"Forrest Gump" Is Returning to Theaters for Its 25th Anniversary

Task and Purpose

Culture, Americas

The return of a classic.

A quarter of a century after movie-goers first met Forrest Gump, Jenny, Bubba, and Lt. Dan, the critically-acclaimed drama will return to theaters for a special two-day showing on June 23 and 25 put on by Fathom Events.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump wowed critics and just about anyone with eyes and a pulse when it premiered on July 6, 1994, taking home a slew of awards including six Oscars, and three Golden Globes in the months that followed.

The modern American odyssey follows Tom Hanks's Gump as he both literally and figuratively walks, runs, and ping-pongs his way through every era-defining event in final decades of the 20th century, all while pining for the love of his life, Jenny (Robin Wright).

Throughout the film, our protagonist and narrator finds himself the center of modern American history: teaching Elvis his signature dance moves, serving in the Vietnam War and receiving the Medal of Honor for his heroism, glad-handing with John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon during multiple visits to the White House (and accidentally becoming a whistle blower in the Watergate scandal), not to mention his stint as a global ping-pong champion and his role as an early investor in “some kind of fruit company” called Apple.

For the military and veterans' community, however, some of the most memorable moments in Forrest Gump take place when Gump enlists in the Army and meets Bubba (Mykelti Williamson) and Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise), spawning not one but two bromances that endure in internet memes and GIFs to this day.