Summary
Forrest Gumptells the story of Forrest Gump’s eventful life as he grows up in Alabama, fights in the Vietnam War, runs across the country, and more, and just likeTom Hanks' character, the cast and crew traveled to many locations to film the 1994 comedy-drama. Given that the important moments in Forrest’s life occur in several different cities and places, it makes sense why the production was spread across the United States. However, despiteForrest Gumprelying heavily on on-location filming,principal photography only lasted about five months, beginning in August 1993 and ending in December.
Forrest Gumpwon six Oscars — Best Picture, Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth), Best Film Editing (Arthur Schmidt), and Best Visual Effects (Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Allen Hall and Stephen Rosenbaum).
In the years since its premiere,Forrest Gumphas become a classic. Of course, the 1994 comedy-drama received a lot of praise from critics and audiences alike upon its release and was a box office success as it grossed $678.2 million against a budget of $55 million. However, it has stood the test of time, with many stillquotingForrest Gump’s famous linesand repeatedlyrewatchingForrest Gump30 years later. It all began, though, whenthe cast and crew set out to film the comedy-drama in late 1993.
Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia
The Bench Where Forrest Tells His Life Story To Strangers
Perhaps the most iconicForrest Gumplocation can be found during the bench scenes. Robert Zemeckis' 1994 film begins with Tom Hanks as Forrest sitting on a bench at a bus stop. While waiting for his bus to come, Forrest talks to strangers and spills his entire life story up to that point to them (even if they don’t want to hear it).The entirety ofForrest Gumpis framed around the bench scenesas it flashes to different parts of his life.
A replica of theForrest Gumpbench used in the film can be found at the Savannah History Museum, while the original bench is reportedly kept in Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
Given its importance in the movie, many fans have traveled to Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia, where the bench scenes were filmed. Unfortunately,the bench was a fiberglass prop that the production crew made forForrest Gump.So, it is no longer in the square, but the James Oglethorpe Monument (which can be seen behind Forrest in the movie) is still there. Regardless, Chippewa Square is undoubtedly the most popular destination for those wanting to travel to theForrest Gumplocations.
De-Aged Tom Hanks Reunites With Forrest Gump Co-Star & Director In Here First-Look Images
The first images have been released from Here, showcasing Tom Hanks’ de-aged appearance as he reunites with his Forrest Gump costar and director.
Yemassee and Beaufort, South Carolina
Forrest’s Fictional Hometown Of Greenbow, Alabama
Forrest and Jenny (played by Robin Wright intheForrest Gumpcast) grow up in the small town of Greenbow, Alabama, in the comedy-drama. However,Greenbow is a fictional city,and these scenes weren’t even captured in Alabama. Instead, the cast and crew traveled to Yemassee and Beaufort in South Carolina to shoot all the sequences that take place in Greenbow. Whenyoung Forrest Gump’sbraces break off while running from bullies, or when Forrest and Jenny pray in a cornfield while fleeing from her father, all those scenes (and more) were filmed in the towns of Yemassee and Beaufort.
Forrest and Jenny’s homes were constructed for the film and torn down after production. Meanwhile, the large oak tree where Forrest and Jenny seek refuge and where Forrest later buries Jenny is located at Plum Hill in Yemassee, South Carolina.
Weingart Stadium, Monterey Park, California
University Of Alabama Football Games
Although Forrest is often teased and bullied inForrest Gump,things turn around when he receives a football scholarship to the University of Alabama. While some scenes featuring Forrest on the field being coached byreal-life figure Bear Bryant are inForrest Gump,they weren’t actually shot on the University of Alabama’s campus.Instead, the production crew utilized Weingart Stadium at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, California. The stadium had a small crowd of extras, but special effects were used to fill up all the seats and make it look like Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Hunting Island & Fripp Island, South Carolina
Vietnam War
According toSmithsonian Magazine,theForrest Gumpcrew members recreated the terrain of Vietnam on Hunting Island and Fripp Island in South Carolina.As fans will recall, Forrest enlists in the United States Army and is later sent overseas to fight in the Vietnam War alongside his friend Bubba in the middle ofthe Robert Zemeckis movie. However, all the war scenes were captured in South Carolina, which was seemingly a favorite location for the production crew.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington, D.C.
Anti-War Protest Where Forrest & Jenny Reunite
Forrest Gumpcontains many historical events, includingthe anti-war March on the Pentagon rally on August 06, 2025.After Forrest returns from the Vietnam War and receives the Medal of Honor, he’s walking around Washington, D.C. when he stumbles upon the protest and is accidentally given the mic across from the Washington Monument at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Jenny, who is at the rally, runs through the pool and screams Forrest’s name. The childhood friends embrace and reunite for the first time since Forrest left for the war.
Stoney Creek Presbyterian Chapel, McPhersonville, South Carolina
Bubba’s Family’s Church
Forrest starts his shrimp company inForrest Gump,but Forrest and Lieutenant Dan can’t seem to have any luck catching any shrimp. So, Gary Sinise’s character suggests that Forrest pray for them to find shrimp, and he takes that advice to heart.Forrest attends Four Square Baptist Church and sings in the church choir,and the church that Tom Hanks filmed at was Stoney Creek Presbyterian Chapel in McPhersonville, South Carolina.
Marshall Point Lighthouse, Maine
Forrest’s Run Across America
Later on inForrest Gump’s timeline, Forrest spontaneously decides to go for a run, and he doesn’t stop. He ends up running across the country, meaning that the production crew had to pick out several locations to show Forrest’s journey.One of the places that Forrest runs to is the Marshall Point Lighthousein Port Clyde, Maine. He travels all the way to the end of the dock before turning around to continue running throughout the United States.
The Forrest Gump Novel Was Very Different (Every Change Explained)
Forrest Gump was based on a novel, and that novel was a very different story when compared to the film. Here are all of the major changes.
Monument Valley, Utah and Arizona
Forrest Decides To Stop Running
Eventually,Forrest’s run across America has to come to an endin the 1994 comedy-drama. After a group of people join him on his run, Forrest stops in the middle of U.S. Route 163 in Monument Valley (which encompasses both Utah and Arizona). He turns around and tells them, “I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now,” and starts walking back to Alabama. Monument Valley is a popular filming location as several movies have used it besidesForrest Gump, includingStagecoach, Once Upon a Time in the West, Back to the Future III, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,and more.
Forrest Gump
Cast
Forrest Gump is a drama film released in 1994, starring Tom Hanks as the titular character. The film explores the life of a man with a low IQ who inadvertently shapes several historical events, while his personal journey remains centered on his unrequited love for childhood friend Jenny.
