Forest Gump Movie vs Book
In the movie, Forest is retracted like a hero and he seems to be less of an idiot, his IQ was only three points under the expected one. Despite of his ingenuity, he was an independent man and he had a lot of success in his life. He studied in a conventional public school, and then he finished college, and also was a famous football player (played for the American University Team). Later, he became a soldier and went to Vietnam, for which he was given a medal for bravery.
In the book, he studied in a school for special children; he didn’t finish college because he wasn’t clever enough during the lessons. He stayed at college only for a year, this proved that he really had a mental retardation. He didn’t have too much success as on the movie. He also played football but he didn’t become famous. Actually, his team lost the final game. There was only one similarity, his success with the shrimp business, but on the movie he got success after other boats break down, as if for a miracle. In the book, however his success came for his shrimp business with Bubba’s family.
Like Forrest, Jenny was also pictured in a different manner on the movie. She was a girl who had family problems, her mother had died and she suffered from domestic violence, her aunt used to hit her. Jenny is presented as a girl who gets involved with drugs and violent love relationships. In the book, on the other hand, Jenny is a common girl and lives with her family. In childhood, Jenny doesn't appear to have a problematic life style. She take part in the hippie movement, though she wasn’t e involved with drugs. As to love relationships, it is not mentioned any problems related to violence. At last, she is just an ordinary girl with common problems for a girl at her age.
As regards Forrest and Jenny relationship, I perceive that on the film, they were actually friends. Their ups and downs show how Forrest loved Jenny, however she feels much sorrow and compassion for him. She did not dream about marrying him or living with him. She had other intentions such as: to be a singer or to become a famous artist. In the book, she really loved Forrest, although being afraid of this feeling. She began one serious relationship with him and then finishes it when she sees him kissing another girl. Then, she decides to live far from Forrest, although being pregnant of him.
At last, I see one more time that the perceptions of the director of the film and the author of the book are very different. In the movie, after Jenny’s death, Forrest looks after his son, what reveals that one more time he is figured out as being more independent on the movie. On the contrary, in the book, Jenny marries another man and makes a family with little Forrest and her husband. After all, a person with mental retardation would not have conditions to bring up a child.

Jennifer Proctor
Contemporary Literature
Mrs. Pedoto
May 11, 2015

Forest Gump Book vs Movie
Although there seem to be more differences between the book and the movie of Forrest Gump, there are still many similarities between the two. Forrest was raised by only his mother; they lived in the same big white house renting rooms out to travelers. Forrest does earn a scholarship to play running back for the University of Alabama football team. He meets the love of his life, Jenny Curran in first grade and later on they get married after Jenny went through some violent relationships. Forrest meets his best friend Bubba and they have dreams of opening up a shrimping business when they get out of the army. Bubba later on dies in the army with Forrest by his side. In memory of Bubba, when Forrest gets out of the army he buys a big shrimping boat and starts the shrimping business him and Bubba dreamed of. Even though Forrest wasn’t able to save Bubba’s life, he did rescue his lieutenant. His name was Dan, lieutenant Dan. When they were both put in the hospital together after Forrest was shot in the “Buttocks”