As always, it’s challenging to adapt a novel into a film. Sometimes a lot gets cut in the end and Gump’s story was no exception. Out of 24 chapters in the original novel by Winston Groom, the film only really focuses on eleven of them. Still, the production company had reservations about adapting the whole thing, fearing that it would be too close to Oscar-winning film Rain Man starring Dustin Hoffman.
Warner Bros originally bought the casting right of Forrest Gump when it was still a script. They agreed to hand over Forrest Gump for the exchange of the screenplay to Executive decision, topping off the deal with $400,000 that they also paid to Paramount.
Only American Music
All of the songs in the film were by American artists, as Forrest would not have accepted anything else. The film’s soundtrack was very successful, jumping from #34 to #7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on July 30, 1994. This was definitely one of the factors that made Forrest a true American hero.
The songs kept climbing the charts. On August 6, 1994, it moved from #7 to #3 and held that position for one week. It reached its peak position of #2 on the charts on August 13, 1994, and remained there for seven weeks until September 17, 1994.
Fifteen Dr. Peppers Later…
In the scene where Forrest meets JFK at the White House along with his All-American college teammates, he drinks 15, Dr. Peppers, out of nervousness and hospitality for the food and Dr. Peppers that they get for free. He says that it is the best part about meeting the president of the U.S. When all of the teammates line up to meet the president, the president asks them what does it feel like to be an all-American.
While all of the other teammates respond with an answer along the lines of "so good" etc, when it is Forrest’s turn to speak, because of the many Dr. Peppers he downed, he tells the president that he has to pee.
Authentic Jewelry
The necklace that Lieutenant Dan wears in the film was taken from Gary Sinise's brother-in-law, Jack Trese, who wore it in Vietnam in 1967-68. The necklace has the words “Protect Us In Combat” inscribed in it. Sinise himself has made a lot of effort to help veterans over the years. The actor even created his own foundation, The Gary Sinise Foundation to assist these brave men.
Through his charity, the Gary Sinise Foundation, $30 million is raised for veterans annually. Included in the foundation is also a housing project, in which they have built 54 smart homes for the badly wounded with 16 in the works. In 2013 he was even named an honorary Marine at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C.
The Gump Home
Hoping to visit the home of Forrest Gump? Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find it. The home was taken down after the film. You can, however, still see the place where they built it, because that is in fact, very real. The Gump property, as well as Jenny's farmhouse, was built in Alabama on the Bluff Plantation on Twickenham Road, just southeast of Yemassee, on the Combahee River between Varnville and Beaufort.
Ufnortaunetly it was only built only for the movie, and completely torn down after filming, but the house resembled a typical big old southern farm-style house. You can find these kinds of properties all over the south, especially in that region.