National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Forrest Gump was released by Paramount Pictures in July 1994, directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on Winston Groom's 1986 novel. The film became one of the defining cultural touchstones of its decade, earning six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Shot on 35mm by cinematographer Don Burgess, its warm, naturalistic photography gave the sprawling American story an intimate, almost documentary quality that has kept it visually distinctive across the thirty years since its release.

This cell, titled Lt. Dan, captures Lieutenant Dan Taylor in three consecutive frames — shirtless, long-haired, red bandana tied at his head, arm raised against an open waterside backdrop. The tight sequence preserves a single suspended moment aboard what appears to be a shrimping vessel, offering a quiet, unguarded glimpse of one of the film's most enduring supporting figures.