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. It became a cultural phenomenon, sweeping the Academy Awards with wins for Best Picture, Director, and Actor, while its blend of historical pastiche and sincere sentimentality made it one of the defining American films of the decade. Its innovative visual effects, inserting Tom Hanks into archival footage, set new standards for the era, and its soundtrack and quotable dialogue cemented its place in popular memory for generations of viewers worldwide.
This 35mm cell preserves Jenny Curran, portrayed by Robin Wright, a character whose presence anchors the film's emotional throughline across decades of American life. Jenny represents the counterpart to Forrest's steadfast devotion, her arc weaving through the turbulence of the era alongside him. Collectors seek her likeness for the depth Wright brought to a role balancing vulnerability and independence. A cell bearing her name marks her as a defining figure of the story, distinct from any single scene, standing as a piece of the film's broader narrative fabric preserved on film stock.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Forrest Gump (1994).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-bilateral waveform pattern.
Edge print
"SAFETY FILM" is legible along the lower edge (reading reversed, indicating emulsion-up orientation).
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; the dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious fading or strong colour shift visible.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour 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
The dual-bilateral variable-area optical track, colour positive stock, and 'SAFETY FILM' edge print are all consistent with a mid-1990s theatrical release print.
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 000064027
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
