Forest Gump

"FORREST GUMP"

Screenplay by

Eric Roth

Based on a novel by

Winston Groom

EXT. A SAVANNAH STREET - DAY (1981)

A feather floats through the air. The falling feather.

A city, Savannah, is revealed in the background. The feather floats down toward the city below. The feather drops down toward the street below, as people walk past and cars drive by, and nearly lands on a man's shoulder.

He walks across the street, causing the feather to be whisked back on its journey. The feather floats above a stopped car. The car drives off right as the feather floats down toward the street.

The feather floats under a passing car, then is sent flying back up in the air. A MAN sits on a bus bench. The feather floats above the ground and finally lands on the man's               mudsoaked shoe.

The man reached down and picks up the feather. His name is               FORREST GUMP. He looks at the feather oddly, moves aside a               box of chocolates from an old suitcase, then opens the case.

Inside the old suitcase are an assortment of clothes, a               pingpong paddle, toothpaste and other personal items.

Forrest pulls out a book titled "Curious George," then places the feather inside the book. Forrest closes the suitcase.

Something in his eyes reveals that Forrest may not be all there.

Forrest looks right as the sound of an arriving bus is heard.

A bus pulls up. Forrest remains on the bus bench as the bus continues on.

A BLACK WOMAN in a nurse's outfit steps up and sits down at               the bus bench next to Forrest. The nurse begins to read a               magazine as Forrest looks at her.

FORREST Hello. My name's Forrest Gump.

He opens a box of chocolates and holds it out for the nurse.

FORREST You want a chocolate?

The nurse shakes her head, a bit apprehensive about this strange man next to her.

FORREST I could eat about a million and a                         half of these. My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates.                        You never know what you're gonna                          get."

Forrest eats a chocolate as he looks down at the nurse's               shoes.

FORREST Those must be comfortable shoes. I'll bet you could walk all day in                         shoes like that and not feel a thing. I wish I had shoes like that.

BLACK WOMAN My feet hurt.

FORREST Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by                         their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been.

The black woman stares at Forrest as he looks down at his own shoes.

FORREST I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I                         think about it real hard I could remember my first pair of shoes.

Forrest closes his eyes tightly.

FORREST Momma said they'd take my anywhere.

INT. COUNTRY DOCTOR'S OFFICE - GREENBOW, ALABAMA - DAY (1951)

A little boy closes his eyes tightly. It is young Forrest as               he sits in a doctor's office.

FORREST (V.O.) She said they was my magic shoes.

Forrest has been fitted with orthopedic shoes and metal leg braces.

DOCTOR All right, Forrest, you can open your eyes now. Let's take a little walk around.

The doctor sets Forrest down on its feet. Forrest walks around stiffly. Forrest's mother, MRS. GUMP, watches him as he clanks around the room awkwardly.

DOCTOR How do those feel? His legs are strong, Mrs. Gump. As strong as I've                         ever seen. But his back is as crooked as a politician.

Forrest walks foreground past the doctor and Mrs. Gump.

DOCTOR But we're gonna straighten him right up now, won't we, Forrest?

A loud thud is heard as, outside, Forrest falls.

MRS. GUMP Forrest!

EXT. GREENBOW, ALABAMA

Mrs. Gump and young Forrest walk across the street. Forrest walks stiffly next to his mother.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, when I was a baby, Momma named me after the great Civil War hero, General Nathan Bedford Forrest...

EXT. RURAL ALABAMA

A black and white photo of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The photo turns into live action as the General dons a hooded sheet over his head.

The General is in full Ku Klux Klan garb, including his horse.

The General rides off, followed by a large group of Klan members dressed in full uniform.

FORREST (V.O.) She said we was related to him in                         some way. And, what he did was, he                         started up this club called the Ku                          Klux Klan. They'd all dress up in                         their robes and their bedsheets and act like a bunch of ghosts or spooks or something. They'd even put bedsheets on their horses and ride around. And anyway, that's how I got my name. Forrest Gump.

EXT. GREENBOW

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk across the street.

FORREST (V.O.) Momma said that the Forrest part was to remind me that sometimes we all do things that, well, just don't                         make no sense.

Forrest stops suddenly as his brace gets stuck. Forrest's               brace is caught in a gutter grate. Mrs. Gump bends down and tries to free Forrest. Two old cronies sit in front of a               barber shop and watch.

MRS. GUMP Just wait, let me get it.

Mrs. Gump struggles to pull the stuck brace from the grate.

MRS. GUMP Let me get it. Wait, get it this way. Hold on.

Forrest pulls his foot out of the grate.

MRS. GUMP All right.

Mrs. Gump helps Forrest up onto the sidewalk. She looks up               and notices the two old man.

MRS. GUMP Oooh. All right. What are you all staring at? Haven't you ever seen a                         little boy with braces on his legs before?

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along the sidewalk past the two old men. Mrs. Gump holds tightly onto Forrest's hand.

MRS. GUMP Don't ever let anybody tell you they're better than you, Forrest. If                         God intended everybody to be the same, he'd have given us all braces on our legs.

FORREST (V.O.) Momma always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them.

EXT. OAK ALLEY/THE GUMP BOARDING HOUSE

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along a dirt road. A row of               mailboxes stands left.

FORREST (V.O.) We lived about a quarter mile of                         Route 17, about a half mile from the town of Greenbow, Alabama. That's in                         the county of Greenbow. Our house had been in Momma's family since her grandpa's grandpa's grandpa had come across the ocean about a thousand years ago. Something like that.

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along the Gump Boarding House driveway.

FORREST (V.O.) Since it was just me and Momma and we had all these empty rooms, Momma decided to let those rooms out. Mostly to people passing through. Like from, oh, Mobile, Montgomery, place like that. That's how me and Mommy got money. Mommy was a real smart lady.

MRS. GUMP Remember what I told you, Forrest. You're no different than anybody else is.

Mrs. Gump heads Forrest to the porch. She bends down to look Forrest in the eye.

MRS. GUMP Did you hear what I said, Forrest? You're the same as everybody else. You are no different.

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL / PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - DAY

PRINCIPAL Your boy's... different, Mrs. Gump. Now, his I.Q. is seventy-five.

MRS. GUMP Well, we're all different, Mr. Hancock.

The principal sighs, then stands up.

INT. HALLWAY

Forrest sits outside the principal's office and waits.

FORREST (V.O.) She wanted me to have the finest education, so she took me to the Greenbow County Central School. I                         met the principal and all.

The principal stands in front of Mrs. Gump. Forrest, sitting left, listens.

PRINCIPAL I want to show you something, Mrs. Gump. Now, this is normal.

The principal holds up a chart with a designations according to I.Q. and points to the center of the graph, labeled "Normal." A red line below the normal area is labeled "State               Acceptance." The principal points to the section below the acceptance line labeled "Below."

PRINCIPAL Forrest is right here. The state requires a minimum I.Q. of eighty to                         attend public school, Mrs. Gump. He's gonna have to go to a special school. Now, he'll be just fine.

MRS. GUMP What does normal mean, anyway? He                         might be a bit on the slow side, but my boy Forrest is going to get the same opportunities as everyone else. He's not going to some special school to learn to how to re-tread tires. We're talking about five little points here. There must be something can be                         done.

INT. HALLWAY

Forrest sits outside the principal's office.

PRINCIPAL We're a progressive school system. We don't want to see anybody left behind.

INT. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE

PRINCIPAL Is there a Mr. Gump, Mrs. Gump?

MRS. GUMP He's on vacation.

EXT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest sits on a swing outside the house. Loud organic male grunts are heard coming from inside the house. Forrest sits on the swing as the grunts continue. The principal steps out of the Gump House and wipes the sweat from his face.

Forrest is sitting on the porch.

PRINCIPAL Well, your momma sure does care about your schooling, son. Mm-mm-mm.

The principal wipes the sweat from his neck, then looks back at Forrest.

PRINCIPAL You don't say much, do you?

Forrest grunts, imitating him. The principal, embarrassed, turns and walks away.

INT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE/FORREST'S BEDROOM

Mrs. Gump reads from the book "Curious George" as Forrest sits on the bed and listens.

MRS. GUMP Finally, he had to try it. It looked easy, but, oh, what happened. First there...

FORREST Momma, what's vacation mean?

MRS. GUMP Vacation?

FORREST Where Daddy went?

MRS. GUMP Vacation's when you go somewhere, and you don't ever come back.

Forrest lies down on his bed and looks up.

FORREST (V.O.) Anyway, I guess you could say me and Momma was on our own.

EXT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE - DAY

A cab driver closes the trunk of the car as two women walk toward the house. A milkman steps down from the porch.

FORREST (V.O.) But we didn't mind. Our house was never empty. There was always folks comin' and goin'.

MRS. GUMP (V.O.) Suppa.

INT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE

Mrs. Gump steps forward and speaks to all the boarders.

MRS. GUMP It's suppa, everyone. Forrest...

A MAN WITH A CANE steps left across the hall.

MAN WITH CANE My, my. That sure looks special.

Mrs. Gump looks into a sitting room and informs the boarders about dinner.

MRS. GUMP Gentlemen, would you care to join us                         for supper? Hurry up and get it before the flies do. I prefer you don't                         smoke that cigar so close to mealtime.

FORREST (V.O.) Sometimes we had so many people stayin' with us that every room was filled with travelers. You know, folks livin' out of their suitcases, and hat cases, and sample cases.

MRS. GUMP Well, you go ahead and start. I can't                         find Forrest.

Mrs. Gump walks up the stairs.

MRS. GUMP Forrest... Forrest...

FORREST (V.O.) One time a young man was staying with us, and he had him a guitar case.

Mrs. Gump looks into Forrest's room. She hears singing coming from another room and walks over to a closed door. Mrs. Gump opens the door, revealing a young man with long sideburns as               he plays the guitar and sings. Forrest holds onto a broom and dances oddly. The young man is ELVIS PRESLEY.

ELVIS PRESLEY (sings) "Well, you ain't never caught a                         rabbit, and you ain't no friend of                          mine."

Forrest's legs rock back and forth to the guitar.

MRS. GUMP Forrest! I told you not to bother this nice young man.

ELVIS Oh, no, that's all right, ma'am. I                         was just showin' him a thing or two on the guitar here.

MRS. GUMP All right, but your supper's ready if y'all want to eat.

ELVIS Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you, ma'am.

Mrs. Gump leaves and closes the door. Elvis sits back down.

Forrest stands left, and looks himself in a mirror.

ELVIS Say, man, show me that crazy little walk you just did there. Slow it                         down some.

Forrest begins to dance again as Elvis plays the guitar and sings.

ELVIS (sings) "You ain't nothin' but a hound, hound                         dog..."

FORREST (V.O.) I liked that guitar.

Forrest dances as he watches himself in the mirror.

FORREST (V.O.) It sounded good.

ELVIS (sings) "...cryin' all the time"

Forrest rocks up and down on his braced legs, then begins to               step.

ELVIS (sings) "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog..."

FORREST (V.O.) I started moving around to the music, swinging my hips. This one night me                         and Momma...

EXT. GREENBOW - NIGHT

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along a sidewalk. A television inside a store window reveals Elvis Presley as he performs "Houng Dog" on a stage.

FORREST (V.O.) ...was out shoppin', and we walked right by Benson's Furniture and Appliance store, and guess what.

The television reveals Elvis as he thrusts his hips and sings.

ELVIS (sings) You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

Mrs. Gump and Forrest watch the television. Elvis dances around in the same manner Forrest did. A woman in the audience screaming and applauding.

ELVIS (sings) You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

MRS. GUMP This is not children's eyes.

Mrs. Gump walks away, pulling Forrest with her. Forrest stops and takes one last look. Elvis continues to perform over the television.

ELVIS (sings) "Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit                         and you ain't no friend of mine."

FORREST (V.O.) Some years later, that handsome young man who they called "The King," well, he sung too many songs, had himself a heart attack or something.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY

Forrest is still sitting on the bus bench. The black nurse looks at him.

FORREST Must be hard being a king. You know, it's funny how you remember some things, but some things you can't.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD/ALABAMA - MORNING (1954)

Mrs. Gump and Forrest wait for the school bus. The bus pulls up as Mrs. Gump prepares Forrest for his first day of school.

MRS. GUMP You do your very best now, Forrest.

FORREST I sure will, Momma.

FORREST (V.O.) I remember the bus ride on the first day of school very well.

The bus driver opens the door and looks down. Forrest walks to the steps of the bus and looks at the bus driver. She is               smoking a cigarette.

BUS DRIVER Are you comin' along?

FORREST Momma said not to be taking rides from strangers.

BUS DRIVER This is the bus to school.

FORREST I'm Forrest Gump.

BUS DRIVER I'm Dorothy Harris.

FORREST Well, now we ain't strangers anymore.

The bus driver smiles as Forrest steps up into the bus.

INT. BUS

Forrest steps up onto the bus. Mrs. Gump waves to Forrest as               the bus drives away. Forrest begins to walk down the aisle.

TWO YOUNG BOYS look up from the seat.

BOY #1 This seat's taken.

BOY #2 It's taken!

Forrest looks around. A larger girl slides over so Forrest can't sit next to her. She shakes her head. Forrest looks to               the other side where a boy sits alone on a larger seat. They boy glares up at Forrest.

BOY #3 You can't sit here.

FORREST (V.O.) You know, it's funny what a young man recollects. 'Cause I don't                         remember being born.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY

Forrest continues talking as he sits on the bus bench.

FORREST (V.O.) I, I... don't recall what I got for my first Christmas and I don't know when I went on my first outdoor picnic. But, I do remember the first time I heard the sweetiest voice...

INT. BUS - MORNING (1954)

Young Forrest is still standing in the aisle on the bus.

FORREST (V.O.) ...in the wide world.

GIRL You can sit here if you want.

Forrest looks back at JENNY CURRAN, a young girl about Forrest's age.

FORREST (V.O.) I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. She was like an angel.

JENNY Well, are you gonna sit down, or                         aren't ya?

Forrest sits down next to Jenny.

JENNY What's wrong with your legs?

FORREST Um, nothing at all, thank you. My                         legs are just fine and dandy.

FORREST (V.O.) I just sat next to her on that bus and had conversation all the way to                         school.

JENNY Then why do you have those shoes on?

FORREST My momma said my back's crooked like a question mark. These are going to                         make me as straight as an arrow. They're my magic shoes.

FORREST (V.O.) And next to Momma, no one ever talked to me or asked me questions.

JENNY Are you stupid or something.

FORREST Mommy says stupid is as stupid does.

Jenny puts her hand out toward Forrest. Forrest reaches over and shakes her hand.

JENNY I'm Jenny.

FORREST I'm Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump.

FORREST (V.O.) From that day on, we was always together. Jenny and me was like peas and carrots.

EXT. OAK TREE - DAY

Young Jenny and Forrest run toward a large oak tree.

FORREST (V.O.) She taught me how to climb...

Jenny sits on a large branch and calls down to Forrest.

JENNY Come on, Forrest, you can do it.

Forrest dangles from the branch.

FORREST (V.O.) ...I showed her how to dangle.

Jenny and Forrest sit on a tree branch and read.

FORREST "...a good little monkey and..."

FORREST (V.O.) She helped me to learn how to read.

Forrest hangs upside down from a branch and swings back and forth. Forrest's braces are wedged in the tree.

FORREST (V.O.) And I showed her to swing.

EXT. OAK TREE - NIGHT

The silhouete of the oak tree, Jenny and Forrest as they sit on a branch.

FORREST (V.O.) Sometimes we'd just sit out and wait for the stars.

FORREST Momma's gonna worry about me.

Jenny puts her hand on Forrest's hand.

JENNY Just stay a little longer.

FORREST (V.O.) For some reason, Jenny didn't never want to go home.

FORREST Okay, Jenny. I'll stay.

FORREST (V.O.) She was my most special friend.

INT. SAVANNAH/BUS STOP - DAY

Forrest nods as he remembers.

FORREST My only friend.

Forrest continues talking to the black woman. She doesn't               seem to be listening as she reads her magazine. She looks up               from her magazine.

FORREST Now, my Momma always told me that miracles happen every day. Some people don't think so, but they do.

EXT. OAK ALLEY - ANOTHER DAY (1954)

Jenny and Forrest walk. A dirt clod hits Forrest in the back of the head. Jenny looks as Forrest rubs his head. THREE YOUNG BOYS get off their bikes and pick up more rocks.

BOY #1 Hey... dummy!

Forrest is hit in the eye with another dirt clod. Forrest falls backward onto the ground as the boys glare at him.

BOY #2 Are you retarded, or just plain stupid?

BOY #3 Look, I'm Forrest Gump.

Jenny helps Forrest back up. Boy #1 and Boy #2 throw more dirt clods at Forrest.

JENNY Just run away, Forrest.

Another dirt clod hits Forrest in the arm.

JENNY Run, Forrest!

Forrest tries to run along the road, but his braces makes it               impossible. He hobbles along as Jenny yells after him.

JENNY Run away! Hurry!

Boy #1 and Boy #2 turn back toward the bikes.

BOY #2 Get the bikes!

BOY #3 Hurry up!

The boys pick up their bikes and ride after Forrest.

BOY #3 Let's get him! Come on!

BOY #2 Look out, dummy, here we come!

The boys ride after Forrest. Jenny stands and watches.

BOY #2 We're gonna get you!

JENNY Run, Forrest! Run!

Forrest hobbles along the dirt road.

JENNY Run, Forrest!

Forrest looks over his shoulder. The three boys race on their bikes.

BOY #1 Come back here, you!

Forrest begins to run faster with his braces on. Forrest continues running as the boys chase him. Blood drips down from a cut on his head. The boys on the bikes are gaining on               Forrest. Forrest hobbles along. He begins to gain speed.

JENNY Run, Forrest! Run!

SLOW MOTION --

Forrest runs from the chasing room. He looks over his shoulder in fear.

The boys on the bikes peddle faster as they gain on Forrest, running.

Forrest tries to run even faster to get away. Suddenly his braces shatter, sending steel and plastic flying into the air.

Forrest runs and look down at his legs in surprise.

Forrest continues to run faster as the metal braces and straps fly off his legs.

Forrest runs free of his braces and begins to pick up speed.

The chasing boys ride over the remains of Forrest's braces.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, you wouldn't believe it if I                         told you.

EXT. SAVANNAH/ BUS BENCH - DAY

FORREST But I can run like the wind blows.

The black woman continues to read her magazine. Forrest smiles as he remembers.

FORREST From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!

EXT. OAK ALLEY - DAY (1954)

Forrest sprints away from the boys. The boys stop the chase and watch in disbelief. Forrest is already at the far end of               the road, clear of the chasing boys.

BOY #2 He's gettin' away! Stop him!

Boy #1 throws his bike down in frustration. Forrest runs across a field.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD

Forrest runs past a chain gang in their prison uniforms.

They are cutting at the weeds on the side of the road.

EXT. GREENBOW

Forrest runs across the street. THE TWO OLD MEN sit in front of the barber shop.

OLD CRONY That boy sure is a running fool.

EXT. JENNY'S HOUSE

Forrest runs down a driveway toward Jenny's small house.

FORREST (V.O.) Now remember how I told you that Jenny never seemed to want to go                         home? Well, she lived in a house that was as old as Alabama. Her Momma had gone up to heaven when she was five and her daddy was some kind of                         a farmer.

Forrest knocks on Jenny's door.

FORREST Jenny? Jenny?

Forrest look around the field at the left. He notices Jenny and runs toward her.

FORREST (V.O.) He was a very lovin' man. He was always kissing and touchin' her and her sisters. And then this one time, Jenny wasn't on the bus to go to                         school.

Forrest runs to Jenny.

FORREST Jenny, why didn't you come to school today?

JENNY Hsh! Daddy's takin' a nap.

Jenny grabs Forrest's hand and runs into the field. Jenny's               DAD drunk, steps out onto the porch and shouts.

JENNY'S DAD Jenny!

JENNY Come on!

JENNY'S DAD Jenny, where'd you run to? You'd                         better come back here, girl!

Jenny's dad steps out toward the field. Jenny leads Forrest into the thick tobacco field. Jenny's dad runs through the field searching for Jenny with a liquor bottle in his hand.

JENNY'S DAD Where you at?

Jenny and Forrest run into a corn field as Jenny's dad tries to chase her.

JENNY'S DAD Jenny! Jenny! Where you at? Jenny!

Jenny drops to her knees and pulls Forrest down with her.

JENNY Pray with me, Forrest. Pray with me.

JENNY'S DAD Jenny!

JENNY Dear God, make me a bird so I can fly far, far, far away from here. Dear God, make me a bird so I can fly far, far, far away from here.

FORREST (V.O.) Momma always said that God is                         mysterious.

JENNY'S DAD Jenny! Get back here!

FORREST (V.O.) He didn't turn Jenny into a bird that day. Instead...

EXT. TRAILER PARK/ALABAMA - DAY (1955)

A police officer escorts Jenny to her grandmother's trailer.

Jenny's grandmother meets Jenny outside and leads her toward the trailer.

FORREST (V.O.) ...he had the police say Jenny didn't                         have to stay in that house no more. She went to live with her grandma just over on Creekmore Avenue, which made me happy 'cause she was so close.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT (1955)

Jenny climbs over a second-floor railing and enters the house.

FORREST (V.O.) Some nights, Jenny'd sneak out and come over to my house, just 'cause she said she was scared. Scared of                         what, I don't know...

INT. GUMP HOUSE/FORREST'S BEDROOM

Jenny lies in bed next to young Forrest. She hugs him.

FORREST (V.O.) ...but I think it was her grandma's                         dog. He was a mean dog. Anyway, Jenny and me was best friends...

EXT. GREENBOW/OAK ALLEY - DAY (1961)

Forrest and Jenny are teenagers now. They walk along an               oaklined road.

FORREST (V.O.) ...all the way to high school.

Suddenly Forrest is hit in the back with a rock. Forrest and Jenny turn around.

OLDER BOY #1 Hey, stupid!

JENNY Quit it!

A teenage boy throws another rock as a pickup truck pulls up               behind him. Jenny turns and looks at Forrest.

JENNY Run, Forrest, run!

OLDER BOY #1 Hey. Did you hear me, stupid?

JENNY Run, Forrest!

Forrest drops his books and runs down the road. The teenage boy jumps into the back of the pickup truck with another boy as the truck speeds after Forrest. Jenny steps left and gets out of the way.

OLDER BOY #2 Come on, he's getting away! Move it!

JENNY Run, Forrest! Run!

OLDER BOY #1 You better be runnin', stupid.

Forrest runs along the road. The truck speeds after him.

OLDER BOY #2 Come on, dummy!

OLDER BOY #1 Haul ass, dummy!

Older Boy throws rocks at Forrest.

OLDER BOY #1 Yeah, you better be runnin'!

INT. TRUCK

BOY Ya-hoo!

EXT. OAK ALLEY

The boys in the back of the truck throw rocks at Forrest as               they drive up to him.

OLDER BOY #1 Move it, jack rabbit!

The truck follows right on Forrest's heels. A rebel flag license plate adorns the truck's grill.

OLDER BOY #1 Come on!

Forrest runs along the road as the truck chases him. The boys in the back of the truck pound on the roof as the truck turns right, after Forrest. The truck drives into a field.

Forrest runs toward a fence.

BOY Run! Faster! Yeah! Go! Go! Come on, Forrest! Yeah!

JENNY Run, Forrest!

Forrest leaps over a five-foot fence as the boys try to catch him.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY (1981)

Forrest looks left as he continues telling his life story.

FORREST Now, it used to be, I ran to get where I was goin'. I never thought it would take me anywhere.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL/ROAD - DAY (1961)

Forrest runs along the road in front of the high school. The truck continues to chase him as the boys pound on the roof.

OLDER BOY Come on. Whoo-hoo!

The truck speeds past Forrest as he turns from the road and runs onto the high school football field. Forrest runs across the field during a football scrimmage.

In the stands watching the scrimmage is the legendary University of Alabama football coach BEAR BRYANT, wearing his trademark plaid hat.

A group of assistant coaches sit around him, as well as the high school football coach. The quarterback throws the ball into the air.

Forrest runs past the quarterback. The receiver catches the ball. Forrest runs past the receiver as an opposing player tackles the stunned receiver.

The football coach stands, followed by the assistant coaches.

FOOTBALL COACH Who in the hell is that?

HIGH SCHOOL COACH That there is Forrest Gump. Coach. Just a local idiot.

Forrest runs under the field goal post and through the end zone.

FORREST (V.O.) And can you believe it? I got to go                         to college, too.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA STADIUM - DAY (1962)

The crowd roars with excitement as a football is kicked off.

The football players run around on the field. The crowd of               cheering fans create a huge sign that reads: "GO."

Forrest is in a University of Alabama football uniform. He               looks up into the cheering crowd as his teammate fields the kickoff. The teammate runs over to Forrest and hands him the ball.

FOOTBALL COACH Okay! Run!

The football coach, the assistants, and Alabama players cheer for Forrest.

FOOTBALL COACH Run, you stupid son-of-a-bitch! Run!

Forrest runs across the field. He speeds past the defending players. Forrest runs past the opposite players. The crowd cheers wildly, holding up cards, making a large sign that reads: "Go."

They turn the cards over, creating the word: "ALABAMA." The football coach runs along the sidelines as he yells.

FOOTBALL COACH You stupid son-of-a-bitch! Run! Go! Run!

Forrest cuts and runs toward the sidelines. Two opposing players collide. The football coach, the assistants and the players all motion for Forrest to run toward the end zone.

FOOTBALL COACH Run! Turn! Go!

Forrest turns up the sidelines and runs toward the end zone.

Some opposing players fall down. Forrest runs along the sidelines. The opposing players try to catch him.

Forrest runs into the end zone as an opposing player dives at his feet. The referee holds up his arm, signaling a touch down. The crowd cheers wildly.

Forrest continues to run, smashing through the band members, then all the way toward the team tunnel. The football coach looks at an assistant coach.

FOOTBALL COACH He must be the stupidest son-of-a- bitch alive. But he sure is fast!

FORREST (V.O.) Now, maybe it was just me but college was very confusing times.

INT. GREENBOW/BARBER SHOT - BLACK & WHITE TELEVISION (JUNE               11, 1963)

An anchorman named CHET HUNTLEY appears over the television.

CHET HUNTLEY (on TV) Federal troops enforcing a court order integrated the University of                         Alabama today.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA - DAY

Forrest walks through a crowd of people.

CHET HUNTLEY Governor George Wallace had carried out his symbolic threat to stand in                         the schoolhouse door.

GOVERNOR WALLACE We hereby denounce and forbid this illegal and unwarranted action by                         the central government.

INT. GREENBOW/BARBER SHOP

A black & white television reveals George Wallace as he stands in the doorway of the schoolhouse.

KATZENBACH (on TV) Governor Wallace, I take it from that, uh...

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Forrest steps over to a young man as the crowd looks at the demonstration.

KATZENBACH ...statement that you are going to                         stand in that door, and that you are not going to carry out the orders of                         this court, and that you are going to resist us from doing so. I would ask you once again to responsibility step aside and if you do not, I'm                         going to assure you...

FORREST Earl, what's going on?

EARL Coons are tryin' to get into school.

FORREST Coons? When raccoons try to get on                         our back porch, Momma just chase 'em                          off with a broom.

EARL Not raccoons, you idiot, niggas. And they want to go to school with us.

FORREST With us? They do?

Forrest walks toward the schoolhouse.

INT. COACHES' OFFICE

A football coach looks at a black and white television as a               newsman outside the schoolhouse speaks to the camera.

NEWSMAN (on TV) ...block the doorway, President Kennedy ordered the Secretary of                         Defense then to use the military force.

BLACK AND WHITE FOOTAGE

The footage cuts to Governor Wallace as he speaks to General Graham.

NEWSMAN Here by videotape is the encounter by General Graham, Commander of the National Guard, and Governor Wallace.

Forrest stands next to George Wallace and listens.

GOVERNOR WALLACE We must have no violence today, or                         any other day, because these National Guardsmen are here today as Federal Soldiers for Alabamans. And they live within our borders and they are all our brothers. We are winning in                         this fight because we are awakening the American people to the dangers that we have spoken about so many times, just so evident today, the trend toward military dictatorship in this country.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Some of the Alabama policeman and citizens clap their hands as the National Guardsmen stand at attention with their weapons in front of them. Forrest walks through the crowd.

Two black students were being led toward the schoolhouse.

NEWSMAN And so at day's end the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa had been desegregated and students Jimmy Hood and Vivian Malone had been signed up                         for summer classes.

The young black girl drops one of her books. Forrest notices and steps past the policeman toward the book on the ground.

Forrest steps out from the crowd and picks up the book. He               brings it up to the girl.

FORREST Ma'am, you dropped your book. Ma'am.

INT. COACHES' OFFICE - NIGHT (1963)

A coach looks at the television. The television reveals Forrest as he stands at the schoolhouse door. He looks around, then waves.

CHET HUNTLEY (on TV) Governor Wallace did what he promised to do. By being on the Tuscaloosa campus, he kept the mob from gathering and prevented violence.

An assistant coach looks at the television, then at the other coaches.

ASSISTANT COACH Say, wasn't that Gump?

The football coach and two assistant coaches look. Forrest dries himself off with a towel as he steps from the showers.

CHET HUNTLEY (on TV) NBC News will present a special program on the Alabama integration story at 7:30 p.m. tonight...

ASSISTANT COACH Naw, that couldn't be.

FOOTBALL COACH It sure as hell was.

CHET HUNTLEY ...standard Eastern Daylight Time. Now a word from Anacin.

Forrest steps up to the coaches' area and grabs a clean towel.

The coaches turn and stare at Forrest. Forrest gives them one of his silly waves, then walks away.

COLOR FOOTAGE - Governor Wallace waves to the crowd as he               stands behind a podium with his wife.

FORREST (V.O.) A few years later, that angry little man at the schoolhouse door thought it would be a good idea, and ran for President.

COLOR FOOTAGE - Governor Wallace mingles in a crowd. Gunshots are fired, wounding him. Some men wrestle the shooter. Wallace lies wounded on the ground.

FORREST (V.O.) But, somebody thought that it wasn't.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY (1981)

Forrest sits on the bench as the black woman looks at him. A               WHITE WOMAN with a bay sits left.

FORREST But he didn't die.

A bus pulls up to the bus stop. The BLACK WOMAN looks down at her watch.

BLACK WOMAN My bus is here.

FORREST Is it the number 9?

BLACK WOMAN No, it's the number 4.

The Black Woman gets up and steps over to the bus.

FORREST It was nice talkin' to you.

The white woman sits closer to Forrest.

WHITE WOMAN I remember when that happened, when Wallace got shot. I was in college.

FORREST Did you go to a girls' college, or                         to a girls' and boys' together college?

WHITE WOMAN It was co-ed.

FORREST 'Cause Jenny went to a college I                         couldn't go to. It was a college just for girls.

EXT, GIRLS' COLLEGE/JENNY'S DORM - NIGHT (1963)

Forrest sits outside Jenny's dorm in the rain.

FORREST (V.O.) But, I'd go and visit her every chance I got.

A car pulls up. A song is heard from the radio. Forrest, holding a box of chocolates, looks at the car. The two people inside the car begins to kiss and embrace each other. Jenny is inside the car with a boy. She leans back against the passenger side door as they struggle to get comfortable.

JENNY Ouch! That hurts.

Forrest gets up and runs toward the car. He tries to look in               the window as he steps over to the driver's side door. He               opens the door and begins to punch the boy inside. Jenny jump out of the car and runs over to Forrest.

JENNY Forrest! Forrest! Forrest, stop it! Stop it!

BILLY Jesus!

JENNY What are you doing?

FORREST He was hurtin' you.

Jenny's date, named BILLY, gets out of the car angrily.

BILLY What the hell is going on here?

JENNY No, he's not!

BILLY Who is that? Who is that?

JENNY Get over there!

Jenny turns and looks at Billy. He shoves Jenny's hands away from him.

JENNY Billy, I'm sorry.

BILLY What in the hell, git, would you git away from me!

JENNY Don't... Wait a second!

BILLY Git, just git away from me!

JENNY Don't go! Billy, wait a second!

Billy gets back into the car.

JENNY He doesn't know any better!

Billy pulls away as Jenny steps toward Forrest.

JENNY Forrest, why'd you do that?

Forrest holds out the box of chocolates.

FORREST I brought you some chocolates. I'm                         sorry. I'll go back to my college now.

JENNY Forrest, look at you! Come on. Come on.

Jenny grabs Forrest hand and leads him toward the dorm.

INT. JENNY'S DORM/HALLWAY

Jenny and Forrest sneak to Jenny's door.

FORREST Is this your room?

JENNY Shh!

Jenny unlocks the door and they step inside.

INT. JENNY'S DORM ROOM

Jenny pulls a robe off of her sleeping roommate's bed. Jenny hands the robe to Forrest, sitting on Jenny's bed.

JENNY Do you ever dream, Forrest, about who you're gonna be?

FORREST Who I'm gonna be?

JENNY Yeah.

FORREST Aren't I going to be me?

JENNY Well, you'll always be you, just another kind of you. You know? I                         want to be famous.

Jenny picks up a towel, then walks back toward Forrest. Jenny dries the water from her hair.

JENNY I want to be a singer like Joan Baez. I just want to be an empty stage with my guitar, my voice... just me.

Jenny takes off her slip and sits on the bed next to him.

She is only wearing her bra and panties. Forrest looks at               Jenny like he's never seen a woman in her underwear before.

JENNY And I want to reach people on a                         personal level. I want to be able to                         say things, just one-to-one.

Forrest looks down at Jenny's breasts. Jenny realizes that he is looking at her.

JENNY Have you ever been with a girl, Forrest?

FORREST I sit next to them in my home economics class all the time.

DJ                             (over radio) You're listening to WHHY in                         Birmingham, the clear A.M. voice of                          Northern Alabama. I'm Joel Dorn...

Forrest looks at Jenny as she removes her bra. Forrest looks away, a bit shamed. Jenny takes his hand and guides it up to               her breast.

DJ                             (over radio) ...coming to you on a night that is                         anything but clear. The weatherman says that rain's gonna fall all night long so stay with us, get warm, get cozy, get under the covers to the cool sounds of WHHY.

Forrest looks over at Jenny's breasts, the shudder as he has an orgasm.

FORREST Ohh... Oh... I'm sorry. Sorry.

JENNY It's okay.

DJ                             (over radio) ...444-6789, with ya till sunrise, playing the music you want to hear when you want to hear it. If you have a request or dedication, give us a call. We guarantee you'll hear your requests within one hour.

Forrest breathes heavily. Jenny puts her bra back on.

JENNY It's all right.

Jenny leans over and puts her head on Forrest's shoulder.

DJ                             (over radio) Candy is on the line tonight. Candy's                         answering the phones, give Candy your request, your dedication, and ask her why she won't go out with me, would you? Here's more music.

JENNY It's okay.

FORREST Oh, I'm dizzy.

A song is coming over the radio. Jenny hugs Forrest.

JENNY I bet that never happened in home ec.

FORREST No.

Jenny laughs and kisses Forrest on the cheek. Forrest and Jenny hug on the bed as Jenny's roommate pretends to be               asleep, but is listening, horrified, with her eyes open.

FORREST I think I ruined your roommate's                         bathrobe.

JENNY I don't care. I don't like her, anyway.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA/FOOTBALL STADIUM - DAY (1963)

Forrest runs across the field as the defending team chases him. The crowd yells for Forrest. They flip a sign that reads: "Go Forrest."

CROWD Run! Run! Run!

Forrest runs along the field. The crowd cheers.

CROWD Run! Run! Run!

Forrest runs into the end zone. The band members rush toward Forrest with their hands up, signaling him to stop. The crowd flips over cards, creating a sign that reads "STOP."

CROWD Stop!

Forrest stops in the end zone as he hears the crowd yells.

The band motions for Forrest to stop and stay in the end

zone. A group of defending players fall over each other in               the end zone. Forrest looks as the crowd cheers wildly.

FORREST (V.O.) College ran by real fast 'cause I                         played so much football.

BLACK AND WHITE PARAMOUNT NEWSREEL - DAY (1963)

The White House with the words "The eyes and ears of the               world Paramount News" superimposed.

FORREST (V.O.) They even put me on a thing called the All-America Team where you get to meet the President of the United States.

BLACK AND WHITE NEWSREEL

PRESIDENT KENNEDY holds an autographed football as the All- American Team stands behind him. Forrest is among the players in suits.

ANNOUNCER (over newsreel) President Kennedy met with the Collegiate All-American Football Team at the Oval Office today.

INT. WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION AREA - DAY (1963)

The All-American players mingle around the food table. Forrest steps up to the table. A large spread of food and soda is on               the table.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, the real good thing about meeting the President of the United States is the food.

Forrest takes a bottle of Dr. Pepper from the buffet table.

Numerous bottle of Dr. Pepper are displayed on the table. A               servant opens the bottle for him.

FORREST (V.O.) They put you in this little room with just about anything you'd want to eat or drink. And since number one, I wasn't hungry, but thirsty...

Forrest begins to guzzle the Dr. Pepper.

FORREST (V.O.) ...and number two, they was free, I                         musta drank me about fifteen Dr. Peppers.

Forrest sets down an empty Dr. Pepper bottle next to a large number of other empty bottles. Forrest holds his stomach and burps.

BLACK AND WHITE FOOTAGE - President Kennedy shakes hands with the All-American football players.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY Congratulations. How does it feel to                         be an All-American?

1ST PLAYER It's an honor, Sir.

Another player steps up to the President and shakes the President's hand.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY Congratulations. How does it feel to                         be an All-American?

2ND PLAYER Very good, Sir.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY Congratulations. How does it feel to                         be an All-American?

3RD PLAYER Very good, Sir.

The player walks away. Forrest steps up to the President.

The President shakes his hand.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY Congratulations. How do you feel?

FORREST I gotta pee.

President Kennedy turns and smiles.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY I believe he said he had to go pee.

INT. WHITE HOUSE/BATHROOM

Forrest urinates in the bathroom, then lowers the lid and flashes. Forrest washes his hands, then notices an autographed photo from Marilyn Monroe and a photo of John with his brother Bobby.

FORREST (V.O.) Sometime later, for no particular reason, somebody shot that nice young President when he was ridin' in his car.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE - DAY SLOW MOTION - President Kennedy rises in a convertible and smiles.

FORREST And a few years after that...

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE - Robert Kennedy stands at a podium as people around him applaud.

FORREST (V.O.) ...somebody shot his little brother, too, only he was in a hotel kitchen.

EXT. SAVANNHA/BUS BENCH - DAY (1981)

Forrest sits on the bench and shakes his head.

FORREST It must be hard being brothers. I                         wouldn't know.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA - DAY - GRADUATION DAY (1966)

Students in their caps and gowns step forward the podium to               receive their diplomas. Forrest's name is called. He steps up and accepts his diploma.

DEAN Forrest Gump.

FORREST (V.O.) Now can you believe it? After only five years of playing football, I                         got a college degree.

The dean shakes Forrest's hand vigorously. Forrest looks out into the crowd.

DEAN Congratulations, son.

Mrs. Gump, sitting in the audience, cries.

FORREST (V.O.) Momma was proud.

Forrest and Mrs. Gump have their picure taken in front of a               large statue. A military recruiter spots Forrest and steps up to him.

MRS. GUMP Forrest, I'm so proud of you. Here, I'll hold this for you.

Mrs. Gump takes the diploma from Forrest. The recruiter slaps Forrest on the shoulder and hands him some military literature.

MILITARY RECRUITER Congratulations, son. Have you given any thought to your future?

FORREST Thought?

Forrest looks at a pamphlet with a photo of "Uncle Sam" and the caption "EXCELLENT CAREERS FOR EXCELLENT YOUNG MAN. Apply               now at your local U.S. Army Recruiting Center."

FORREST (V.O.) Hello, I'm Forrest...

INT. ARMY BUS - DAY (1966)

Forrest steps onto the army bus. Rain pours outside as the army bus driver yells at Forrest.

FORREST ...Forrest Gump.

ARMY BUS DRIVER Nobody gives a hunk of shit who you are, fuzzball! You're not even a                         lowlife scum sucking maggot! Get your faggoty ass on the bus. You're                         in the Army now!

Forrest is about to sit on the first available seat, but the recruit sitting there refuses Forrest.

RECRUIT #1 This seat's taken.

Forrest tries to sit on the next seat, but the 2nd recruit slides over, blocking him.

RECRUIT #2 It's taken.

Forrest steps forward, looking much like he did on his first bus ride to school years ago.

FORREST (V.O.) At first, it seemed like I made a                         mistake.

A large black recruit with a strange look on his face, much like Forrest's, looks up from his seat. His name is BUBBA.

FORREST (V.O.) ...seeing how it was my induction day and I was already gettin' yelled at.

Bubba moves his case over, making room for Forrest to sit down.

BUBBA You can sit down... if you want to.

FORREST (V.O.) I didn't know who I might meet or                         what they might ask.

Bubba hands Forrest a handkerchief.

BUBBA You ever been on a real shrimp boat?

FORREST No, but I been on a real big boat.

BUBBA I'm talkin' about a shrimp catchin' boat. I've been workin' on shrimp boats all my life. I started out my                         uncle's boat, that's my mother's                          brother, when I was about maybe nine. I was just lookin' into buyin' a                         boat of my own and got drafted. My                         given name is Benjamin Buford Blue.

Bubba and Forrest shake hands.

BUBBA People call me Bubba. Just like one of them redneck boys. Can you believe that?

FORREST My name's Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump.

FORREST (V.O.) So Bubba was from Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and his momma cooked shrimp.

INT. LOUISIANA/KITCHEN - DAY (1966)

Bubba's mother, a robust woman in a cook's uniform, carries a bowl of shrimp into a dining room. She sets it down on a               table in front of a wealthy white man.

FORREST (V.O.) And her momma before her cooked shrimp.

INT. SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH/KITCHEN - DAY (EARLY DAYS OF               SLAVERY)

Bubba's grandmother carries a bowl of shrimp into a dining room. She sets it down on a table in front of a wealthy white man.

FORREST (V.O.) And her momma before her momma cooked shrimp, too. Bubba's family knew everything...

INT. ARMY BUS - DAY (1966)

FORREST (V.O.) ...there was to know about the shrimpin' business.

BUBBA I know everything there is to know about the shrimpin' business. Matter of fact, I'm goin' into the shrimpin' business for myself after I get out the Army.

FORREST Okay.

INT. BARRACKS - DAY

A DRILL SERGEANT is in Forrest's face as Forrest stands in               line with the other recruits.

DRILL SERGEANT Gump! What's your sole purpose in                         this Army?

FORREST To do whatever you tell me, Drill Sergeant!

DRILL SERGEANT Godamnit, Gump! You're a goddamned genius! That's the most outstanding answer I've ever heard. You must have a godamned I.Q. of a hundred and sixty! You are godamned gifted, Private Gump!

The Drill Sergeant moves down the line to the next man.

DRILL SERGEANT Listen up, people...

FORREST (V.O.) Now, for some reason, I fit in the Army like one of them round pegs. It's not really hard. You just make your bed real neat and remember to                         stand up straight.

DRILL SERGEANT That is one very intelligent individual! You lock your scuzzy bodies up behind that private and do                         exactly what he does and you will go                          far in this man's army!

FORREST (V.O.) And always answer every question with "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"

DRILL SERGEANT Is that clear?

FORREST & RECRUITS Yes, Drill Sergeant!

ANOTHER DAY

The recruits are sitting at the base of their bunks assembling their rifles. Bubba speaks to Forrest.

BUBBA What you do is you just drag your nets across the bottom. On a good day, you can catch over a hundred pounds of shrimp. If everything goes all right, two men shrimpin' ten hours, less what you spends on gas, you can...

Forrest finishes assembling his rifle as the other recruits are still working on theirs.

FORREST Done, Drill Sergeant!

DRILL SERGEANT Gump!

The Drill Sergeant rushes up to Forrest.

DRILL SERGEANT Why did you put that weapon together so quickly, Gump?

FORREST You told me to, Drill Sergeant.

The Drill Sergeant looks at his stop watch.

DRILL SERGEANT Jesus Christ! This is a new company record. If it wouldn't be a waste of                         such a damn fine enlisted man, I'd                          recommended you for O.C.S., Private Gump. You are gonna be a General some day, Gump! Now, disassemble your weapon and continue!

The Drill Sergeant walks away as Forrest begins to disassemble his rifle. After the Drill Sergeant walks past Bubba, Bubba looks up at Forrest. Bubba continues talking about shrimp in               his slow southern drawl.

BUBBA Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is                         the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There, uh, shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole...

ANOTHER DAY

Bubba and Forrest shine their boots.

BUBBA ...shrimp gumbo, panfried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp...

ANOTHER DAY

Bubba and Forrest are on their hands and knees as they scrub the floor with toothbrushes.

BUBBA ...shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich... that's,                         that's about it.

NIGHT

Bubba lies in his bunk and looks up quietly.

FORREST (V.O.) Nighttime in the Army is a lovely time.

Forrest lies in his bunk and looks up.

FORREST (V.O.) We'd lay there in our bunks, and I'd                         miss my momma. And I'd miss Jenny.

A young private tosses a Playboy magazine onto Forrest.

YOUNG PRIVATE Hey, Gump. Get a load of the tits on                         her!

Forrest pick up the magazine and turns the page, revealing Jenny as she poses with a school sweater on, and that's all.

The pictorial is titled: "Girls of the South." Forrest looks up with shock. He cranes his head up for a closer look.

FORREST (V.O.) Turns out, Jenny had gotten into some trouble over... some photos of                         her in her college sweater. And she was thrown out of school.

SONG "My baby does the hanky-panky..."

INT. NASHVILLE/NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT (1966)

Forrest, in his army uniform, steps into the foyer of the club.

FORREST (V.O.) But that wasn't a bad thing. Because a man who owns a theater in Memphis, Tennessee, saw those photo and offered Jenny a job singing in a show. The first chance I got, I took the bus up to Memphis to see her perform in                         that show.

EMCEE steps out onto the stage.

EMCEE That was Amber, Amber Flame. Give her a big hand, guys. Good job, Amber. And now, for your listening and viewing pleasure, direct from Hollywood, California, our very own beatnik beauty, let's give a big round of applause to the luscious Bobbie Dylan.

CROWD Bobbie... Bobbie...

The emcee walks back off the stage and the curtain opens, revealing Jenny as she sits on a stool on the stage. She holds a guitar up and begins to play. She is topless.

JENNY (sings) "Yes, and how many seas must the                         white dove said, before she sleeps                          in the sand."

FORREST (V.O.) Her dream had come true. She was a                         folk singer.

JENNY (sings) "Yes, how many times must the                         cannonballs fly before they're forever                          banned."

MAN #1 You gotta lose the guitar, darling.

MAN #2 Hey, come on, baby. Shake it up. Shake it up now.

MAN #3 Hey, somebody ought to get her a                         harmonica.

The men laugh.

JENNY (sings) "The answer, my friend is blowing in                         the wind. The answer is blowing in...

MAN # ...skin, honey. This isn't Captain Kangaroo.

MEN Yeah! Come on!

Man #5 reaches up and tries to stick some money in Jenny's               shoe.

MAN #5 : Hey, honey, I got something here for you.

Jenny kicks his hand. He yells angrily as he sits back down, then tosses his drink on her.

MAN #5 Goddamnit!

JENNY Hey! Hey! Stupid jerk! I'm singing a                         song here. Polly, get out here!

MAN # Hey, show us some stuff, honey!

JENNY Shut up! Oh, shut up!

Forrest walks up to Man #5 and grabs him and tosses him down on the ground. Man #4 tries to grab Forrest, but Forrest shoves him down too.

JENNY Forrest, what are you doing here? What are you doing?

Forrest climbs up onto the stage and picks Jenny up, guitar and all, and carries her.

FORREST Come on.

JENNY What are you doing? Forrest, let me                         down!

Jenny struggles and frees herself from Forrest. Forrest steps back in surprise. Jenny shoves the guitar at Forrest. Jenny walks off as Forrest holds the guitar. He follows after her.

EXT. MEMPHIS BRIDGE - NIGHT

Forrest follows Jenny over a bridge outside the night club.

JENNY You can't keep doing this, Forrest. You can't keep tryin' to rescue me                         all the time.

FORREST They was tryin' to grab you.

JENNY A lot of people try to grab me. Just -- you can't keep doing this all the time!

FORREST I can't help it. I love you.

JENNY Forrest, you don't know what love is.

Jenny turns and looks over the bridge.

JENNY You remember that time we prayed, Forrest? We prayed for God to turn me into a bird so I could fly far, far away?

FORREST Yes, I do.

JENNY You think I can fly off this bridge?

FORREST What do you mean, Jenny?

JENNY Nothing.

Jenny turns and looks at the light of an approaching vehicle.

She steps into the street.

JENNY I gotta get outta here.

Jenny runs and flags down the approaching vehicle.

FORREST But wait. Jenny!

JENNY Forrest, you stay away from me, okay? You just stay away from me, please.

A pickup truck pulls over as Jenny looks at the driver.

JENNY Can I have a ride?

DRIVER Where you going?

JENNY I don't care.

DRIVER Get in the truck.

FORREST So bye-bye, Jenny. They sendin' me                         to Vietnam. It's this whole other country.

Jenny walks toward Forrest. She looks at the driver.

JENNY Just hang on a minute.

Jenny walks up to Forrest.

JENNY Listen, you promise me something, okay? Just if you're ever in trouble, don't try to be brave, you just run, okay? Just run away.

FORREST Okay. Jenny, I'll write you all the time.

Jenny takes a last look at Forrest, then climbs into the truck. Forrest watches Jenny in the pickup as it drives away.

FORREST (V.O.) And just like that.

EXT. GREENBOW/GUMP BOARDING HOUSE/RIVER - DAY

Forrest, dressed in his uniform, sits on a log and looks out at a river.

FORREST (V.O.) ...she was gone.

Mrs. Gump walks toward Forrest and sits down next to him on               the log. Forrest leans down, placing his head on his mother's               shoulder.

MRS. GUMP You come back safe to me, do ya hear?

EXT. VIETNAM/MEKONG DELTA - MORNING (1967)

The shadow of a helicopter over the rice field below. A               soldier is manning a gun from inside the helicopter. The solider looks left, Forrest and Bubba ride in the helicopter.

EXT. FIREBASE/4TH PLATOON

The helicopter circles overhead, then lands at the firebase.

SONG "Some folks are born made to wave                         the flag. Ooh, they're red, white                          and blue. And when the band plays                          "Hail to the Chief," ohh, they point                          the cannon at you all. It ain't me.                         It ain't me. I ain't no Senator's                          son, no. It ain't me. It ain't me..."

Bubba and Forrest jump out of the helicopter with their gear/ They walk and look around oddly.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, they told us that Vietnam was gonna be very different from the United Sates of America.

The soldier places a case of beer on a large stack of cases.

He takes two beers out and walks away. In the background, soldiers are barbecuing steaks and drinking beer.

FORREST (V.O.) Except for all the beer cans and the barbecue, it was.

BUBBA Y'know, I bet there's shrimp all in                         these waters. They tell me these Vietnams is good shrimp. You know, after we win this war, and we take over everything we can get American shrimpers to come on here and shrimp these waters. We'll just shrimp all the time, man. So much shrimp, why, you wouldn't believe it.

Lieutenant DAN TAYLOR steps out of a tent. Shirtless, he               holds a roll of toilet paper in his hand.

LT. DAN You must be my F.N.G.'s.

BUBBA AND FORREST Morning', sir!

LT. DAN Ho! Get your hands down. Do not salute me. There are goddamned snipers all around this area who would love to                         grease an officer. I'm Lieutenant Dan Taylor. Welcome to Fourth Platoon.

Lt. Dan looks at Bubba.

LT. DAN What's wrong with your lips?

BUBBA I was born with big gums, sir.

LT. DAN Yeah, well, you better tuck that in. Gonna get that caught on a trip wire. Where you boys from in the world?

BUBBA & FORREST Alabama, sir!

LT. DAN You twins?

Forrest and Bubba look at each other oddly, they don't get the joke.

FORREST No, we are not relations, sir.

LT. DAN Look, it's pretty basic here.

Lt. Dan starts to walk. Bubba and Forrest grab their gear and follow him.

LT. DAN You stick with me, you learn from the guys who been in country awhile, you'll be right. There is one item of G.I. gear that can be the difference between a live grunt and a dead grunt.

Lt. Dan stops and looks at the boys.

LT. DAN Socks, cushion, sole, O.D. green. Try and keep your feet dry when we're                         out humpin'. I want you boys to                         remember to change your socks wherever we stop. The Mekong will eat a grunt's                         feet right off his legs.

Lt. Dan steps over to a large black soldier named SERGEANT SIMS.

LT. DAN Sergeant Sims! Goddamnit, where is                         that sling-rope I told you to order.

SGT. SIMS I put in requisitions at Battalion.

LT. DAN Yeah, yeah, yeah, well you call those sonabitches again, call them again and again and again. I don't care how much it takes...

FORREST (V.O.) Lt. Dan sure knew his stuff. I felt real lucky he was my lieutenant. He                         was from a long, great military tradition. Somebody in his family had fought and died in every single American war.

EXT. VALLEY FORGE/THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - DAY (1778)

A distant relative of Lt. Dan's, wearing a revolutionary war uniform, falls dead in the snow.

EXT. GETTYSBURG/THE CIVIL WAR - DAY (1863)

Another relative, wearing a civil war uniform and bearing a               striking resemblance to Lt. Dan, falls down dead.

EXT. NORMANDY/WORLD WAR II - DAY (1944)

Another relative, wearing a World War II, falls down dead on               the beach at Normandy.

EXT. VETNAM/MEKONG DELTA/FIREBASE - DAY (1967)

LT. DAN Goddamnit, kick some ass!

SGT. SIMS I'm on it, Lieutenant.

LT. DAN Get on it!

Lt. Dan steps back up to Bubba and Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.) I guess you could say he had a lot to live up to.

Lt. Dan walks along the walkway and Bubba and Forrest follow.

LT. DAN So, you boys are from Arkansas, huh? Well, I've been through there. Little Rock's a fine town. Now, go shake down your gear, see the platoon sergeant, draw what you need for the field.

Lt. Dan steps inside the latrine, still holding the roll of               toilet paper.

LT. DAN If you boys are hungry, we got steaks burnin' right here.

Lt. Dan sits down out of sight in the latrine, then stands up, looking at the boys.

LT. DAN Two standing orders in this platoon. One, take good care of your feet. Two, try not to do anything stupid, like gettin' yourself killed.

Lt. Dan sits back down out of sight in the latrine. Bubba and Forrest look at each other.

FORREST I sure hope I don't let him down.

EXT. RICE FIELD - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest, Bubba, and other soldiers in the Fourth Platoon walk across the rice field. Some Vietnamese rice farmers are working as the soldiers walk past.

FORREST (V.O.) I got to see a lot of countryside. We would take these real long walks.

EXT. JUNGLE/DIRT ROAD - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest's unit walks along a dirt road.

SONG And we were always lookin' for this guy named Charlie. I can't get no                         relief.

Suddenly Lt. Dan holds up his fist, a signal for the unit to               stop. He motions for them to get down.

LT. DAN Hold it up!

SGT. SIMS Hold up, boys!

Forrest gets down and looks around.

FORREST (V.O.) It wasn't always fun. Lt. Dan always gettin' these funny feelings about a                         rock or a trail, or the road, so                          he'd tell you to get down, shut up!

LT. DAN Get down! Shut up!

FORREST (V.O.) So we did.

Lt. Dan motions for the lead soldier to get down. Lt. Dan crouches down. Lt. Dan looks at the soldiers and points to               his eyes. He lies down on the dirt road and crawls.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, I don't know much about anything, but I think some of American's best young men served in this war. There was Dallas, from Phoenix. Cleveland, he was from Detroit.

CLEVELAND Hey, Tex. Hey, Tex. Man, what the hell's going on?

Tex holds up his hand, motioning that he doesn't know.

FORREST (V.O.) And Tex was, well, I don't remember where Tex come from.

LT. DAN Ah, nothin'. Fourth Platoon, on your feet! Still got ten clicks to go to                         that river.

Forrest stands up and begins to walk with the platoon.

LT. DAN All right, move out! Comin' out. Look alive out there.

FORREST (V.O.) The good thing about Vietnam is there was always someplace to go.

LT. DAN (V.O.) Fire in the hole!

EXT. VIETNAM/VIET CONG FOXHOLE - ANOTHER DAY

Lt. Dan walks away as Forrest rushes over, aims two pistols in the hole, then climbs inside.

FORREST (V.O.) And there was always something to                         do.

LT. DAN Mount 'em up.

SGT. SIMS Spread out! Cover his back.

ANOTHER DAY - The platoon walks through a rice paddy, waits deep in water. It begins to rain.

FORREST (V.O.) One day it started raining, and it                         didn't quit for four months.

EXT. JUNGLE

The rain pours down on Forrest and Bubba as they sit in a               foxhole.

FORREST (V.O.) We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain...

ANOTHER DAY - The platoon walks through the jungle as rain pours down on them.

FORREST (V.O.) ...and big ol' fat rain.

ANOTHER DAY - The platoon shelters themselves as they walk through the wind and rain.

FORREST (V.O.) Rain that flew in sideways.

ANOTHER DAY - Forrest and other soldiers walk chest-deep through a river. The rain splatters back up from the river, hitting the soldiers. Forrest holds his hand up to protect his face.

FORREST (V.O.) And sometimes rain even seemed to                         come straight up from underneath.

EXT. ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

The rain pours down on the men of the platoon as they sit in               a camp. Bubba sits down next to Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.) Shoot, it even rained at night.

Bubba leans his back up against Forrest's back.

BUBBA Hey Forrest...

FORREST Hey Bubba...

BUBBA I'm gonna lean up against you, you just lean right back against me.

BUBBA This way, we don't have to sleep with our heads in the mud. You know why we a good partnership, Forrest? 'Cause we be watchin' out for one another. Like brothers and stuff. Hey, Forrest, there's somethin' I've                         been thinkin' about. I got a very important question to ask you. How would you like to go into the shrimpin' business with me?

FORREST Okay.

BUBBA Man, I tell you what, I got it all figured out, too. So many pounds of                         shrimp to pay off the boat, so many pounds for gas, we can just live right on the boat. We ain't got to                         pay no rent. I'll be the captain; we                         can just work it together. Split everything right down the middle. Man, I'm tellin' you, fifty-fifty. And, hey, Forrest, all the shrimp you can get.

FORREST That's a fine idea.

FORREST (V.O.) Bubba did have a fine idea.

ANOTHER NIGHT - Some soldiers patrol the area. Forrest lies in a pup tent and writes a litter as the rain pours down. He               uses his flashlight to see.

FORREST (V.O.) I even wrote Jenny and told her all about it. I sent her letters. Not every day, but almost. I told her what I was doin' and asked her what she was doing, and I told her how I                         thought about her always.

EXT. JENNY'S GRANDMOTHER'S TRAILER - DAY

Jenny steps out of the trailer with a backpack and a guitar.

She hugs a hippie guy, then jumps into the back of a               Volkswagen bus with another guy.

FORREST (V.O.) And how I was looking forward to                         getting a letter from her just as                          soon as she had the time I'd always let her know that I was okay.

EXT. VIETNAM - NIGHT

Forrest writes a letter in his tent.

FORREST (V.O.) Then I'd sign each letter, "Love,                         Forrest Gump."

EXT. JUNGLE - DAY

The Fourth Platoon makes their way through the jungle and rain.

SONG "There's something happenin' here.                        What it is ain't exactly clear.                          There's a man with a gun over there,                          telling' me I got to beware."

FORREST (V.O.) This one day, we was out walking, like always, and then, just like that, somebody turned off the rain and the sun come out.

Forrest looks up as the sun suddenly appears. Forrest's               platoon is attacked. A bullet kills the soldier standing next to Forrest. Bombs explode all around as the soldiers scramble to the ground.

LT. DAN Take cover!

Forrest crawls over a berm as bullets fly overhead and explode all around him. Forrest rolls over and pulls his pack off Lt. Dan lies next to Forrest.

LT. DAN Get that pig up here, goddammit!

BUBBA Forrest, you okay?

Two soldiers with a machine gun fire into the jungle. Lt. Dan shouts into the radio. Forrest begins firing his weapon into the jungle.

LT. DAN ...Strongarm, please be advised...

Two soldiers pull a wounded soldier into the jungle.

BUBBA Medic, we got a man down!

LT. DAN Strongarm, this is Leg Lima 6, over!

LT. DAN Roger, Strongarm, be advised we have incoming from the treeline at point blue plus two. A.K's and rockets...

The machine gunner fires into the treeline. Another soldier helps him with the ammunition. The machine gun jams.

SOLDIER WITH BIG MACHINE GUN Misfire! Misfire!

LT. DAN Goddammit, Mac! Get that pig unfucked and get it in the treeline!

A rocket explodes on the machine gunner and the other soldier, killing them. Forrest looks down and covers his head as               rockets explodes all around him.

LT. DAN (into radio) Ah, Jesus! My unit is down hard and hurting! 6 pulling back to the blue line, Leg Lima 6 out! Pull back! Pull back!

BUBBA Forrest! Run! Run, Forrest!

LT. DAN Pull back!

BUBBA Forrest! Run! Run, Forrest! Run! Run!

SGT. SIMS Pull back! Let's go!

Lt. Dan gets up and grabs Forrest by the collar.

LT. DAN Run, goddammit, run!

The platoon gets up and runs toward the cover of the jungle.

Rockets explode all around the field. Forrest runs into the jungle. The soldiers run through the jungle as bullets explode all around. A soldier is blown up by a rocket. A soldier runs through the jungle. Forrest runs past the soldier.

SOLDIER Medic! Medic! Jesus, can I get a                         medic?

FORREST (V.O.) I ran and ran, just like Jenny told me to.

Rockets explode in the jungle as Forrest runs out toward a               clearing.

FORREST (V.O.) I ran so far and so fast that pretty soon I was all by myself, which was a bad thing.

FORREST Bubba!

Forrest turns around, then runs back into the jungle.

FORREST (V.O.) Bubba was my best good friend. I had to make sure he was okay.

Rockets explode in the jungle. Forrest runs back into the jungle to look for Bubba.

1ST SOLDIER Any friendlies out there?

2ND SOLDIER Yeah, I've got three over there.

1ST SOLDIER Where the hell are you?

Forrest stops and aims his weapon. He looks around, scared.

FORREST Bubba?

Something moves. Forrest turns and looks, then rushes over.

FORREST (V.O.) And on my way back to find Bubba, well, there was this boy laying on                         the ground.

FORREST Tex!

Tex lies on the ground, his face distorted with pain.

FORREST Okay.

Forrest reaches down and picks up Tex from the ground. Forrest pulls Tex up over his shoulder, then runs.

FORREST (V.O.) I couldn't just let him lay there all alone, scared the way he was, so                         I grabbed him up and run him out of                          there.

Forrest carries Tex out of the jungle and into the clearing.

He sets Tex down on the bank of a river, and runs back into the jungle.

FORREST (V.O.) And every time I went back looking for Bubba, somebody else was saying, "Help me, Forrest. Help me."

Forrest drops another wounded soldier down at the bank of               the river next to Tex, and then runs back toward the jungle.

Forrest grabs the third wounded soldier up from the ground and turns him over. It is DALLAS.

DALLAS Can't hear... Can't hear...

Dallas is dropped off at the bank next to the other wounded soldiers. Forrest turns to go back to the jungle.

2ND WOUNDED SOLDIER No sweat, man. Just lay back. You're                         gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay.

FORREST (V.O.) I started to get scared that I might never find Bubba.

STRONGARM (over radio) You're danger close for crack air, over.

Forrest trips over something and falls to the ground. He               looks up to find two bloody legs. It is Lt. Dan, who is               wounded. He speaks into the radio.

LT. DAN (into radio) Roger, Strongarm, I know my position is danger close! We got Charlie all over this area! I gotta have those fast movers in here now! Over!

STRONGARM (over radio) Six, Strongarm, we want...

FORREST Lieutenant Dan, Coleman's dead!

LT. DAN I know he's dead! My whole goddamned platoon is wiped out!

STRONGARM (over radio) Leg Lima 6, Leg Lima 6, how copy you this transmission? Over.

Forrest tries to pick up Lt. Dan, who tries to push Forrest away.

LT. DAN Goddammit! What are you doing? Leave me here! Get away. Just leave me                         here! Get out!

Forrest pulls Lt. Dan over his shoulder and runs through the jungle.

STRONGARM Leg Lima 6, Leg Lima 6. This is                         Strongarm, be advised, your fast movers are inbound at this time, over.

FORREST (V.O.) Then it felt like something just jumped up and bit me.

Forrest falls down.

FORREST Ah, something bit me!

Forrest gets up as Lt. Dan yells. Lt. Dan fires his pistol at the unseen enemy as Forrest pulls him away.

LT. DAN You dink son-of-a-bitch! I can't                         leave the platoon! I told you to                         leave me there, Gump. Forget about me. Get yourself out! Did you hear what I said! Goddammit, pull me down! Get your ass out of here!

Forrest drops Lt. Dan down at the bank, next to the other wounded soldiers. Lt. Dan grabs Forrest by the shirt, angry.

LT. DAN I didn't ask you to pull me out of                         there, goddamn you! What the hell do                         you think you're going?

FORREST To get Bubba.

LT. DAN I got an air strike inbound right now. They're gonna nape the whole area.

Forrest gets up and runs as Lt. Dan yells after him.

LT. DAN Gump, you stay here, goddammit! That's                         an order!

FORREST I gotta find Bubba!

Forrest runs through the jungle searching for Bubba. Forrest slows down and looks around carefully.

BUBBA Forrest...

FORREST Bubba...

Bubba looks up as he lies on the ground.

BUBBA I'm okay.

Bubba holds a palm frond over his wound. Forrest removes the frond to look at the wound. Bubba's chest has been blown open.

FORREST Oh, Bubba, no...

BUBBA Naw, I'm gonna be all right.

Forrest looks around as he hear the voices of the enemy.

FORREST Come on. Come on. Come here...

Forrest carries Bubba through the jungle. The sound of               approaching planes fills the air.

BUBBA I'm okay, Forrest. I'm all right.

The roar of approaching planes is deafening. Forrest looks up in fear. Three planes dive down toward the jungle. They fire napalm as the jungle explodes with massive fireballs.

Forrest runs, carrying Bubba. The fireballs explode behind him. The entire jungle area is in flames as Forrest runs.

Forrest carries Bubba to the bank of the river. Lt. Dan and the other wounded soldiers wait for a rescue helicopter.

LT. DAN Helo's inbound. Pop smoke, get it up                         there!

FORREST (V.O.) If I'd a known this was gonna be the last time me and Bubba was gonna talk, I'd a thought of something better to say.

Forrest looks down at Bubba. A soldier releases a smoke canister.

FORREST Hey, Bubba...

BUBBA Hey, Forrest. Forrest, why'd this happen?

FORREST You got shot.

FORREST (V.O.) Then Bubba said something I won't                         even forget.

BUBBA I wanna go home.

FORREST (V.O.) Bubba was my best good friend. And even I know that ain't something you can find just around the corner. Bubba was gonna be a shrimpin' boat captain, but instead he died right there by that river in Vietnam.

The helicopter fly overhead.

BUS STATION - DAY

Forrest continues with his life story. A MAN is sitting next to Forrest on the bus bench.

FORREST That's all I have to say about that.

MAN It was a bullet, wasn't it?

FORREST A bullet?

MAN That jumped up and bit you.

FORREST Oh, yes sir. Bit me directly in the buttocks. They said it was a million dollar wound, but the Army must keep that money, 'cause I still ain't                         seen a nickel of that million dollars. The only good thing about being wounded in the buttocks...

FLASHBACK - INT. US. ARMY HOSPITAL/VIETNAM - DAY

Forrest holds two ice cream cones in his hands as he is               wheeled on a rolling stretcher.

FORREST (V.O.) ...is the ice cream. They gave me                         all the ice cream I could eat. And guess what. A good friend of mine was in the bed right next door.

Forrest, lying on his stomach, is wheeled to his bed.

Forrest's butt sticks up and is bandaged. Forrest looks at               Lt. Dan lying on the bed. Forrest holds out an ice cream cone for Lt. Dan.

FORREST Lieutenant Dan, I got you some ice cream. Lieutenant Dan, ice cream.

Lt. Dan, annoyed, takes the ice cream cone and drops it into his bed pan. Forrest slides himself onto his bed. A NURSE reaches toward Lt. Dan.

MALE NURSE It's time for your bath, Lieutenant.

The male nurse places Lt. Dan's hands on a pull-up bar, then picks up Lt. Dan, whose legs have been amputated.

MALE NURSE Harper...

Another nurse wheels the rolling bed under Lt. Dan. The male nurse sets Lt. Dan down on the rolling bed. Forrest looks up               at Lt. Dan as he is wheeled away. A soldier reads the names from a pile of letters.

SOLDIER Cooper, Larson, Webster, Gump, Gump...

FORREST I'm Forrest Gump.

The soldier hands Forrest a large pile of letters.

"Undeliverable as addressed. No forwarding order on file."

Jenny Curran Rural Route 2 Greenbow, Ala. 39902 Forrest looks down at the pile of letters.

INT. ARMY HOSPITAL/VIETNAM - DAY

A group of wounded soldiers hang out in the hospital, recuperating. Forrest sits and watches "Gomer Pyle" on the television.

SOLDIER Gump, how can you watch that stupid shit? Turn it off!

ANNOUNCER From the D.M.Z. to the Delta, you are tuned to the American Forces Vietnam Network. This is Channel 6, Saigon.

Forrest turns the TV off and he is hit on the back of the head by a ping-pong ball.

SOLDIER Good catch, Gump. You know how to                         play this?

Forrest shakes his head.

SOLDIER Come on, let me show you. Here.

The wounded ping-pong player hands Forrest a paddle. Forrest and the wounded ping-pong player step toward the ping-pong table.

SOLDIER Now the secret to this game is, no                         matter what happens, never, never take your eye off the ball.

He holds the ball up and moves it back and forth. Forrest keeps his eyes on the ball.

SOLDIER All right...

The wounded ping-pong player tosses the ball down onto the table. Forrest begins to hit the ball back to the other player.

FORREST (V.O.) For some reason, ping pong came very natural to me.

SOLDIER See, any idiot can play.

FORREST (V.O.) So I started playing it all the time.

Forrest hits ping-pong balls.

FORREST (V.O.) I played ping-pong even when I didn't                         have anyone to play ping-pong with.

The balls at land in a bed pan positioned on a chair. A group of wounded soldier sit and watch Forrest play with himself. Forrest hits two balls at a time against the opposite side of the table.

FORREST (V.O.) The hospital's people said it made me look like a duck in water, whatever that means. Even Lieutenant Dan would come and watch me play.

Lt. Dan stares out the window. Forrest lies in his bed asleep. A hand reaches and grabs him.

FORREST (V.O.) I played ping-pong so much, I even played it in my sleep.

Lt. Dan pulls Forrest to the floor, and holds Forrest down.

LT. DAN Now, you listen to me. We all have a                         destiny. Nothing just happens, it's                         all part of a plan. I should have died out there with my men! But now, I'm nothing but a goddamned cripple! A legless freak. Look! Look! Look at                         me! Do you see that? Do you know what it's like not to be able to use your legs?

FORREST Well... Yes, sir, I do.

LT. DAN Did you hear what I said? You cheated me. I had a destiny. I was supposed to die in the field! With honor! That was my destiny! And you cheated me out of it! You understand what I'm saying, Gump? This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to me. I had a destiny. I was Lieutenant Dan Tyler.

FORREST Yo-You're still Lieutenant Dan.

Lt. Dan looks at Forrest, lets go of Forrest and rolls.

Lt. Dan sits up as Forrest looks at him.

LT. DAN Look at me. What am I gonna do now? What am I gonna do now?

INT. REC ROOM/VIETNAM HOSPITAL - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest plays ping-pong by himself. An OFFICER walks up to               him.

OFFICER P.F.C. Gump?

Forrest immediately grabs the ball and places it down on the table under its paddle. Stands at attention.

FORREST Yes, sir!

OFFICER As you were.

The officer holds up an envelope.

OFFICER Son, you've been awarded the Medal of Honor.

INT. VIETNAM HOSPITAL WARD

Forrest steps up to Lt. Dan's bed.

FORREST Guess what, Lieutenant Dan, they want to give me a me...

Forrest stops in mid-sentence as he looks down at the bed. A               heavily bandaged soldier with bloodstains lies there. Forrest turns and look at the NURSE.

FORREST Ma'am, what'd they do with Lieutenant Dan?

NURSE They sent him home.

FORREST (V.O.) Two weeks later, I left Vietnam.

INT. BARBER SHOP/GREENBOW - DAY

ANCHORMAN (on T.V.) The ceremony was kicked off with a                         candid speech by the President regarding the need for further escalation of the war in Vietnam. President Johnson awarded four Medals of Honor to men from each of the Armed Services.

The television reveals Forrest as he is awarded the Medal of               Honor by President Johnson.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON America owes you a debt of gratitude, son.

Color footage revealing President Johnson as he places the award around Forrest's neck and shakes hands.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON I understand you were wounded. Where were you hit?

FORREST In the buttocks, sir.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON Oh, that must be a sight.

President Johnson leans and whispers into Forrest's ear.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON I'd kinda like to see that.

INT. BARBER SHOP

The television revealing Forrest as he drops his pants, bends over and shows the bullet wound on his bare buttocks.

President Johnson looks down and smiles. The three men in               the barber shop look up in disbelief. Mrs. Gump looks up in               shock.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON Goddamn, son.

EXT. LINCOLN MEMORIAL - DAY

Forrest walks by the Lincoln Memorial. A fence surrounds the Memorial, as well as armed military guards.

FORREST (V.O.) After that, Momma went to the hotel to lay down, so I went out for a                         walk to see our national capital.

ISABEL Hilary, all right, I've got the vets, what do you want me to do with them?

HILARY What are you doing here so late?

Forrest takes a photo of the memorial as a woman named Hilary gathers together some veterans against the Vietnam War.

HILARY We've been waiting for you for half an hour, so just get them in a line, will you. Hey, hey, come on, pictures later. You look great. Oh come on, get in this line, come on, come on                         right in line. Come on, let him here, let him in here.

Hilary grabs Forrest and puts him in the line with the other vets against the war.

FORREST (V.O.) It's a good thing Momma was resting, 'cause the street was awful crowded with people looking at all the statues and monuments. And some of them people were loud and pushy.

Hilary leads the line of vets toward the large anti-Vietnam War rally.

HILARY Okay, follow me! Come on.

The group of vets walk as Forrest tries to take another picture. A vet behind him pushes him along.

HILARY Let's move it out.

VET Hey, buddy, come on. We could use your help.

Forrest walks in the line. A banner reads "Veterans against               the War in Vietnam."

FORREST (V.O.) Everywhere I went, I had to stand in                         line.

HILARY Follow me, let's go!

Hilary leads the vets through a crowd of people outside the rally. Another woman, named Isabel, leads the vets toward the back of a stage.

ISABEL All right, come on, guys.

HILARY Stand here.

VET Hey, you're a good man for doin' this. Good!

FORREST Okay.

A man, wearing an American flag shirt, stands on the stage.

He is anti-war activist ABBIE HOFFMAN.

ABBIE HOFFMAN We must declare to that fucking impostor in the White House -- Johnson. We ain't going to work on                         your farm no more! Yeah!

FORREST (V.O.) There was this man, giving a little talk. And for some reason, he was wearing an American flag for a                         shirt...

ABBIE HOFFMAN Now, I'm going to bring up some soldiers that are going to talk about the war, man...

FORREST (V.O.) ...and he liked to say the "F" word. A lot. "F" this and "F" that. And every time...

ABBIE HOFFMAN ...that war has come home, and we                         have to stop these politicians...

FORREST (V.O.) ...he said "F" word, people, for some reason, well, they'd cheer.

ABBIE HOFFMAN ...these guys just told Lyndon Johnson where to stick this fucking war! Yeah!

Forrest looks up at the cheering crowd. Abbie turns and motions for Forrest to come up on the stage.

ABBIE HOFFMAN Come on, man. Come up here, man.

HILARY Come on. Come on. Yeah, you!

Hilary pulls Forrest up onto the stage.

HILARY Come on, get up there. Come on. Move, move. Let's go! Let's go.

The other vets follow Forrest pushes onto the stage and push him toward the microphones.

VET Come on, go. You can do it. Just get up there. Go on. That's it.

Thousands of cheering protesters stand around the Washington Monument. Forrest looks at the crowd. Abbie Hoffmann steps up to Forrest.

ABBIE HOFFMAN Tell us a little bit about the war, man.

FORREST The war in Vietnam?

ABBIE HOFFMAN The war in Viet-fucking-nam!

Abbie raises his fist as the crowd cheers wildly.

FORREST Well...

FORREST (V.O.) There was only one thing I could say about the war in Vietnam.

FORREST ...there was only one thing I could say about the war in Vietnam.

Forrest looks at the crowd as he speaks. A policeman looks around as he sneaks over to the audio circuit board.

FORREST In Vietnam war...

The policeman pulls the patch cords out of the audio board.

Forrest's amplified voice becomes inaudible. Forrest continues to speak into the microphone, even though no one can hear what he is saying. Hilary looks over and notices the policeman. Hilary rushes over toward the audio board, pushes the policeman away and grabs his night stick. Another protester grabs the policeman and pulls him away.

POLICEMAN Hey, what the hell are you doing?

HILARY I'll beat your head in, you goddamned oinker!

Isabel, Hilary and another protester try to plug the tangled mess of wires back into the audio board.

ISABEL Christ, what'd they do with this?

Forrest continues to speak into the microphone. The crowd grows restless.

CROWD We can't hear you! We can't hear anything!

HILARY This one! This one! Give me that!

Hilary plugs in the right patch cord.

HILARY That's it.

FORREST ...and that's all I have to say about that.

Forrest looks at the massive crowd. They are silent. Abbie Hoffman steps over to Forrest and pats him on the shoulder.

ABBIE HOFFMAN That's so right on, man. You said it                         all. What's your name, man?

FORREST My name is Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump.

ABBIE HOFFMAN Forrest Gump!

Abbie raises his fist into the air. Abbie steps away from Forrest. The crowd cheers.

CROWD Forrest Gump!

JENNY (screaming) Forrest! Forrest!

Jenny wades out into the reflection pool and waves her hand into the air. Forrest recognizes her.

FORREST Jenny!

Forrest rushes off the stage as Jenny makes her way out into the pool.

JENNY Forrest!

Forrest jumps down into the crowd and runs. Jenny smiles as               she tries to run through the water. The crowd parts as Forrest runs into the pool. Jenny rushes toward him.

JENNY Hey! Hey!

The massive crowd cheers for the embracing couple in the pool.

FORREST (V.O.) It was the happiest moment of my                         life.

EXT. WASHINGTON MONUMENT/PROTESTER'S ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

Forrest and Jenny walk past the protesters who are camping out on the lawn.

FORREST (V.O.) Jenny and me were just peas and carrots again. She showed me around, and even introduced me...

INT. BLACK PANTHER HEADQUARTERS/STOREFRONT, D.C. - NIGHT

Forrest stands at an open window and looks at the White House.

FORREST (V.O.) ...to some of her new friends.

A Black Panther, named RUBEN, steps over and pulls the shades down.

RUBEN Shut that blind, man. And get your white ass away from that window. Don't you know we in war here?

Another Black Panther named MASAI grabs Forrest and pats him down.

JENNY Hey man, he's cool. He's cool. He's                         one of us. He's one of us.

MASAI Let me tell you about us.

WESLEY Where the hell have you been?

JENNY I ran into a friend.

MASAI Our purpose here is to protect our black leaders from the racial onslaught of the pig who wishes to                         brutalize our black leaders, rape our women, and destroy our black communists.

BLACK PANTHER Masai, phone. Talk to these guys.

WESLEY Who's the baby killer?

JENNY This is my good friend I told you about. This is Forrest Gump. Forrest, this is Wesley. Wesley and I live together in Berkeley, and he's the president of the Berkeley chapter of                         S.D.S.

MASAI Let me tell you something else.

WESLEY I want to talk to you.

JENNY Okay, but...

WESLEY No. Now! Goddammit!

MASAI We are here to offer protection and help for all of those who need our help, because we, the Black Panthers, are against the war in Vietnam. Yes, we are against any war where black soldiers are sent to the front line to die for a country that hates them. Yes, we are against any war where black soldiers go to fight and come to be brutalized and killed in their own communities as they sleep in                         their beds at night. Yes, we are against all these racists and imperial dog acts.

JENNY You are a fucking asshole!

Wesley hits Jenny across the face. Slow motion -- Jenny falls back. Slow motion -- Forrest steps forward with rage.

Slow motion -- Wesley turns and looks at Forrest. Forrest tackles Wesley and slams him onto a table. Jenny turns and looks as Masai pulls out a gun.

JENNY Forrest! Quit it! Quit it! Forrest! Stop it!

Jenny rushes over to Forrest and pulls Forrest off Wesley.

JENNY Stop it!

Jenny tries to help Wesley as he moans on the floor. Wesley knocks Jenny's hand away. He gets up, holding his bloody lip.

WESLEY Oh, God. I shouldn't have brought you here. I should have known it was just gonna be some bullshit hassle.

FORREST He should not be hitting you, Jenny.

JENNY Come on, Forrest.

Jenny steps out the door as Forrest picks up his hat.

FORREST Sorry I had a fight in the middle of                         your Black Panther party.

The group of Black Panthers glare at Forrest. Forrest turns and walks out the room.

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - NIGHT

Forrest and Jenny walk past the White House. Protesters hold a candlelight vigil behind them.

JENNY He doesn't mean it when he does things like this. He doesn't.

FORREST I would never hurt you, Jenny.

JENNY I know you wouldn't, Forrest.

FORREST I wanted to be your boyfriend.

They walk in silence. Jenny touches Forrest's uniform.

JENNY That uniform is a trip, Forrest. You look handsome in it. You do.

FORREST You know what?

JENNY What?

FORREST I'm glad we were here together in                         our national capitol.

JENNY Me too, Forrest. I have so much to                         tell you, you won't believe what's                          been going on...

FORREST (V.O.) We walked around all night, Jenny and me, just talkin'.

EXT. ROUTE 66 - FLASHBACK - DAY

Jenny stands in the rain, hitchhiking. A car pulls over to               pick her up. Jenny and other other girls get into the car.

FORREST (V.O.) She told me about all the travellin' she's done.

EXT. COMMUNE IN NEW MEXICO - NIGHT

A hippie gives Jenny a sugar cube of acid as they sit in               front of a roaring fire.

FORREST (V.O.) And how she'd discovered ways to                         expand her mind and learn how to                          live in harmony...

EXT. HOLLYWOOD/WALK OF FAME - DAY

A star with the name "Jean Harlow" on the sidewalk. Jenny and two other girls sing on the sidewalk and collect change from the passersby. Jenny plays the guitar.

FORREST (V.O.) ...which must be out west somewhere, 'cause she made it all the way to                         California.

JENNY (sings) "Smile on your brother, everybody                         get together, try to love on another                          right now"

A young hippie looks over his faded Volkswagen at the girls.

YOUNG HIPPIE Hey, anybody want to go to San Francisco?

JENNY I'll go.

YOUNG HIPPIE Far out!

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - DAWN

Forrest and Jenny walk through the park.

FORREST (V.O.) I was a very special night for the two of us. I didn't want it to end.

EXT. PARKING LOT - EARLY MORNING

Jenny carries a backpack as she prepares to board a bus back to Berkeley.

FORREST I wish you wouldn't go, Jenny.

JENNY I have to, Forrest.

WESLEY Jenny? Things got a little out of                         hand. It's just this war and that, that lyin' son-of-a-bitch Johnson. I                         would never hurt you. You know that.

FORREST You know what I think? I think you should go home to Greenbow. Alabama!

JENNY Forrest, we have very different lives, you know.

Forrest looks down at Jenny. He pulls his Medal of Honor from around his neck.

FORREST I want you to have this.

Forrest places the Medal of Honor in Jenny's hand. Jenny looks up at him.

JENNY Forrest, I can't keep this.

FORREST I got it just by doing what you told me to do.

JENNY Why're you so good to me?

FORREST You're my girl.

JENNY I'll always be your girl.

Jenny and Forrest hug each other. Wesley waits for Jenny.

Jenny turns and walks up to Wesley. They walk toward the entrance of the bus. Forrest smiles as Jenny looks at her.

Jenny climbs up into the bus. Wesley glares at Forrest.

Forrest gives Wesley the "evil eye." Jenny through the near window of the bus, knocks on the window. Forrest turns and looks. Jenny waves to Forrest. Forrest looks up and smiles sadly. Jenny gives Forrest the peace sign as the bus pulls away. The sign on the back of the bus reads "Berkeley to               D.C." Forrest gives Jenny the peace sign.

FORREST (V.O.) And just like that, she was gone out of my life again.

INT. VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL/REC ROOM - DAY

A footage of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon on               television.

NEIL ARMSTRONG That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. The, uh, the surface is fine and powdery. I can, I can pick it up loosely.

Forrest demonstrates a ping-pong to some wounded vets.

FORREST (V.O.) I thought I was going back to Vietnam, but instead, they decided the best way for me to fight communists was to play ping-pong. So I was in the Special Services, traveling around the country cheering up all them wounded veterans and showing them how to play...

BUS STOP - PRESENT - DAY

Forrest looks at a man.

FORREST ...ping-pong. I was so good that some years later...

EXT. CHINA/PING-PONG TOURNAMENT - FLASHBACK - DAY

Forrest plays ping-pong against a Chinese player. A large mural of Mao Tse-tung hangs on the wall. A crowd of communist leaders sit and watch.

FORREST (V.O.) ...the Army decided I should be on                         the All-American Ping-Pong Team. We                         were the first Americans to visit the land of China in like a million years or something like that, and somebody said that world peace was in our hands. But all I did was play ping-pong. When I got home...

BUS STOP - PRESENT - DAY

FORREST ...I was national celebrity. Famouser even than Captain Kangaroo.

Color footage of the DICK CAVETT Show. Dick Cavett stands up               as he introduces Forrest.

DICK CAVETT Here he is, Forrest Gump, right here.

Forrest makes his way onto the stage, shakes hands with Dick Cavett.

DICK CAVETT Mr. Gump, have a seat.

Forrest sits down between JOHN LENNON and Dick Cavett.

DICK CAVETT Forrest Gump, John Lennon.

JOHN LENNON Welcome home.

DICK CAVETT You had quite a trip. Can you, uh, tell us, uh, what was China like?

John Lennon lights a cigarette.

FORREST Well, in the land of China, people hardly got nothing at all.

JOHN LENNON No possessions?

FORREST And in China, they never go to church.

JOHN LENNON No religion, too?

DICK CAVETT Oh. Hard to imagine.

JOHN LENNON Well, it's easy if you try, Dick.

Forrest looks oddly at John Lennon.

FORREST (V.O.) Some years later, that nice young man from England was on his way home to see his little boy and was signing some autographs. For no particular reason at all, somebody shot him.

EXT. STUDIO - LATER

A guard lets Forrest out a side entrance door. Forrest steps, an then stops as he hears s man sitting in a wheelchair speak to him.

LT. DAN They gave you the Congressional Medal of Honor.

FORREST Now that's Lieutenant Dan. Lieutenant Dan!

Forrest looks at Lt. Dan. He is a dirty with long hair.

LT. DAN They gave you the Congressional Medal of Honor!

FORREST Yes sir, they sure did.

LT. DAN They gave you an imbecile, a moron who goes on television and makes a                         fool out himself in front of the whole damn country, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

FORREST Yes, sir.

LT. DAN Well, then, that's just perfect! Yeah, well I just got one thing to                         say to that. Goddamn bless America.

Lt. Dan's wheelchair begins to slide down the ramp and spins around on the icy ground. Forrest looks down at Lt. Dan crashes at the bottom of the ramp.

FORREST Lieutenant Dan!

EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Taxi cabs crowd the street as Forrest pushes Lt. Dan along the sidewalk.

FORREST (V.O.) Lieutenant Dan said he was living in                         a hotel. And because he didn't have no legs, he spent most of his time exercising his arms.

LT. DAN Take a right, take a right.

A taxi driver honks his horn as Forrest wheels Lt. Dan out in front of the taxi.

TAXI DRIVER #1 Hey! Come on already!

LT. DAN Ah!

FORREST What are you doing here in New York, Lieutenant Dan?

LT. DAN I'm living off the government tit. Sucking it dry.

A taxi skids to a stop, almost hitting them as they cross the street. The taxi honks at Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan slaps the bumper of the taxi.

LT. DAN Hey! Hey! Hey! Are you blind? I'm                         walking here! Ah, get out...

TAXI DRIVER #2 Why don't you go home before you kill yourself? Get out of the way!

LT. DAN Come on, go! Go! Go!

EXT. LT. DAN'S HOTEL ROOM - LATER

A Bob Hope Christmas special in Vietnam on television. Lt. Dan and Forrest watch the television.

FORREST (V.O.) I stayed with Lieutenant Dan and celebrated the holidays.

BOB HOPE You have a great year and hurry home. God bless you.

LT. DAN Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?

FORREST I didn't know I was supposed to be                         looking for him, sir.

Lt. Dan chuckles, drinks the rest of a bottle of wine and tosses it down. He looks at Forrest. He wheels himself over to television and turns it off.

LT. DAN That's all these cripples, down at                         the V.A., that's all they ever talk about.

Lt. Dan picks up another bottle of port wine, but it is empty. He tosses it onto the floor.

LT. DAN Jesus this and Jesus that. Have I                         found Jesus? They even had a priest come and talk to me. He said God is                         listening, but I have to help myself. Now, if I accept Jesus into my heart, I'll get to walk beside him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lt. Dan tosses the empty liquor bottle down and picks another bottle. He becomes enraged as he throws the bottle and looks at Forrest.

LT. DAN Did you hear what I said? Walk beside him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Well, kiss my crippled ass. God is                         listening. What a crock of shit.

FORREST I'm going to heaven, Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN Huh? Ah, well, before you go, why don't you get your ass down to the corner and get us another bottle of                         wine.

FORREST Yes, sir.

INT. TIMES SQUARE BAR - NIGHT

A television shows DICK CLARK as he emcees the Times Square New York Eve celebration.

DICK CLARK We are at approximately 45th Street in New York City at One Astor Plaza. This is the site of the old Astor Hotel. Down below us, well over a                         hundred thousand people are milling about, cheering with horns and whistles and hats...

LT. DAN What the hell's in Bayou La Batre?

FORREST Shrimpin' boats.

LT. DAN Shrimpin' boats? Who gives a shit about shrimpin' boats?

FORREST I gotta buy me one of them shrimpin' boats as soon as I have some money. I made me a promise to Bubba in                         Vietnam, that as soon as the war was over, we'd go in partners. He'd be                         the captain of the shrimpin' boat and I'd be his first mate. But now that he's dead, that means that I                         gotta be the captain.

LT. DAN A shrimp boat captain.

FORREST Yes, sir. A promise is a promise, Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN Now hear this! Private Gump here is                         gonna be a shrimp boat captain. Well, I tell you what, Gilligan, the day that you are a shrimp boat captain, I will come and be your first mate.

FORREST Okay.

LT. DAN If you're ever a shrimp boat captain, that's the day I'm an astronaut.

Two sleazy women, named LENORE and CARLA, walk up to Lt. Dan.

LENORE Danny, what are you complaining about?

CARLA What are you doing, huh?

LENORE Mr. Hot Wheels. Who's your friend?

FORREST My name is Forrest, Forrest Gump.

LT. DAN This is Cunning Carla, and Long-Limbs Lenore.

Carla puts a "Happy New Year" crown on Lt. Dan's head. Lenore fixes her makeup.

CARLA So where you been, baby-cakes, huh? Haven't seen you around lately. You know, you should have been here for Christmas 'cause Tommy bought a round on the house and gave everybody a                         turkey sandwich.

LT. DAN Well, well, I had, uh, company.

LENORE Hey, hey! We was, we was just there. That's at Times Square.

Lenore leans and speaks into Forrest's ear.

LENORE Don't you just love New Year's? You get to start all over.

CARLA Hey, Lenore.

LENORE Everybody gets a second chance.

FORREST (V.O.) It's funny, but in the middle of all that fun, I began to think about Jenny.

DICK CLARK (on television) ...getting wild out there. It's                         beginning to...

INT. APARTMENT/L.A. - NIGHT

The New Year's Eve celebration over the T.V.

DICK CLARK (over television) ...pour here in Times Square. It's                         been off-and-on all night, but these people hang in there.

Jenny fills her bag with her belongings.

FORREST (V.O.) Wondering how she was spending her New Year's night out in California.

A man lies passed out on the bed. Jenny looks at her black eye in a mirror, then leaves the apartment. The TV shows the ball in Times Square.

CROWD (over television)

INT. TIMES SQUARE BAR - NIGHT

The ball is lowered, lighting up a sign that reads "1972."

CROWD (over television) ...1! Happy New Year!

The people in the bar cheer and kiss each other. They blow horns and toss confetti into the air. Forrest looks around as Carla and Lenore lean over and kiss him.

PATRONS (sing) "Should auld acquaintance be forgot                         and never brought to mind...

FORREST Happy New Year, Lieutenant Dan!

PATRONS (sing) Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne."

INT. LT. DAN'S HOTEL ROOM - LATER

Carla removes her top and sits on top of Dan in his wheelchair. They kiss and play around. Forrest sits in a               chair. Lenore leaps on him and begins to kiss Forrest. She reaches down to Forrest's crotch. Forrest stands up nervously, causing Lenore to fall down on the floor. Lenore stands up, angry.

LENORE What are you, stupid or something? What's your problem? What's his problem? Did you lose your pecker in                         the war or something?

CARLA What, is your friend stupid or                         something?

LT. DAN What did you say?

CARLA I said, is your friend stupid or                         something?

LT. DAN Hey! Don't call him stupid!

Lt. Dan throws Carla back onto the bed.

CARLA Don't push me like that!

LENORE Hey, don't you push her!

LT. DAN You shut up! Don't you ever call him stupid!

CARLA What's the matter, baby? Why you treating me like shit?

LT. DAN Get the hell out of here!

LENORE You stupid gimp. You belong in                         "Ripley's Believe It Or Not."

LT. DAN Get the hell out of here! Go on!

LENORE You should be in a side show!

LT. DAN Go on! Get out of here! Get out of                         here!

LENORE You big loser!

CARLA Come on, Lenore. We don't need this shit!

LENORE You're so pathetic.

LT. DAN Get out of here!

Lt. Dan falls out of his wheelchair and lands down on the floor. Carla and Lenore laugh as they leave the apartment.

CARLA You retard!

LENORE You loser! You freak!

Forrest tries to help Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan pushes Forrest away.

LT. DAN No!

Forrest steps back as Lt. Dan flips back over, then pulls himself back up onto his wheelchair. He breathes heavily.

FORREST I'm sorry I ruined your New Year's                         Eve party, Lieutenant Dan. She tastes like cigarettes.

FORREST (V.O.) I guess Lieutenant Dan figured there's                         some things you just can't change. He didn't want to be called crippled, just like I didn't want to be called stupid.

LT. DAN Happy New Year.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

An ANCHORMAN reports in front of the White House.

ANCHORMAN The U.S. Ping-Pong Team met with President Nixon today at an Oval Office ceremony...

FORREST (V.O.) And wouldn't you know it...

PRESENT - BUS STOP

Forrest looks at the fat man on the bus bench.

FORREST ...a few months later they invited me and the ping-pong team to visit the White House. So I went again. And I met the President of the United States again.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

A plaque, presented to Forrest, reads "Presented to Forrest               Gump, member of the United States table tennis team as player                of the year for 1971. President NIXON holds the plaque.

FORREST (V.O.) Only this time they didn't get us                         rooms in a real fancy hotel.

PRESIDENT NIXON So are you enjoying yourself in our national capital, young man?

FORREST Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT NIXON Well, where are you staying?

FORREST It's called the Hotel Ebbott.

PRESIDENT NIXON Oh, no, no, no, no. I know of a much nicer hotel. It's brand-new. Very modern. I'll have my people take care of it for you.

INT. WATERGATE HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Forrest speaks on the phone.

SECURITY GUARD Security, Frank Wills.

Forrest steps over to a window. Flashlights are moving around in an office across from Forrest's room.

FORREST Yeah, sir, you might want to send a                         maintenance man over to that office across the way. The lights are off, and they must be looking for the fuse box or something, 'cause them flashlights they're, they're keeping me awake.

SECURITY GUARD Okay, sir. I'll check it out.

FORREST Thank you.

SECURITY GUARD No problem.

FORREST Good night.

SECURITY GUARD Good night.

Forrest hangs up the phone. The camera tilts down, revealing the hotel stationary, which reads "The Watergate Hotel."

INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY

President Nixon makes a resignation speech on TV.

PRESIDENT NIXON (over television) Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

The television cuts to a shot of President Nixon standing outside Air Force One with his hands in the peace sign.

PRESIDENT NIXON (over television) Vice President Ford will be sworn in                         as President at that hour in this office. As I recall the high hopes for America with which we began this second term, I feel a great sadness that I will not be here in this office...

Forrest is playing ping-pong by himself at the gymnasium. An               officer steps up to him.

OFFICER Sergeant Gump!

FORREST Yes, sir!

OFFICER As you were. I have your discharge papers. Your service is up, son.

The officer hands Forrest an envelope, then walks away.

FORREST Does this mean I can't play ping pong no more?

OFFICER For the Army it does.

FORREST (V.O.) And just like that, my service in                         the United States Army was over. So                         I went home.

Forrest takes his paddle and runs out of the gymnasium.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Mrs. Gump walks out of the house and smiles. Forrest walks up to the house, wearing his uniform.

FORREST I'm home, Momma.

MRS. GUMP I know, I know.

INT. GUMP HOUSE

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk into the house.

MRS. GUMP Louise, he's here. He's here, everybody.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, when I got home, I had no idea that Momma had had all sorts of                         visitors.

In the house are stacks of ping-pong paddles and life-sized cardboard cutouts of Forrest playing ping-pong. The name on               the ping-pong paddles boxes reads: "Gump-Mao table tennis."

MRS. GUMP We've had all sorts of visitors, Forrest. Everybody wants you to use their ping-pong stuff. One man even left a check for twenty-five thousand dollars if you'd be agreeable to                         saying you like using their paddle.

FORREST Oh, Momma. I only like using my own paddle. Hi, Miss Louise.

LOUISE Hey, Forrest.

MRS. GUMP I know that. I know that. But it's                         twenty-five thousand dollars, Forrest. I thought maybe you could hold it                         for a while, see if it grows on you. Oh, you look good, Forrest. You look real good.

FORREST (V.O.) That Momma, she sure was right. It's                         funny how things work out.

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE/BUBBA'S MOM'S HOUSE - DAY

Forrest walks up to a shack on the edge of the Bayou. A group of black kids play in the front yard.

FORREST (V.O.) I didn't stay home for long, because I'd made a promise to Bubba. And I                         always try to keep my promise. So I                         went on down to Bayou La Batre to                          meet Bubba's family and make their introduction.

Bubba's mother named MRS. BLUE and her other children look at Forrest.

MRS. BLUE Are you crazy, or just plain stupid?

FORREST Stupid is as stupid does, Mrs. Blue.

MRS. BLUE I guess.

EXT. BUBBA'S GRAVE - DAY

Forrest steps over to Bubba's tombstone.

FORREST (V.O.) And of course, I paid my respect to                         Bubba himself.

FORREST Hey, Bubba, it's me, Forrest Gump. I                         remember everything you said, and I                          got it all figured out.

Forrest pulls out notes from his pocket.

FORREST I'm taking the twenty-four thousand, five hundred and six-two dollars and forty-seven cents that I got...

EXT. BAYOU - DAY

Forrest walks across a yard where men are cleaning shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.) ...well, that's left after a new hair cut and a new suit and I took Momma out to real fancy dinner and I                         bought a bus ticket and three Doctor Peppers.

Forrest walks along a wooden pier. Forrest pays an old black shrimper a large wad of cash.

OLD SHRIMPER Tell me something. Are you stupid or                         something?

FORREST Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

EXT. BUBBA'S GRAVE

Forrest stands at the grave.

FORREST Well, that's what's left after me                         saying, "When I was in China on the                          All-America Ping-Pong Team, I just                         loved playing ping-pong with my Flex-                         O-Ping-Pong Paddle." Which everybody knows it isn't true, but Momma says it's just a little white lie so it                         wouldn't hurt nobody. So, anyway, I'm putting all that on gas, ropes and new nets and a brand-new shrimpin' boat.

EXT. BAYOU - DAY

Forrest steers his shrimping boat. The boat is old and rusty.

Forrest unleashes his nets as his catch of the day drops to               the deck. It is a bunch of garbage and shells. Forrest picks up one shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, Bubba had told me everything he                         knows about shrimpin', but you know what I found out? Shrimpin' is tough.

EXT. DOCKS

Forrest pulls a couple of shrimp out of a bucket.

FORREST I only caught five.

OLD SHRIMPER A couple of more, you can have yourself a cocktail.

The old shrimper begins to walk away, then stops and looks at Forrest.

OLD SHRIMPER Hey, you ever think about namin' this old boat?

FORREST (V.O.) I'd never named a boat before, but there was only one I could think of.

Forrest paints a name on the side of his boat. The name is               "Jenny."

FORREST (V.O.) The most beautiful name in the wide world.

INT. DISCO

Disco lights flash and people dance. A guy asks a girl to               dance.

GIRL Okay.

Jenny sits at a table with some other people. She is snorting cocaine.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, I hadn't heard from Jenny in a                         long while. But...

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE - DAY

Forrest stands at the helm as the boat glides across the water.

FORREST (V.O.) But I thought about her a lot. And I                         hoped that whatever she was doing made her happy.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

Drug paraphernalia and a large wad of cash are spread out on               a table. A man drops a syringe on the table. He reaches over and touches Jenny. She is pale with dark lines under her eyes.

INT. BATHROOM

Jenny smears some lines of cocaine on a mirror. She looks at               herself in the mirror.

EXT. BALCONY

Jenny steps out onto the high-rise balcony. She steps up on               a table and stands on the edge of the balcony. A busy street lies many stories below. Jenny looks down to the intersection below.

She slips over the edge, regains her balance, turns and looks back at the intersection below, and begins to get down from the edge.

Jenny grabs a hold of the ledge and carefully climbs down.

She sits down on a chair. Jenny rocks back and forth as she cries. She looks up at the sky.

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE/FORREST'S BOAT - NIGHT

The moon shines above in the sky. Forrest lies in a hammock on his boat.

FORREST (V.O.) I thought about Jenny all the time.

EXT. FORREST'S BOAT/BAYOU DOCK - DAY

Forrest stands at the helm of his boat and slowly glides by               the docks. Forrest looks around and notices something and bends down to get a clear view. Lt. Dan sits in his wheelchair on the deck. Forrest looks at Lt. Dan. He smiles, surprised.

FORREST Hi!

Forrest leaps off of his moving boat and into the water. The boat continues as Forrest clumsily swims. Lt. Dan sits in               his wheelchair at the edge of the dock. Forrest flails his arms as he swims up to the dock. Lt. Dan waits for Forrest, smoking a cigar. Forrest climbs up a ladder onto the dock.

FORREST Lieutenant Dan, what are you doing here?

LT. DAN Well, I thought I'd try out my sea legs.

FORREST Well, you ain't got no legs, Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN Well, well, Captain Forrest Gump. I                         had to see this for myself. And I                         told you if you were ever a shrimp boat captain, that I'd be your first mate. Well, here I am. I am a man of                         my word.

FORREST Okay.

Forrest shakes Lt. Dan's hand.

LT. DAN Yeah, but don't you be thinking that I'm gonna be calling you sir.

FORREST No, sir.

Forrest's boat glides, crushing a dock. Forrest and Lt. Dan look at it.

FORREST That's my boat.

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE WATERS - DAY

Forrest's shrimping boat is alone on the gulf waters.

LT. DAN I have a feeling if we head the east, we'll find some shrimp. So, take a                         left. Take a left.

Forrest looks up. Lt. Dan is sitting in the rigging.

FORREST Which way?

LT. DAN Over there! They're over there! Get, get on the wheel and take a left!

FORREST Okay.

LT. DAN Gump, what are you doing? Take a                         left! Left! That's where we're gonna find those shrimp, my boy! That's                         where we'll find 'em.

Forrest empties the net. Their "catch" is debris that falls to the deck.

FORREST Still no shrimp, Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN Okay, so I was wrong.

FORREST Well, how we gonna find them?

LT. DAN Well, maybe you should just pray for shrimp.

INT. SMALL CHURCH - DAY

The all-black gospel choir sings and claps their hands.

FORREST (V.O.) So I went to church every Sunday...

Lt. Dan is sitting in his chair at the back of the church. He takes swigs from a liquor bottle.

FORREST (V.O.) Sometimes Lieutenant Dan came, too. Though I think he left the praying up to me.

EXT. BOAT - ANOTHER DAY

A catch of junk is dumped onto the deck. Lt. Dan lowers himself from the rigging.

FORREST No shrimp.

LT. DAN Where the hell's this God of yours?

The wind begins to blow strong.

FORREST (V.O.) It's funny Lieutenant Dan said that, 'cause right then, God showed up.

EXT. BOAT - NIGHT

Water sprays on deck during a hurricane. Lt. Dan on the rigging, shouts and shakes his fist as he is pelted by wind and rain.

LT. DAN You'll never sink this boat!

FORREST (V.O.) Now me, I was scared. But Lieutenant Dan, he was mad.

LT. DAN Come on! You call this a storm?

Forrest slides back and forth as he attempts to steer the boat.

LT. DAN Blow, you son-of-a-bitch! Blow! It's                         time for a showdown! You and me. I'm                         right here. Come and get me! You'll                         never sink this boat!

INT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

An ANCHORMAN over TV, is standing in front of a pier.

ANCHORMAN (over television) Hurricane Carmen came through here yesterday...

EXT. BAYOU DOCKS - DAY

The anchorman is standing in front of the ruined pier and boats.

ANCHORMAN ...destroying nearly everything in                         its path. And as in other towns up                         and down the coast, Bayou La Batre's                          entire shrimping industry...

INT. GUMP HOUSE

ANCHORMAN ...has fallen victim to Carmen and has been left in utter ruin. Speaking with local officials, this reporter has learned, in fact, only one shrimping boat actually survived the storm.

Forrest's boat comes down the river.

MRS. GUMP Louise. Louise, there's Forrest!

FORREST (V.O.) After that, shrimpin' was easy.

FORREST'S BOAT - DAY

Lt. Dan and Forrest empty their net. A huge catch of shrimp falls onto the deck. Lt. Dan opens another big catch.

Another catch drops open on top of yet another huge catch.

Forrest and Lt. Dan smile.

FORREST (V.O.) And since people still needed them shrimps for shrimp cocktails and barbecues and all...

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

The man sitting on the bench listens to Forrest. An ELDERLY WOMAN sits next to the man.

FORREST ...and we were the only boat left standing "Bubba-Gump" shrimp's what they got. We got a whole bunch of                         boats. Twelve Jenny's, a big ol' warehouse, we even have hats that says "Bubba-Gump" on 'em. "Bubba-                        Gump Shrimp." It's a household name.

MAN Hold on there, boy. Are you telling me you're the owner of the Bubba- Gump Shrimp Corporation?

FORREST Yes, sir. We've got more money than Davy Crocket.

MAN Boy, I've heard some whoppers in my                         time, but that tops them all. We was sitting next to a millionaire!

The man laughs as he walks away.

ELDERLY WOMAN Well, I thought it was a very lovely story. And you tell it so well. With such enthusiasm.

FORREST Would you like to see what Lieutenant Dan looks like?

ELDERLY WOMAN Well, yes, I would!

Forrest shows her the cover of a "Fortune" magazine with Forrest and Lt. Dan on the cover.

FORREST That's him right there.

The elderly woman looks at the magazine and at Forrest with surprise.

FORREST And let me tell you something about Lieutenant Dan.

EXT. BOAT/DECK - DAY

Forrest and Lt. Dan are working on the boat.

LT. DAN Forrest, I never thanked you for saving my life.

Forrest looks a little surprised. Lt. Dan smiles, then looks away. Lt. Dan pulls himself out of his chair to the railing and jumps into the water.

FORREST (V.O.) He never actually said so, but I                         think he made his peace with God.

EXT. BOAT

Forrest and Lt. Dan have dinner on the deck. The television shows an assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford.

ANCHORMAN (over television) For the second time in seventeen days, President Ford escaped possible assassination today when a woman, Sarah Jane Moore, fired on him as he                         stepped out of a hotel in San Francisco.

MARGO (over radio) Base to Jenny One. Base to Jenny One.

LT. DAN Jenny One, go Margo.

MARGO (over radio) Forrest has a phone call.

LT. DAN Yeah, well you'll have to tell them to call him back. He is indisposed at the moment.

MARGO (over radio) His momma's sick.

ANCHORMAN (over television) Lynett Alice Fromme, a follower of                         Charles Manson better known as                          "Squeaky," attempted to assassinate the President as he was...

Forrest dives into the water as he reacts.

EXT. ROAD/GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Forrest carries a suitcase as he runs down the road. Forrest runs past the row of mailboxes and turns into the drive.

Louise and others are on the front porch.

FORREST Where's Momma?

LOUISE She's upstairs.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - WOMAN'S BED ROOM

Forrest opens the door, the doctor stands next to Mrs. Gump in bed.

MRS. GUMP Hi, Forrest.

DOCTOR I'll see you tomorrow.

MRS. GUMP Oh, all right.

The doctor looks down at Forrest's legs.

DOCTOR We sure got you straightened out, didn't we, boy?

The doctor leaves and closes the door. Forrest takes off his hat and steps over to her.

FORREST What's the matter, Momma?

MRS. GUMP I'm dyin', Forrest. Come on in, sit down over here.

FORREST Why are you dyin', Momma?

MRS. GUMP It's my time. It's just my time. Oh, now, don't you be afraid, sweetheart. Death is just a part of life. It's                         something we're all destined to do. I didn't know it, but I was destined to be your momma. I did the best I                         could.

FORREST You did good, Momma.

MRS. GUMP Well, I happened to believe you make your own destiny. You have to do the best with what God gave you.

FORREST What's my destiny, Momma?

MRS. GUMP You're gonna have to figure that out for yourself. Life is a box of                         chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get.

FORREST (V.O.) Momma always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them.

MRS. GUMP I will miss you, Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.) She had got the cancer and died on a                         Tuesday. I bought her a new hat with little flowers on it.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

The elderly woman and Forrest sit. The woman is crying and wipes her eyes with a hankie.

FORREST And that's all I have to say about that.

A bus stops. Forrest looks at the elderly woman.

FORREST Didn't you say you were waiting for the Number Seven bus?

ELDERLY WOMAN There'll be another one along shortly.

FORREST Now, because I had been a football star, and a war hero, and a national celebrity, and a shrimpin' boat captain, and a college graduate, the city of fathers of Greenbow, Alabama, decided to get together and offered me a fine job.

EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY

Forrest rides a lawn tractor as he moves the football field lawn.

FORREST (V.O.) So, I never went back to work for Lieutenant Dan.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE MAILBOXES

Forrest takes out a letter and opens it.

FORREST (V.O.) Though he did take care of my Bubba- Gump money. He got me invested in                         some kind of fruit company. And so                         then I got a call from him saying we                          don't have to worry about money no                          more.

EXT. BUS STOP

FORREST And I said, "That's good. One less                         thing."

INT. CHURCH - DAY The choir and members are singing.

FORREST (V.O.) Now, Momma said there's only so much fortune a man really needs...

EXT. CHURCH

The sign reads: "Four Square Baptist Church." A new cross is               placed on the steeple. New furniture is taken inside.

REVEREND Praise the Lord.

FORREST (V.O.) ...and the rest is just for showing off. So, I gave a whole bunch of it                         to the Four Square Gospel Church.

EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY

The sign reads: "Gump Medical Center Bayou La Batre, Alabama."

The ribbon-cutting ceremony.

FORREST (V.O.) And I gave a whole bunch to the Bayou La Batre Fishing Hospital.

EXT. BUBBA'S MOM'S HOUSE

A postman delivers a letter to Bubba's mom. She opens the letter.

FORREST (V.O.) And even though Bubba was dead, and Lieutenant Dan said I was nuts. I                         gave Bubba's mommy Bubba's share.

She is surrounded by her many children. She looks at the check and faints.

EXT. BUS STOP

FORREST And you know what...

INT. FLORIDA CONDO

A door opens as a white woman serves Bubba's mom some shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.) She didn't have to work in nobody's                         kitchen no more.

MRS. BLUE Smells wonderful!

EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD

Forrest rides the mower.

FORREST (V.O.) And 'cause I was godzillionaire and I liked doing it so much. I cut that grass for free.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE BALCONY - NIGHT

Forrest looks down the road as he steps onto the porch.

FORREST (V.O.) But at nighttime, when there was nothing to do and the house was all empty, I'd always think of Jenny.

Jenny's image walks, then vanishes. Forrest looks away. He               turns and walks into the house.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Jenny walks across the lawn to Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.) And then, she was there.

JENNY Hello, Forrest.

FORREST Hello, Jenny.

FORREST (V.O.) Jenny came back and stayed with me.

INT. GUMP HOUSE

Jenny lies asleep in bed.

FORREST (V.O.) Maybe it was because she had nowhere else to go. Or maybe it was because she was so tired, because she went to bed and slept and slept like she hadn't slept in years. It was wonderful having her home.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Forrest and Jenny walking.

FORREST (V.O.) Every day we'd take a walk, and I'd                         jabber on like a monkey in a tree. And she'd listen about ping-pong and shrimpin' boats and Momma makin' a                         trip to heaven. I did all the talkin'. Jenny most of the time was real quiet.

FORREST ...big ol' gobs of rain and little bitty stinging rain and rain...

Jenny's old house stands at the end of the dirt road. It               appears to be deserted. Jenny walks toward the house and stops. She stares at the house. Forrest walks toward Jenny.

Jenny suddenly heaves a rock angrily at the house. She throws other things at the house.

JENNY How could you do this?

She breaks a window. Jenny collapses to the ground and sobs.

Forrest knees down next to her.

FORREST (V.O.) Sometimes I guess there just aren't                         enough rocks.

EXT. OLD OAK TREE - DAY

Jenny and Forrest sit on a limb together.

FORREST (V.O.) I never really knew why she came back, but I didn't care. It was like olden times. We was like peas and carrots again.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Jenny sits by the vase of flowers and look out the window.

FORREST (V.O.) Every day I'd pick pretty flowers and put them in her room for her.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Forrest closes his eyes as he sits on the porch. Jenny places a box of Nike running shoes in his lap.

FORREST (V.O.) And she gave me the best gift anyone could ever get in the wide world.

JENNY Okay, you can open your eyes.

FORREST New shoes.

JENNY They make them just for running.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Through the windows, Forrest and Jenny are dancing as it               rains outside.

FORREST (V.O.) And she even showed me how to dance. And, well, we was like family...                         Jenny and me.

EXT. RIVER - NIGHT

Jenny and Forrest sit on a log together and look at the river.

Jenny places her arms around Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.) And it was the happiest time of my                         life.

The fireworks explode in the sky.

INT. GUMP'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The Statue of Liberty is shown on the TV. Fireworks go off.

Forrest and Jenny are watching the 4th of July celebration on TV.

ANNOUNCER (over television) And this Fourth is witnessing one of                         the largest fireworks displays in                          the nation's two-hundred year history...

JENNY You done watching it?

FORREST Mm-hmm.

ANNOUNCER (over television) ...here in New York Harbor. After the spectacular display of tall ships earlier, the Statue of Liberty...

Jenny stands up and kisses Forrest on the cheek.

JENNY I'm going to bed.

Jenny turns off the TV and walks outside. Forrest stands as               he puts down his Dr. Pepper. Jenny walks toward the stairs.

FORREST Will you marry me? I'd make a good husband, Jenny.

JENNY You would, Forrest.

FORREST But you won't marry me.

JENNY You don't want to marry me.

FORREST Why don't you love me, Jenny? I'm                         not a smart man, but I know what love is.

Forrest turns and walks toward the door. Jenny turns and walks up the stairs. Forrest stands outside.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

The house stands in the rain.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest lies in his bed as the door opens. Jenny gets into bed next to Forrest.

FORREST Jenny?

JENNY Forrest, I do love you.

Jenny and Forrest kiss. Jenny takes off her nightgown as               they make love.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - MORNING

Jenny carries her purse and walks toward a waiting cab.

CAB DRIVER Where are you running off to?

JENNY I'm not running.

INT. GUMP HOUSE

The cab drives away as Forrest is asleep in his bed. The Congressional Medal lies on a table by a ping-pong paddle.

Forrest holds a glass of milk and wears his bathrobe. He               looks at the medal he had give to Jenny. Jenny's bed is made. Forrest stands in the doorway looking at the room and bed where Jenny had been.

EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY

Forrest sit on a rocking chair with his running shoes on. He               is still, as if in a trance. He slowly puts on his Bubba- Gump cap. Forrest stands. He walks off the porch. He begins to jog across the lawn. His speed increases as he runs farther away. Forrest runs down the drive away from his house.

FORREST (V.O.) That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run.

Forrest runs to the end of the drive, then turns right and runs down the highway.

FORREST (V.O.) So I ran to the end of the road, and when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town.

INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY

The three men sit as they watch the television. Forrest runs through the main street of town.

NEWSCASTER President Carter, suffering from heat exhaustion fell into the arms of security agents.

FORREST (V.O.) And when I got there...

EXT. ALABAMA ROAD

The sign reads "Entering Greenbow County."

FORREST (V.O.) ...I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great...

Forrest runs by a sign that reads "Mississippi welcomes you.               The Magnolia State."

FORREST (V.O.) ...state of Alabama. And that's what I did I ran clear across Alabama.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST For no particular reason, I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean.

EXT. SANTA MONICA - DAY

The sign reads "Santa Monica yacht harbor sports fishing -               boating - cafes." Forrest runs under the sign and onto the pier.

FORREST (V.O.) And when I got there, I figured since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going.

EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN

Forrest runs to a pier at the Atlantic Ocean.

FORREST (V.O.) When I got to another ocean, I figured since I've gone this far, I might as                         well just turn back, keep right on                          going.

Forrest runs across the pier. A lighthouse stands at the end of the pier.

FORREST (V.O.) When I got tired, I slept. When I                         got hungry, I ate.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST When I had to go, you know, I went.

ELDERLY WOMAN And so, you just ran?

FORREST Yeah.

EXT. HIGHWAY

Forrest is running along the highway. Forrest runs down a               road between field of wheat. A Mountain river. Forrest runs across a cobble-stone bridge. The Rocky Mountains are behind him in distance. Forrest runs through some meadowland.

Split rail fences line the road.

FORREST (V.O.) I'd think a lot about Momma and Bubba, and Lieutenant Dan, but most of all, I thought about Jenny. I thought about her a lot.

EXT. BARBER SHOP

The three men in the barber shop watch the news on television.

NEWSCASTER For more than two years now, a man named Forrest Gump, a gardener from Greenbow, Alabama, stopping only to                         sleep, has been running across America.

INT. COFFEE SHOP

Jenny fills customer's coffee cups.

NEWSCASTER Charles Cooper brings us this report.

NEWSMAN For the fourth time on his journey across America, Forrest Gump, a                         gardener from Greenbow, Alabama, is                          about to cross the Mississippi River again today.

The TV shows Forrest runs across a bridge that reads "Mississippi River."

JENNY I'll be damned. Forrest...

EXT. MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE

NEWSMAN Sir, why are you running?

1ST REPORTER Why are you running?

2ND REPORTER Are you doing this for world peace?

3RD REPORTER Are you doing this for women's right?

NEWSMAN Or for the environment?

REPORTER Or for animals?

3RD REPORTER Or for nuclear arms?

FORREST (V.O.) They just couldn't believe that somebody would do all that running for no particular reason.

2ND REPORTER Why are you doing this?

FORREST I just felt like running.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST I just left like running.

EXT. SMALL EASTERN TOWN

Forrest runs as a YOUNG MAN runs up to him.

YOUNG MAN It's you. I can't believe it's really you.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST Now, for some reason what I was doing seemed to make sense to people.

EXT. SMALL EASTERN TOWN

The young man jobs behind Forrest.

YOUNG MAN I mean, it was like an alarm went off in my head, you know. I said, here's a guy that's got his act together. Here's somebody who's got it, all figured out. Here's somebody who has the answer. I'll follow you anywhere, Mr. Gump.

FORREST (V.O.) So, I got company.

Forrest runs up a slope on a high mountain road. A group of               people are jogging behind him.

FORREST (V.O.) And after that I got more company. And then...

A large group jogs behind Forrest across the desert road.

FORREST (V.O.) ...even more people joined in. Somebody later told me...

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST ...it gave people hope. Now... Now, I don't know anything about that, but...

Forrest and his followers job through a small town. A man runs up and talks to Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.) Some of those people asked me if I                         could help them out.

AGING HIPPIE Hey, man, hey, listen. I was wondering if you might help me, huh? Listen, I'm in the bumper sticker business and I've been trying to think up a                         good slogan. And since you have been such a big inspiration to the people around here, I thought you might be                         able to help me jump into... Whoa! Man, you just ran through a big pile of dogshit!

The hippie jumps over the "dogshit" as he runs along Forrest.

FORREST It happens.

AGING HIPPIE What, shit?

FORREST Sometimes.

The hippie stops to ponder this profound thought.

FORREST (V.O.) And some years later I heard that fella did come up with a bumper sticker slogan...

A bumper sticker reads "Shit Happens."

FORREST (V.O.) ...and he make a lot of money off of                         it.

The truck with the bumper sticker drives into an intersection.

It collides with a car.

EXT. TRUCK STOP

Forrest runs, followed by his group, as a man runs up to               him.

FORREST (V.O.) Another time I was running along, somebody who had lost all his money in the T-shirt business, and he wanted to put my face on a T-shirt, but he                         couldn't draw that well and he didn't                          have a camera.

WILD-EYED MAN I think it would be really fortunate for me if I could get your name on                         these, oh, your face and name on                          these T-shirts. It would be wonderful.

A truck splashes mud onto Forrest as it goes by. The man hands Forrest a yellow T-shirt to use as a rag to wipe the mud off.

WILD-EYED MAN Here, use this one. Nobody likes that color anyway.

Forrest wipes his face on the towel and hands it back to the man.

FORREST Have a nice day.

The man looks at the T-shirt. He holds it up displaying the "Happy Face."

FORREST (V.O.) And some years later I found out that that man did come up with a                         idea for a T-shirt and he made a lot of money off of it.

EXT. MONUMENT VALLEY

Forrest runs with a group that follows behind him.

FORREST (V.O.) Anyway, like I was saying, I had a                         lot of company. My Momma always said you got to put the past behind you before you can move on. And I think that's what my running was all about. I had run for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours.

Forrest stops running. The group stops behind him. Forrest stands and looks as the group waits expectantly. Forrest turns and look.

YOUNG MAN Quiet. Quiet, he's gonna say something.

FORREST I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go                         home now.

Forrest walks toward the group. The group parts for Forrest as he walks down the middle of the road.

YOUNG MAN Now what are we supposed to do?

FORREST (V.O.) And just like that, my running days was over. So, I went home to Alabama.

A television shows President Reagan and his staff as they react to gunshots in front of a limo.

NEWSCASTER (over television) Moments ago, at two twenty-five p.m., as President Reagan was leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel...

INT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Forrest sits eating a sandwich, watching the news of the assassination attempt.

NEWSCASTER ...five or six gunshots were fired by an unknown would-be assassin. The President was shot in the chest and the assailant was immediately tackled by a half a dozen lawmen. As the Presidential...

LOUISE I picked up the mail.

FORREST Oh, thank you, Miss, Miss Louise.

FORREST (V.O.) One day, out of the blue clear sky, I got a letter from Jenny...

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

Forrest takes the letter out of his pocket.

FORREST ...wondering if I could come down to                         Savannah to see her, and that's what I'm doing here. She saw me on TV, running, I'm supposed to go on the Number Nine bus to Richmond Street and get off and go one block left to                         1-9-4-7 Henry Street, Apartment 4.

The elderly woman looks at the letter.

ELDERLY WOMAN Why, you don't need to take a bus. Henry Street is just five or six blocks down that way.

FORREST Down that way?

ELDERLY WOMAN Down that way.

Forrest hastily grabs his suitcase and letter as he stands.

FORREST It was nice talking' to you.

Forrest runs, the elderly woman shouts from the bus stop bench. A truck honks its horn as Forrest runs across the street past the truck.

ELDERLY WOMAN I hope everything works out for you.

INT. JENNY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Jenny opens the door.

JENNY Hey! Forrest! How you doing?

FORREST Hi.

JENNY Come in. Come in.

FORREST I got your letter.

JENNY Oh, I was wondering about that.

Jenny shuts the door. Forrest looks around.

FORREST Is this your house?

JENNY Yeah, it's messy right now. I just got off work.

FORREST It's nice. You got air conditioning.

Forrest hands Jenny the box of chocolates.

FORREST Ah...

JENNY Thank you.

FORREST I ate some.

Jenny picks up a scrapbook and turns the pages.

JENNY Hey, I kept, I kept a scrapbook of                         your, of your clippings and everything. There you are. This, I                         got your running.

FORREST I ran a long way. For a long time.

JENNY There. Listen, Forrest. I don't know how to say this. Um, I just... I                         want to apologize for anything that I ever did to you, 'cause I was messed up for a long time, and...

There is a knock at the door. LYNN MARIE enters as she opens the door.

LYNN MARIE Yoo-hoo.

JENNY Hey.

LYNN MARIE Hi.

Jenny grabs a young boy.

JENNY Hey, you. This is an old friend from Alabama.

LYNN MARIE Oh, how do you do?

JENNY Ah, listen, next week my schedule changes, so I'll be able to... but thanks for picking up.

LYNN MARIE No problem. Got to go, Jen. I'm double parked.

JENNY Okay.

Lynn Marie closes the door and waves bye to Forrest.

LYNN MARIE Bye.

JENNY Thanks. This is very good friend, Mr. Gump. Can you say hi to him?

LITTLE BOY Hello, Mr. Gump.

FORREST Hello.

LITTLE BOY Now, can I go watch TV now?

JENNY Yes, you can. Just keep it low.

The little boy runs into other room and picks up TV remote control.

FORREST You're a momma, Jenny.

JENNY I'm a momma. His name is Forrest.

FORREST Like me.

JENNY I named him after his Daddy.

FORREST He got a daddy named Forrest, too?

JENNY You're his daddy, Forrest.

Forrest continues to stare at Forrest Jr. Forrest then looks frightened and starts to back away.

JENNY Hey, Forrest, look at me. Look at                         me, Forrest. There's nothing you need to do, okay? You didn't do                         anything wrong. Okay?

Jenny turns and looks at Forrest Jr. in the other room.

JENNY Isn't he beautiful?

FORREST He's the most beautiful thing I've                         ever seen. But... is, is he smart, or is he...

JENNY He's very smart. He's one of the smartest in his class.

Forrest breathes deep. He looks at Jenny, then at Forrest Jr.

JENNY Yeah, it's okay. Go talk to him.

Forrest walks into the room and sits down next to Forrest Jr. "Sesame Street" is on the TV.

BERT Oh, great.

ERNIE Hey, Bert, can you give me a hand?

BERT A hand? Well, yeah, what do you want, Ernie?

FORREST What are you watching.

FORREST JR. Bert and Ernie.

ERNIE Well, it's the first stage. Bert. It's planning to write a story, Bert. I have pencils right here to write with, Bert. Now, we got, uh, paper. I'll take that paper, Bert. See, we                         have the paper to write on.

EXT. PARK - DAY

Forrest and Jenny sit on a bench. Forrest Jr. swings behind them.

JENNY Forrest, I'm sick.

FORREST What, do you have a cough due to                         cold?

JENNY I have some kind virus. And the doctors don't, they don't know what it is. And there isn't anything they can do about it.

FORREST You could come home with me. Jenny, you and little Forrest could come stay at my house in Greenbow. I'll                         take care of you if you're sick.

JENNY Would you marry me, Forrest?

FORREST Okay.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

A group has gathered on the lawn for the wedding. Louise walks up to Forrest.

MINISTER Please take your seats.

LOUISE Forrest, it's time to start.

Jenny walks out of the house. Forrest walks over to greet her. She wears a white dress. She walks up to Forrest and adjusts his necktie.

JENNY Hi. Your tie.

Lt. Dan is walking across the lawn. He uses a cane. A WOMAN is walking next to him.

FORREST Lieutenant Dan? Lieutenant Dan!

LT. DAN Hello, Forrest.

Jenny walks over to Forrest and Lt. Dan.

FORREST You got new legs. New legs!

LT. DAN Yeah, I got new legs.

Lt. Dan lifts his pant leg to display his metal leg.

LT. DAN Custom-made titanium alloy. It's                         what they use on the space shuttle.

FORREST Magic legs.

LT. DAN This is my fiancee, Susan.

FORREST Lieutenant Dan!

Susan shakes Forrest's hand.

SUSAN Hi, Forrest.

FORREST Lieutenant Dan, this is my Jenny.

JENNY Hey, it's nice to meet you, finally.

Jenny steps forward and kisses Lt. Dan's cheek. The group is               seated as they watch Forrest and Jenny take vows on the front lawn. Forrest Jr. stands next to Jenny.

MINISTER Do you, Forrest, take Jenny to be                         your wife? Do you, Jenny, take Forrest to be your husband? If so, I pronounce you man and wife.

The wind blows fallen leaves across the ground. Jenny, Forrest, and Forrest Jr. walk toward the house. They all hold hands as they walk.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - MORNING

Forrest steps into Jenny's bedroom. He carries a tray with breakfast on it. Forrest looks at Jenny as she sleeps.

Slowly she wakes up and looks at Forrest.

FORREST Hey.

JENNY Hey.

Forrest sets the tray down next to Jenny as she sits up in               bed. Forrest opens a window, then sits down next to the bed.

JENNY Hey, Forrest, were you scared in                         Vietnam?

FORREST Yes. Well, I, I don't know.

EXT. VIETNAM - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Forrest looks up into the sky as the rain stops. Forrest removes his helmet. The stars emerge from behind the clouds.

FORREST (V.O.) Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out. And then it was nice. It was like just before the sun goes to bed down on the bayou...

EXT. BAYOU - FLASHBACK - SUNSET

Forrest stands on his boat and looks at a deep orange and red sunset.

FORREST (V.O.) There was over a million sparkles on                         the water. Like that mountain lake.

EXT. MOUNTAIN LAKE - FLASHBACK - DAY

Forrest runs along a highway. A lake reflects the mountains and the sky.

FORREST (V.O.) It was so clear, Jenny. It looks like there were two skies, one on                         top of the other. And then in the desert, when the sun comes up...

EXT. DESERT - FLASHBACK - SUNRISE

Forrest runs along a desert highway. The morning light casts an orange glow over the desert.

FORREST (V.O.) I couldn't tell where heavens stopped and the earth began. It was so                         beautiful.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - MORNING

Forrest looks at Jenny. Jenny looks out the window.

JENNY I wish I could have been there with you.

FORREST You were.

Jenny reaches over and takes Forrest's hand.

JENNY I love you.

FORREST (V.O.) You died on a Saturday morning.

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE AT OLD OAK TREE - DAY

Forrest stands under the old oak tree where Jenny has been buried.

FORREST And I had you placed here under our tree.

Jenny's grave marker. Forrest tries to hold back his tears.

FORREST And I had that house of your father's                         bulldozed to the ground.

EXT. JENNY'S OLD HOUSE - DAY

Forrest watches as Jenny's dad's house is knocked down by a               bulldozer.

FORREST (V.O.) Momma...

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE

FORREST ...always said dyin' was a part of                         life.

Jenny's grave marker reads: JENNY GUMP July 16, 1945 -- March 22, 1982 Beloved Mother, Wife and Friend

FORREST I sure wish it wasn't. Little Forrest, he's doing just fine.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest Jr. reads a book to Forrest sitting next to him.

FORREST JR.                             (reading) "But he wasn't quite sure. Everywhere                         they went, the new guests...

FORREST (V.O.) About to start school again soon. I                         make his breakfast, lunch, and dinner...

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE

Forrest looks down as he sobs.

FORREST ...every day. I make sure he combs his hair and brushes his teeth every day. Teaching him how to play ping pong.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest tries to teach Forrest Jr. how to play ping-pong.

FORREST Okay...

FORREST (V.O.) He's really good.

FORREST Forrest, you go.

Forrest Jr. serves the ball, causing Forrest dive and miss it.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE/RIVER - DAY

Forrest and Forrest Jr. sit on a log by the river and fish.

FORREST (V.O.) We fish a lot.

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE

Forrest looks down at the grave marker.

FORREST And every night, we read a book. He's so smart, Jenny. You'd be so                         proud of him. I am. He, uh, wrote a                         letter, and he says I can't read it. I'm not supposed to, so I'll just leave it here for you.

Forrest places the letter down at the grave marker, next to               fresh flowers. The name on the envelope reads: "Mom." Forrest steps back and looks down at the grave.

FORREST Jenny, I don't know if Momma was right or if, if it's Lieutenant Dan. I don't know if we each have a                         destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there's anything you need, I won't be far away.

As Forrest walks away, a flock of birds flies overhead and lands in the tree. Forrest turns and watches.

EXT. ROAD - MORNING

Forrest walks with Forrest Jr. for the bus. The bus drives toward them.

FORREST Here's your bus. Okay.

Forrest pulls "Curious George" out of Forrest Jr.'s backpack.

FORREST Hey, I know this.

FORREST JR.                        I'm gonna show that for show-and- tell because grandma used to read it                         to you.

Forrest looks at the book. The feather from the beginning of               the movie drops out of the book, unnoticed.

FORREST My favorite book.

The bus comes to a stop. The door opens.

FORREST Well...

Forrest puts the book back into Forrest Jr.'s backpack and hands it to him.

FORREST ...okay. Hey, there you go.

Forrest Jr. walks toward the bus. Forrest stands up.

FORREST Hey, Forrest. Don't... I wanted to                         tell you I love you.

FORREST JR. I love you too, Daddy.

FORREST I'll be right here when you get back.

Forrest Jr. looks into the bus and at the bus driver. It is               the same bus driver, only older now, who drove Forrest to                school when he was a young boy.

SCHOOLD BUS DRIVER You understand this is the bus to                         school now, don't you?

FORREST JR.                        Of course, and you're Dorothy Harris and I'm Forrest Gump.

Forrest Jr. looks over and waves to his father. Forrest nods approvingly.

Forrest Jr. gets on the bus. The bus pulls away. Forrest stands next to the mailbox.

Forrest sits down. The camera cranes down, revealing the feather as it lies at Forrest's feet.

A gust of wind picks the feather up. The feather floats up               into the air.

Forrest sits at the side of the road. The feather floats higher into the air.

The feather soars up into the sky and travels up and down, then covers the camera lens.

THE END