri
· Achievement in Sound 1994: Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands, William B. Kaplan
· Achievement in Sound Editing 1994: Gloria S. Borders, Randy Thom