Forrest Gump

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.

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