Forrest Gump Page #2

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.

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