However, Forrest himself explains early on in the story that he was born with very strong legs, but his spine was a little crooked, suggesting he may have had mild scoliosis. Along with his mental and social differences, it was a good way to create a diverse movie hero when such a concept wasn't exactly common.
The movie was about the life and times of Forrest Gump a fictitious character who suffers from a disability known as mental retardation. The movie starts at the very beginning as a child growing up in Alabama and one who was brought up by a single parent.
According to Answers.com Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) is depicted as a young man with leg braces and challenged cognitively enjoying a very full life. It was implied Forrest had polio, but it was never mentioned. It was thought that Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted polio while swimming in 1921.
Part of what makes Hanks' performance so indelible is his voice. Forrest not only has a deep Southern accent, but he speaks slowly and methodically, as if taking the time to figure out the right words. The signature accent was not Hanks' own creation, but inspired by another important player in "Forrest Gump."
Neither author Winston Groom nor star Tom Hanks or director Robert Zemeckis have ever commented on their view of whether or not Forrest was intended to be portrayed as autistic. Indeed, at the time Groom published the novel, in 1986, autism was still poorly understood and not widely recognized by most people.
Why did Jenny leave Forrest after sleeping with him?
Why did Jenny leave Forrest before he went on the long run? She recognised the innocence and purity of Forrest and all his actions and due to her childhood trauma that had caused her to have a tough life she did not want to burden Forrest with the same suffering.
That said, what's clear is that Jenny dies of Hepatitis C in the second book, while she dies of AIDS in the movies, even though it was only implied. Notably, Hepatitis C was discovered in 1989, which is why the doctors could do little for Jenny in the '80s.
Bubba, a Southern Black man with Autism-spectrum disorder, appears in the most substantially fleshed out historical event in Forrest Gump: the Vietnam War. After enlisting in the 47th Infantry Regiment in 1967, Forrest is onboard the bus to basic training when he meets Bubba, who offers him a seat.
Bubba was drafted into the United States Army, and was sitting on the bus heading to basic training when he first met Forrest, offering him a seat next to him. He is diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder.
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump: At an early age, Forrest is deemed to have a below-average IQ of 75. He has an endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties, character traits that bring him into many life-changing situations.
However, Forrest himself explains early on in the story that he was born with very strong legs, but his spine was a little crooked, suggesting he may have had mild scoliosis. Along with his mental and social differences, it was a good way to create a diverse movie hero when such a concept wasn't exactly common.
Much like the rest of his life, Forrest is direct, honest, and unwaveringly kind in handling Jenny's death and Forrest Jr.'s upbringing. At the end of the day, Forrest is his son's real father (genealogy aside).
Yes, Jim, the character Forrest Gump from the novel and 1994 film, was, according to the late author Winston Groom, diagnosed as an "Autistic Savant," which is the current updated medical nomenclature for his condition. No more "Idiot Savant," which is now considered demeaning.
Is Forrest Gump an accurate representation of autism?
While the film's eponymous character is never explicitly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Forrest Gump's triumph over his mental and physical setbacks pays homage to individuals who struggle with any kind of intellectual, developmental, or mental disorder.
Not only is this unrealistic, but it is also ableist. Forrest shouldn't have had to lose his disability in order to succeed, but in the movie he does. It sets him up as the hero of the film, insinuating that the protagonist couldn't have a visible disability for the audience to root for him.
Forrest Gump uses real historical events as a way to introduce Forrest and his acquaintances as products of America's turbulent narrative, but many of the factual occurrences were adjusted to account for Forrest's inclusion and dramatic effect. Here's the Forrest Gump true story explained.
The symbol doesn't come back into play until the film's very end, after he's sent his son on the bus for his first day of school. The feather represents Forrest's approach to life — it just floats through the world in whichever direction the wind takes it. A lot of what happens is up to chance — for good and for bad.
Forrest asks Jenny and Forrest Jr. to live with him, and Jenny proposes to Forrest. The two marry in the backyard. After some time of living together as a family, Jenny dies at age 32. Her illness is never explicitly stated, though screenwriter Eric Roth confirmed in a 2019 interview that she died of AIDS.
Though he died in the novel, it could be implied in the film that he abandoned his wife and child, because he didn't want to take the responsibility of a son who was mentally challenged (although it is possible he heard about Forrest's life achievements and would be proud of him).
Quite simply, Jenny does not feel she deserves to be loved — at least, not in the way that Forrest is ready to love her. This can also explain why Jenny repeatedly runs away from Forrest. With her total lack of self-esteem, Jenny feels that she needs to abandon Forrest in order to protect him.
The theory suggests that Jenny may not have known who the father was and decided to name him after Forrest, the most responsible and unimpeachable person she knew in her life [2]. Ultimately, Forrest accepts Jr. as his son without any questions, and he becomes his real father in terms of upbringing and care [2].
