Did you notice that in every picture taken of Forrest Gump throughout the movie, he had his eyes closed? While it might look a little funny, there is a reason why this keeps happening, and it had to do with Hanks and the director formulating a very believable character with strange quirks and habits. According to Hanks, he was trying to convey someone focusing hard on being “normal.”
The quirky character trait was ultimately Hanks’ decision. This, like many of the small details we see throughout the film, is just an example of another easter egg that we notice throughout the movie. It’s also a testament to the actor’s character building.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was cast in the film instead of Chevy Chase. Hanks embodied Gump’s character perfectly and it’s a good thing for the film’s sake that he was cast. Hanks was not only awarded by being cast in an award-winning film, but it also opened the door for him to become a dramatic actor. The role was a significant turning point for Hanks, to say the least.
While Tom Hanks was already pretty big at the time of the film, his career skyrocketed after that. The actor went on to nab up roles in pretty much everything, from heavy and action-packed dramas like the Spielberg classic Saving Private Ryan to animated childhood favorites like Toy Story and even some of our most beloved rom-coms like You've Got Mail.
Blue Checkered Shirt
If you thought you were having Déjà vu every time Forrest was wearing a blue checkered shirt, think again. We see Forrest grow up in front of our eyes throughout the film. We see him as a child, then as a young teenager, at the end of high school, and finally as an adult. And that blue checkered shirt is with him every step of the way. But there's a reason for that.
Gump wears this shirt during every age transition that it starts to become symbolic. When you find something that is fitting for you, you stick to it. At the end of the film, we see Forrest Gump’s son, Forrest Jr. also wearing a blue plaid shirt.
Robin Wright
Robin Wright gained critical acclaim for her performance as Jenny, Forrest’s childhood friend, and love interest. She received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe. The actress first gained attention for playing Kelly Capwell in the NBC Daytime soap opera, Santa Barbara, from 1984-1988.
She also starred in the Netflix series, House of Cards, for which she made $500,000 per episode. Other famous actresses turned down the opportunity to play Jenny, like Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore.
Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?
Often times, in the more physically taxing scenes of films, actors require a body double. While it's not easy to match the actors, usually the industry finds a way, especially if it's just a moment's shot. Luckily for him, they didn't have to look very far for a convincing double, they just had to check his family tree. For many of the running scenes, we actually see Tom Hanks's younger brother Jim.
Jim Hanks who, back then, was a fantastic runner, also had the advantage of sharing a resemblance to his brother (obviously). Not only does Jim play Tom Hank’s body double in Forrest Gump, due to their similar tone of voice, he has also substituted for his brother in various Toy Story video games. So when the award-winning actor is not available, he's able to pass the job on to his younger brother.