National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2011
“As "Forrest Gump," Tom Hanks portrays an earnest, guileless "everyman" whose open-heartedness and sense of the unexpected unwittingly draws him into some of the most iconic events of the 1960s and 1970s.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
Robert Zemeckis
Studio
Paramount Pictures · 142 min
Box office
$678.2M worldwide on a $55M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 6 wins, 13 nominationsNational Board of Review — 2 winsAmanda Award — 1 winAll 9 wins · 13 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Director
Academy Awards: Best Picture
Academy Awards: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Academy Awards: Best Film Editing
Academy Awards: Best Actor
Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects
National Board of Review: Best Film
National Board of Review: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Amanda Award: Best Foreign Feature Film
Scholarship
Named in the title of 31 peer-reviewed works
Examples
Forrest Gump — Iverieli (National Parliamentary Library of Georgia), 2015
Forrest Gump, 2022
Forrest Gump: — State University of New York Press eBooks, 2017
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Forrest Gump premiered in 1994 through Paramount Pictures, directed by Robert Zemeckis and adapted from Winston Groom's novel. Anchored by Tom Hanks in the title role, the film swept the Academy Awards, taking Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, and became a cultural touchstone for its blend of American history, sincerity, and technical innovation in visual effects. Its earnest tone and quotable dialogue cemented it as one of the defining studio releases of the decade, still discussed and revisited by audiences and collectors alike.
This cell preserves Young Forrest Gump and Young Jenny Curran, portrayed by Michael Conner Humphreys and Hanna Hall, the childhood incarnations of the film's central relationship. Their bond forms the emotional foundation for everything that follows in Forrest's adult life, making early frames of these two performers especially sought after by collectors tracing the arc of the story from its origin point. A 35mm cell from this portion of the film represents the formative introduction of the Forrest and Jenny dynamic, a keepsake tied to the beginning of one of cinema's most enduring friendships.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm color release print of Forrest Gump (1994).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
Not visible in this capture; the area beside the picture frames is obscured by the strip's curl and the light panel reflection.
Edge print
Text reads 'EASTMAN 25 1+1' as mirrored along the lower edge.
Base & colour
Base appears a warm cream-yellow tint consistent with processed color print stock; dye image shows natural color rendition with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Forrest Gump (1994).
Era check
Eastman color print stock with this edge coding is consistent with early-to-mid 1990s theatrical release print production, matching the 1994 release date of the film on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000064010
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
