From Johnny Weissmuller’s loincloth-wearing adventures as Tarzan to Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee, many great outdoor characters have graced the silver screen, but none as memorable as Forrest Gump. As played by Tom Hanks, this simple, honest young man from Alabama arguably was the greatest outdoorsman and all-around athlete in movie history.
Running: Born with a crooked spine, young Forrest must wear leg braces to straighten out his back. As young toughs chase him in one memorable scene, though, Forrest hobbles along on his braces until they fall off, allowing him to “run like the wind blows.” From that moment forward, no matter where he went, Forrest gets there by running. As an adult, he even runs back and forth several times across the country in little more than a t-shirt, shorts and athletic shoes .
Football: Purely by accident, Forrest’s running talents earn him an athletic scholarship and a position on the University of Alabama’s football team. Named to the All-American Team, Forrest gets a trip to the White House and all the free soda he can drink.
Armed Combat: During the Vietnam conflict, Forrest Gump joins the Army and serves a tour of duty in the tropical Vietnamese jungles. When his platoon is attacked by enemy forces, Forrest races into the jungle to pull as many of his friends out as he can, even after he gets “shot in the buttocks.”
Ping Pong: Recovering in an Army hospital, Forrest is introduced to ping pong, a sport that, in his words, “came very natural” to him. The United States makes good use of his table tennis abilities, sending him on a tour of Army hospitals across the country as well as to China to compete against their best players.
Sailing: Honoring a promise to a deceased friend, Gump travels to Louisiana and buys a shrimp boat , even though he’s never sailed much before. Though the competition is fierce, he and business partner Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) eventually survive a vicious storm and become the most successful shrimping operation in the country.
With talents for running, fighting and sailing, Forrest Gump truly ranks among the greatest outdoor heroes in movie history.
