Describe the plot of a movie in epic/saga form, then let us guess.

[Rabrrrrrr]

BwuhahahaHahaha!

I had to do it. I had to.




LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
gave him gifts: a good king he!
To him an heir was afterward born,
a son in his halls, whom heaven sent
to favor the folk, feeling their woe
that erst they had lacked an earl for leader
so long a while; the Lord endowed him,
the Wielder of Wonder, with world’s renown.
Famed was this Beowulf:1 far flew the boast of him,
son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands.
So becomes it a youth to quit him well
with his father’s friends, by fee and gift,
that to aid him, aged, in after days,
come warriors willing, should war draw nigh,
liegemen loyal: by lauded deeds
shall an earl have honor in every clan.

Forth he fared at the fated moment,
sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God.
Then they bore him over to ocean’s billow,
loving clansmen, as late he charged them,
while wielded words the winsome Scyld,
the leader beloved who long had ruled....
In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel,
ice-flecked, outbound, atheling’s barge:
there laid they down their darling lord
on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings,2
by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure
fetched from far was freighted with him.
No ship have I known so nobly dight
with weapons of war and weeds of battle,
with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay
a heaped hoard that hence should go
far o’er the flood with him floating away.
No less these loaded the lordly gifts,
thanes’ huge treasure, than those had done
who in former time forth had sent him
sole on the seas, a suckling child.
High o’er his head they hoist the standard,
a gold-wove banner; let billows take him,
gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits,
mournful their mood. No man is able
to say in sooth, no son of the halls,
no hero ‘neath heaven, -- who harbored that freight!

<1> Not, of course, Beowulf the Great, hero of the epic.

<2> Kenning for king or chieftain of a comitatus: he breaks off gold from the spiral rings -- often worn on the arm -- and so rewards his followers.

I

Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,
leader beloved, and long he ruled
in fame with all folk, since his father had gone
away from the world, till awoke an heir,
haughty Healfdene, who held through life,
sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.
Then, one after one, there woke to him,
to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:
Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;
and I heard that -- was -- ‘s queen,
the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear.
To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,
such honor of combat, that all his kin
obeyed him gladly till great grew his band
of youthful comrades. It came in his mind
to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,
ia master mead-house, mightier far
than ever was seen by the sons of earth,
and within it, then, to old and young
he would all allot that the Lord had sent him,
save only the land and the lives of his men.
Wide, I heard, was the work commanded,
for many a tribe this mid-earth round,
to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered,
in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,
of halls the noblest: Heorot1 he named it
whose message had might in many a land.
Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,
treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,
high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting
of furious flame.2 Nor far was that day
when father and son-in-law stood in feud
for warfare and hatred that woke again.3
With envy and anger an evil spirit
endured the dole in his dark abode,
that he heard each day the din of revel
high in the hall: there harps rang out,
clear song of the singer. He sang who knew4
tales of the early time of man,
how the Almighty made the earth,
fairest fields enfolded by water,
set, triumphant, sun and moon
for a light to lighten the land-dwellers,
and braided bright the breast of earth
with limbs and leaves, made life for all
of mortal beings that breathe and move.
So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel
a winsome life, till one began
to fashion evils, that field of hell.
Grendel this monster grim was called,
march-riever5 mighty, in moorland living,
in fen and fastness; fief of the giants
the hapless wight a while had kept
since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged
by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud,6 and far was he driven,
for the slaughter’s sake, from sight of men.
Of Cain awoke all that woful breed,
Etins7 and elves and evil-spirits,
as well as the giants that warred with God
weary while: but their wage was paid them!


<1> That is, “The Hart,” or “Stag,” so called from decorations in the gables that resembled the antlers of a deer. This hall has been carefully described in a pamphlet by Heyne. The building was rectangular, with opposite doors -- mainly west and east – and a hearth in the middle of the single room. A row of pillars down each side, at some distance from the walls, made a space which was raised a little above the main floor, and was furnished with two rows of seats. On one side, usually south, was the high-seat midway between the doors. Opposite this, on the other raised space, was another seat of honor. At the banquet soon to be described, Hrothgar sat in the south or chief high-seat, and Beowulf opposite to him. The scene for a flying (see below, v.499) was thus very effectively set. Planks on trestles – the “board” of later English literature – formed the tables just in front of the long rows of seats, and were taken away after banquets, when the retainers were ready to stretch themselves out for sleep on the benches.

<2> Fire was the usual end of these halls. See v. 781 below. One thinks of the splendid scene at the end of the Nibelungen, of the Nialssaga, of Saxo’s story of Amlethus, and many a less famous instance.

<3> It is to be supposed that all hearers of this poem knew how Hrothgar’s hall was burnt, – perhaps in the unsuccessful attack made on him by his son-in-law Ingeld.

<4> A skilled minstrel. The Danes are heathens, as one is told presently; but this lay of beginnings is taken from Genesis.

<5> A disturber of the border, one who sallies from his haunt in the fen and roams over the country near by. This probably pagan nuisance is now furnished with biblical credentials as a fiend or devil in good standing, so that all Christian Englishmen might read about him. “Grendel” may mean one who grinds and crushes.

<6> Cain’s.

<7> Giants.

II
\
WENT he forth to find at fall of night
that haughty house, and heed wherever
the Ring-Danes, outrevelled, to rest had gone.
Found within it the atheling band
asleep after feasting and fearless of sorrow,
of human hardship. Unhallowed wight,
grim and greedy, he grasped betimes,
wrathful, reckless, from resting-places,
thirty of the thanes, and thence he rushed
fain of his fell spoil, faring homeward,
laden with slaughter, his lair to seek.
Then at the dawning, as day was breaking,
the might of Grendel to men was known;
then after wassail was wail uplifted,
loud moan in the morn. The mighty chief,
atheling excellent, unblithe sat,
labored in woe for the loss of his thanes,
when once had been traced the trail of the fiend,
spirit accurst: too cruel that sorrow,
too long, too loathsome. Not late the respite;
with night returning, anew began
ruthless murder; he recked no whit,
firm in his guilt, of the feud and crime.
They were easy to find who elsewhere sought
in room remote their rest at night,
bed in the bowers,1 when that bale was shown,
was seen in sooth, with surest token, –
the hall-thane’s2 hate. Such held themselves
far and fast who the fiend outran!
Thus ruled unrighteous and raged his fill
one against all; until empty stood
that lordly building, and long it bode so.
Twelve years’ tide the trouble he bore,
sovran of Scyldings, sorrows in plenty,
boundless cares. There came unhidden
tidings true to the tribes of men,
in sorrowful songs, how ceaselessly Grendel
harassed Hrothgar, what hate he bore him,
what murder and massacre, many a year,
feud unfading, – refused consent
to deal with any of Daneland’s earls,
make pact of peace, or compound for gold:
still less did the wise men ween to get
great fee for the feud from his fiendish hands.
But the evil one ambushed old and young
death-shadow dark, and dogged them still,
lured, or lurked in the livelong night
of misty moorlands: men may say not
where the haunts of these Hell-Runes3 be.
Such heaping of horrors the hater of men,
lonely roamer, wrought unceasing,
harassings heavy. O’er Heorot he lorded,
gold-bright hall, in gloomy nights;
and ne’er could the prince4 approach his throne,
– ‘twas judgment of God, – or have joy in his hall.
Sore was the sorrow to Scyldings’-friend,
heart-rending misery. Many nobles
sat assembled, and searched out counsel
how it were best for bold-hearted men
against harassing terror to try their hand.
Whiles they vowed in their heathen fanes
altar-offerings, asked with words5
that the slayer-of-souls would succor give them
for the pain of their people. Their practice this,
their heathen hope; ‘twas Hell they thought of
in mood of their mind. Almighty they knew not,
Doomsman of Deeds and dreadful Lord,
nor Heaven’s-Helmet heeded they ever,
Wielder-of-Wonder. – Woe for that man
who in harm and hatred hales his soul
to fiery embraces; – nor favor nor change
awaits he ever. But well for him
that after death-day may draw to his Lord,
and friendship find in the Father’s arms!

<1> The smaller buildings within the main enclosure but separate from the hall.
<2> Grendel.
<3> “Sorcerers-of-hell.”

<4> Hrothgar, who is the “Scyldings’-friend” of 170.
<5> That is, in formal or prescribed phrase.

III

THUS seethed unceasing the son of Healfdene
with the woe of these days; not wisest men
assuaged his sorrow; too sore the anguish,
loathly and long, that lay on his folk,
most baneful of burdens and bales of the night.


This heard in his home Hygelac’s thane,
great among Geats, of Grendel’s doings.
He was the mightiest man of valor
in that same day of this our life,
stalwart and stately. A stout wave-walker
he bade make ready. Yon battle-king, said he,
far o’er the swan-road he fain would seek,
the noble monarch who needed men!
The prince’s journey by prudent folk
was little blamed, though they loved him dear;
they whetted the hero, and hailed good omens.
And now the bold one from bands of Geats
comrades chose, the keenest of warriors
e’er he could find; with fourteen men
the sea-wood1 he sought, and, sailor proved,
led them on to the land’s confines.
Time had now flown;2 afloat was the ship,
boat under bluff. On board they climbed,
warriors ready; waves were churning
sea with sand; the sailors bore
on the breast of the bark their bright array,
their mail and weapons: the men pushed off,
on its willing way, the well-braced craft.
Then moved o’er the waters by might of the wind
that bark like a bird with breast of foam,
till in season due, on the second day,
the curved prow such course had run
that sailors now could see the land,
sea-cliffs shining, steep high hills,
headlands broad. Their haven was found,
their journey ended. Up then quickly
the Weders’3 clansmen climbed ashore,
anchored their sea-wood, with armor clashing
and gear of battle: God they thanked
for passing in peace o’er the paths of the sea.
Now saw from the cliff a Scylding clansman,
a warden that watched the water-side,
how they bore o’er the gangway glittering shields,
war-gear in readiness; wonder seized him
to know what manner of men they were.
Straight to the strand his steed he rode,
Hrothgar’s henchman; with hand of might
he shook his spear, and spake in parley.
“Who are ye, then, ye armed men,
mailed folk, that yon mighty vessel
have urged thus over the ocean ways,
here o’er the waters? A warden I,
sentinel set o’er the sea-march here,
lest any foe to the folk of Danes
with harrying fleet should harm the land.
No aliens ever at ease thus bore them,
linden-wielders:4 yet word-of-leave
clearly ye lack from clansmen here,
my folk’s agreement. – A greater ne’er saw I
of warriors in world than is one of you, –
yon hero in harness! No henchman he
worthied by weapons, if witness his features,
his peerless presence! I pray you, though, tell
your folk and home, lest hence ye fare
suspect to wander your way as spies
in Danish land. Now, dwellers afar,
ocean-travellers, take from me
simple advice: the sooner the better
I hear of the country whence ye came.”


<1> Ship.

<2> That is, since Beowulf selected his ship and led his men to the harbor.

<3> One of the auxiliary names of the Geats.

<4> Or: Not thus openly ever came warriors hither; yet...
IV


To him the stateliest spake in answer;
the warriors’ leader his word-hoard unlocked: –
“We are by kin of the clan of Geats,
and Hygelac’s own hearth-fellows we.
To folk afar was my father known,


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noble atheling, Ecgtheow named.
Full of winters, he fared away
aged from earth; he is honored still
through width of the world by wise men all.
To thy lord and liege in loyal mood
we hasten hither, to Healfdene’s son,
people-protector: be pleased to advise us!
To that mighty-one come we on mickle errand,
to the lord of the Danes; nor deem I right
that aught be hidden. We hear – thou knowest
if sooth it is – the saying of men,
that amid the Scyldings a scathing monster,
dark ill-doer, in dusky nights
shows terrific his rage unmatched,
hatred and murder. To Hrothgar I
in greatness of soul would succor bring,
so the Wise-and-Brave1 may worst his foes, –
if ever the end of ills is fated,
of cruel contest, if cure shall follow,
and the boiling care-waves cooler grow;
else ever afterward anguish-days
he shall suffer in sorrow while stands in place
high on its hill that house unpeered!”
Astride his steed, the strand-ward answered,
clansman unquailing: “The keen-souled thane
must be skilled to sever and sunder duly
words and works, if he well intends.
I gather, this band is graciously bent
to the Scyldings’ master. March, then, bearing
weapons and weeds the way I show you.
I will bid my men your boat meanwhile
to guard for fear lest foemen come, –
your new-tarred ship by shore of ocean
faithfully watching till once again
it waft o’er the waters those well-loved thanes,
– winding-neck’d wood, – to Weders’ bounds,
heroes such as the hest of fate
shall succor and save from the shock of war.”
They bent them to march, – the boat lay still,


-14-



fettered by cable and fast at anchor,
broad-bosomed ship. – Then shone the boars2
over the cheek-guard; chased with gold,
keen and gleaming, guard it kept
o’er the man of war, as marched along
heroes in haste, till the hall they saw,
broad of gable and bright with gold:
that was the fairest, ‘mid folk of earth,
of houses ‘neath heaven, where Hrothgar lived,
and the gleam of it lightened o’er lands afar.
The sturdy shieldsman showed that bright
burg-of-the-boldest; bade them go
straightway thither; his steed then turned,
hardy hero, and hailed them thus: –
“Tis time that I fare from you. Father Almighty
in grace and mercy guard you well,
safe in your seekings. Seaward I go,
‘gainst hostile warriors hold my watch.”


<1> Hrothgar.

<2> Beowulf’s helmet has several boar-images on it; he is the “man of war”; and the boar-helmet guards him as typical representative of the marching party as a whole. The boar was sacred to Freyr, who was the favorite god of the Germanic tribes about the North Sea and the Baltic. Rude representations of warriors show the boar on the helmet quite as large as the helmet itself.
V


STONE-BRIGHT the street:1 it showed the way
to the crowd of clansmen. Corselets glistened
hand-forged, hard; on their harness bright
the steel ring sang, as they strode along
in mail of battle, and marched to the hall.
There, weary of ocean, the wall along
they set their bucklers, their broad shields, down,
and bowed them to bench: the breastplates clanged,
war-gear of men; their weapons stacked,
spears of the seafarers stood together,
gray-tipped ash: that iron band
was worthily weaponed! – A warrior proud


-15-



asked of the heroes their home and kin.
“Whence, now, bear ye burnished shields,
harness gray and helmets grim,
spears in multitude? Messenger, I,
Hrothgar’s herald! Heroes so many
ne’er met I as strangers of mood so strong.
‘Tis plain that for prowess, not plunged into exile,
for high-hearted valor, Hrothgar ye seek!”
Him the sturdy-in-war bespake with words,
proud earl of the Weders answer made,
hardy ‘neath helmet: – “Hygelac’s, we,
fellows at board; I am Beowulf named.
I am seeking to say to the son of Healfdene
this mission of mine, to thy master-lord,
the doughty prince, if he deign at all
grace that we greet him, the good one, now.”
Wulfgar spake, the Wendles’ chieftain,
whose might of mind to many was known,
his courage and counsel: “The king of Danes,
the Scyldings’ friend, I fain will tell,
the Breaker-of-Rings, as the boon thou askest,
the famed prince, of thy faring hither,
and, swiftly after, such answer bring
as the doughty monarch may deign to give.”
Hied then in haste to where Hrothgar sat
white-haired and old, his earls about him,
till the stout thane stood at the shoulder there
of the Danish king: good courtier he!
Wulfgar spake to his winsome lord: –
“Hither have fared to thee far-come men
o’er the paths of ocean, people of Geatland;
and the stateliest there by his sturdy band
is Beowulf named. This boon they seek,
that they, my master, may with thee
have speech at will: nor spurn their prayer
to give them hearing, gracious Hrothgar!
In weeds of the warrior worthy they,
methinks, of our liking; their leader most surely,
a hero that hither his henchmen has led.”



-16-




<1> Either merely paved, the strata via of the Romans, or else thought of as a sort of mosaic, an extravagant touch like the reckless waste of gold on the walls and roofs of a hall.
VI


HROTHGAR answered, helmet of Scyldings: –
“I knew him of yore in his youthful days;
his aged father was Ecgtheow named,
to whom, at home, gave Hrethel the Geat
his only daughter. Their offspring bold
fares hither to seek the steadfast friend.
And seamen, too, have said me this, –
who carried my gifts to the Geatish court,
thither for thanks, – he has thirty men’s
heft of grasp in the gripe of his hand,
the bold-in-battle. Blessed God
out of his mercy this man hath sent
to Danes of the West, as I ween indeed,
against horror of Grendel. I hope to give
the good youth gold for his gallant thought.
Be thou in haste, and bid them hither,
clan of kinsmen, to come before me;
and add this word, – they are welcome guests
to folk of the Danes.”
Wulfgar went] and the word declared: –
“To you this message my master sends,
East-Danes’ king, that your kin he knows,
hardy heroes, and hails you all
welcome hither o’er waves of the sea!
Ye may wend your way in war-attire,
and under helmets Hrothgar greet;
but let here the battle-shields bide your parley,
and wooden war-shafts wait its end.”
Uprose the mighty one, ringed with his men,
brave band of thanes: some bode without,
battle-gear guarding, as bade the chief.
Then hied that troop where the herald led them,
under Heorot’s roof:
hardy ‘neath helm, till the hearth he neared.
Beowulf spake, – his breastplate gleamed,
war-net woven by wit of the smith: –


-17-



“Thou Hrothgar, hail! Hygelac’s I,
kinsman and follower. Fame a plenty
have I gained in youth! These Grendel-deeds
I heard in my home-land heralded clear.
Seafarers say how stands this hall,
of buildings best, for your band of thanes
empty and idle, when evening sun
in the harbor of heaven is hidden away.
So my vassals advised me well, –
brave and wise, the best of men, –
O sovran Hrothgar, to seek thee here,
for my nerve and my might they knew full well.
Themselves had seen me from slaughter come
blood-flecked from foes, where five I bound,
and that wild brood worsted. I’ the waves I slew
nicors1 by night, in need and peril
avenging the Weders,2 whose woe they sought, –
crushing the grim ones. Grendel now,
monster cruel, be mine to quell
in single battle! So, from thee,
thou sovran of the Shining-Danes,
Scyldings’-bulwark, a boon I seek, –
and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not,
O Warriors’-shield, now I’ve wandered far, –
that I alone with my liegemen here,
this hardy band, may Heorot purge!
More I hear, that the monster dire,
in his wanton mood, of weapons recks not;
hence shall I scorn – so Hygelac stay,
king of my kindred, kind to me! –
brand or buckler to bear in the fight,
gold-colored targe: but with gripe alone
must I front the fiend and fight for life,
foe against foe. Then faith be his
in the doom of the Lord whom death shall take.
Fain, I ween, if the fight he win,


-18-



in this hall of gold my Geatish band
will he fearless eat, – as oft before, –
my noblest thanes. Nor need’st thou then
to hide my head;3 for his shall I be,
dyed in gore, if death must take me;
and my blood-covered body he’ll bear as prey,
ruthless devour it, the roamer-lonely,
with my life-blood redden his lair in the fen:
no further for me need’st food prepare!
To Hygelac send, if Hild4 should take me,
best of war-weeds, warding my breast,
armor excellent, heirloom of Hrethel
and work of Wayland.5 Fares Wyrd6 as she must.”


<1> The nicor, says Bugge, is a hippopotamus; a walrus, says ten Brink. But that water-goblin who covers the space from Old Nick of jest to the Neckan and Nix of poetry and tale, is all one needs, and Nicor is a good name for him.

<2> His own people, the Geats.

<3> That is, cover it as with a face-cloth. “There will be no need of funeral rites.”

<4> Personification of Battle.

<5> The Germanic Vulcan.

<6> This mighty power, whom the Christian poet can still revere, has here the general force of “Destiny.”
VII


HROTHGAR spake, the Scyldings’-helmet: –
“For fight defensive, Friend my Beowulf,
to succor and save, thou hast sought us here.
Thy father’s combat1 a feud enkindled
when Heatholaf with hand he slew
among the Wylfings; his Weder kin
for horror of fighting feared to hold him.
Fleeing, he sought our South-Dane folk,
over surge of ocean the Honor-Scyldings,
when first I was ruling the folk of Danes,
wielded, youthful, this widespread realm,
this hoard-hold of heroes. Heorogar was dead,
my elder brother, had breathed his last,
Healfdene’s bairn: he was better than I!
Straightway the feud with fee2 I settled,
to the Wylfings sent, o’er watery ridges,
treasures olden: oaths he3 swore me.


-19-



Sore is my soul to say to any
of the race of man what ruth for me
in Heorot Grendel with hate hath wrought,
what sudden harryings. Hall-folk fail me,
my warriors wane; for Wyrd hath swept them
into Grendel’s grasp. But God is able
this deadly foe from his deeds to turn!
Boasted full oft, as my beer they drank,
earls o’er the ale-cup, armed men,
that they would bide in the beer-hall here,
Grendel’s attack with terror of blades.
Then was this mead-house at morning tide
dyed with gore, when the daylight broke,
all the boards of the benches blood-besprinkled,
gory the hall: I had heroes the less,
doughty dear-ones that death had reft.
– But sit to the banquet, unbind thy words,
hardy hero, as heart shall prompt thee.”


Gathered together, the Geatish men
in the banquet-hall on bench assigned,
sturdy-spirited, sat them down,
hardy-hearted. A henchman attended,
carried the carven cup in hand,
served the clear mead. Oft minstrels sang
blithe in Heorot. Heroes revelled,
no dearth of warriors, Weder and Dane.


<1> There is no irrelevance here. Hrothgar sees in Beowulf’s mission a heritage of duty, a return of the good offices which the Danish king ren- dered to Beowulf’s father in time of dire need.

<2> Money, for wergild, or man-price.

<3> Ecgtheow, Beowulf’s sire.
VIII


UNFERTH spake, the son of Ecglaf,
who sat at the feet of the Scyldings’ lord,
unbound the battle-runes.1 – Beowulf’s quest,
sturdy seafarer’s, sorely galled him;
ever he envied that other men
should more achieve in middle-earth
of fame under heaven than he himself. –
“Art thou that Beowulf, Breca’s rival,


-20-



who emulous swam on the open sea,
when for pride the pair of you proved the floods,
and wantonly dared in waters deep
to risk your lives? No living man,
or lief or loath, from your labor dire
could you dissuade, from swimming the main.
Ocean-tides with your arms ye covered,
with strenuous hands the sea-streets measured,
swam o’er the waters. Winter’s storm
rolled the rough waves. In realm of sea
a sennight strove ye. In swimming he topped thee,
had more of main! Him at morning-tide
billows bore to the Battling Reamas,
whence he hied to his home so dear
beloved of his liegemen, to land of Brondings,
fastness fair, where his folk he ruled,
town and treasure. In triumph o’er thee
Beanstan’s bairn2 his boast achieved.
So ween I for thee a worse adventure
– though in buffet of battle thou brave hast been,
in struggle grim, – if Grendel’s approach
thou darst await through the watch of night!”


Beowulf spake, bairn of Ecgtheow: –
“What a deal hast uttered, dear my Unferth,
drunken with beer, of Breca now,
told of his triumph! Truth I claim it,
that I had more of might in the sea
than any man else, more ocean-endurance.
We twain had talked, in time of youth,
and made our boast, – we were merely boys,
striplings still, – to stake our lives
far at sea: and so we performed it.
Naked swords, as we swam along,
we held in hand, with hope to guard us
against the whales. Not a whit from me
could he float afar o’er the flood of waves,
haste o’er the billows; nor him I abandoned.
Together we twain on the tides abode


-21-



five nights full till the flood divided us,
churning waves and chillest weather,
darkling night, and the northern wind
ruthless rushed on us: rough was the surge.
Now the wrath of the sea-fish rose apace;
yet me ‘gainst the monsters my mailed coat,
hard and hand-linked, help afforded, –
battle-sark braided my breast to ward,
garnished with gold. There grasped me firm
and haled me to bottom the hated foe,
with grimmest gripe. ‘Twas granted me, though,
to pierce the monster with point of sword,
with blade of battle: huge beast of the sea
was whelmed by the hurly through hand of mine.


<1> “Began the fight.”

<2> Breca.
IX


ME thus often the evil monsters
thronging threatened. With thrust of my sword,
the darling, I dealt them due return!
Nowise had they bliss from their booty then
to devour their victim, vengeful creatures,
seated to banquet at bottom of sea;
but at break of day, by my brand sore hurt,
on the edge of ocean up they lay,
put to sleep by the sword. And since, by them
on the fathomless sea-ways sailor-folk
are never molested. – Light from east,
came bright God’s beacon; the billows sank,
so that I saw the sea-cliffs high,
windy walls. For Wyrd oft saveth
earl undoomed if he doughty be!
And so it came that I killed with my sword
nine of the nicors. Of night-fought battles
ne’er heard I a harder ‘neath heaven’s dome,
nor adrift on the deep a more desolate man!
Yet I came unharmed from that hostile clutch,
though spent with swimming. The sea upbore me,
flood of the tide, on Finnish land,


-22-



the welling waters. No wise of thee
have I heard men tell such terror of falchions,
bitter battle. Breca ne’er yet,
not one of you pair, in the play of war
such daring deed has done at all
with bloody brand, – I boast not of it! –
though thou wast the bane1 of thy brethren dear,
thy closest kin, whence curse of hell
awaits thee, well as thy wit may serve!
For I say in sooth, thou son of Ecglaf,
never had Grendel these grim deeds wrought,
monster dire, on thy master dear,
in Heorot such havoc, if heart of thine
were as battle-bold as thy boast is loud!
But he has found no feud will happen;
from sword-clash dread of your Danish clan
he vaunts him safe, from the Victor-Scyldings.
He forces pledges, favors none
of the land of Danes, but lustily murders,
fights and feasts, nor feud he dreads
from Spear-Dane men. But speedily now
shall I prove him the prowess and pride of the Geats,
shall bid him battle. Blithe to mead
go he that listeth, when light of dawn
this morrow morning o’er men of earth,
ether-robed sun from the south shall beam!”
Joyous then was the Jewel-giver,
hoar-haired, war-brave; help awaited
the Bright-Danes’ prince, from Beowulf hearing,
folk’s good shepherd, such firm resolve.
Then was laughter of liegemen loud resounding
with winsome words. Came Wealhtheow forth,
queen of Hrothgar, heedful of courtesy,
gold-decked, greeting the guests in hall;
and the high-born lady handed the cup
first to the East-Danes’ heir and warden,
bade him be blithe at the beer-carouse,
the land’s beloved one. Lustily took he
banquet and beaker, battle-famed king.


-23-



Through the hall then went the Helmings’ Lady,
to younger and older everywhere
carried the cup, till come the moment
when the ring-graced queen, the royal-hearted,
to Beowulf bore the beaker of mead.
She greeted the Geats’ lord, God she thanked,
in wisdom’s words, that her will was granted,
that at last on a hero her hope could lean
for comfort in terrors. The cup he took,
hardy-in-war, from Wealhtheow’s hand,
and answer uttered the eager-for-combat.
Beowulf spake, bairn of Ecgtheow: –
“This was my thought, when my thanes and I
bent to the ocean and entered our boat,
that I would work the will of your people
fully, or fighting fall in death,
in fiend’s gripe fast. I am firm to do
an earl’s brave deed, or end the days
of this life of mine in the mead-hall here.”
Well these words to the woman seemed,
Beowulf’s battle-boast. – Bright with gold
the stately dame by her spouse sat down.
Again, as erst, began in hall
warriors’ wassail and words of power,
the proud-band’s revel, till presently
the son of Healfdene hastened to seek
rest for the night; he knew there waited
fight for the fiend in that festal hall,
when the sheen of the sun they saw no more,
and dusk of night sank darkling nigh,
and shadowy shapes came striding on,
wan under welkin. The warriors rose.
Man to man, he made harangue,
Hrothgar to Beowulf, bade him hail,
let him wield the wine hall: a word he added: –
“Never to any man erst I trusted,
since I could heave up hand and shield,
this noble Dane-Hall, till now to thee.
Have now and hold this house unpeered;
remember thy glory; thy might declare;


-24-



watch for the foe! No wish shall fail thee
if thou bidest the battle with bold-won life.”


<1> Murder.
X


THEN Hrothgar went with his hero-train,
defence-of-Scyldings, forth from hall;
fain would the war-lord Wealhtheow seek,
couch of his queen. The King-of-Glory
against this Grendel a guard had set,
so heroes heard, a hall-defender,
who warded the monarch and watched for the monster.
In truth, the Geats’ prince gladly trusted
his mettle, his might, the mercy of God!
Cast off then his corselet of iron,
helmet from head; to his henchman gave, –
choicest of weapons, – the well-chased sword,
bidding him guard the gear of battle.
Spake then his Vaunt the valiant man,
Beowulf Geat, ere the bed be sought: –
“Of force in fight no feebler I count me,
in grim war-deeds, than Grendel deems him.
Not with the sword, then, to sleep of death
his life will I give, though it lie in my power.
No skill is his to strike against me,
my shield to hew though he hardy be,
bold in battle; we both, this night,
shall spurn the sword, if he seek me here,
unweaponed, for war. Let wisest God,
sacred Lord, on which side soever
doom decree as he deemeth right.”
Reclined then the chieftain, and cheek-pillows held
the head of the earl, while all about him
seamen hardy on hall-beds sank.
None of them thought that thence their steps
to the folk and fastness that fostered them,
to the land they loved, would lead them back!
Full well they wist that on warriors many


-25-



battle-death seized, in the banquet-hall,
of Danish clan. But comfort and help,
war-weal weaving, to Weder folk
the Master gave, that, by might of one,
over their enemy all prevailed,
by single strength. In sooth ‘tis told
that highest God o’er human kind
hath wielded ever! – Thro’ wan night striding,
came the walker-in-shadow. Warriors slept
whose hest was to guard the gabled hall, –
all save one. ‘Twas widely known
that against God’s will the ghostly ravager
him1 could not hurl to haunts of darkness;
wakeful, ready, with warrior’s wrath,
bold he bided the battle’s issue.


<1> Beowulf, – the “one.”
XI


THEN from the moorland, by misty crags,
with God’s wrath laden, Grendel came.
The monster was minded of mankind now
sundry to seize in the stately house.
Under welkin he walked, till the wine-palace there,
gold-hall of men, he gladly discerned,
flashing with fretwork. Not first time, this,
that he the home of Hrothgar sought, –
yet ne’er in his life-day, late or early,
such hardy heroes, such hall-thanes, found!
To the house the warrior walked apace,
parted from peace;1 the portal opended,
though with forged bolts fast, when his fists had
struck it,
and baleful he burst in his blatant rage,
the house’s mouth. All hastily, then,
o’er fair-paved floor the fiend trod on,
ireful he strode; there streamed from his eyes
fearful flashes, like flame to see.


-26-



He spied in hall the hero-band,
kin and clansmen clustered asleep,
hardy liegemen. Then laughed his heart;
for the monster was minded, ere morn should dawn,
savage, to sever the soul of each,
life from body, since lusty banquet
waited his will! But Wyrd forbade him
to seize any more of men on earth
after that evening. Eagerly watched
Hygelac’s kinsman his cursed foe,
how he would fare in fell attack.
Not that the monster was minded to pause!
Straightway he seized a sleeping warrior
for the first, and tore him fiercely asunder,
the bone-frame bit, drank blood in streams,
swallowed him piecemeal: swiftly thus
the lifeless corse was clear devoured,
e’en feet and hands. Then farther he hied;
for the hardy hero with hand he grasped,
felt for the foe with fiendish claw,
for the hero reclining, – who clutched it boldly,
prompt to answer, propped on his arm.
Soon then saw that shepherd-of-evils
that never he met in this middle-world,
in the ways of earth, another wight
with heavier hand-gripe; at heart he feared,
sorrowed in soul, – none the sooner escaped!
Fain would he flee, his fastness seek,
the den of devils: no doings now
such as oft he had done in days of old!
Then bethought him the hardy Hygelac-thane
of his boast at evening: up he bounded,
grasped firm his foe, whose fingers cracked.
The fiend made off, but the earl close followed.
The monster meant – if he might at all –
to fling himself free, and far away
fly to the fens, – knew his fingers’ power
in the gripe of the grim one. Gruesome march
to Heorot this monster of harm had made!
Din filled the room; the Danes were bereft,


-27-



castle-dwellers and clansmen all,
earls, of their ale. Angry were both
those savage hall-guards: the house resounded.
Wonder it was the wine-hall firm
in the strain of their struggle stood, to earth
the fair house fell not; too fast it was
within and without by its iron bands
craftily clamped; though there crashed from sill
many a mead-bench – men have told me –
gay with gold, where the grim foes wrestled.
So well had weened the wisest Scyldings
that not ever at all might any man
that bone-decked, brave house break asunder,
crush by craft, – unless clasp of fire
in smoke engulfed it. – Again uprose
din redoubled. Danes of the North
with fear and frenzy were filled, each one,
who from the wall that wailing heard,
God’s foe sounding his grisly song,
cry of the conquered, clamorous pain
from captive of hell. Too closely held him
he who of men in might was strongest
in that same day of this our life.


<1> That is, he was a “lost soul,” doomed to hell.
XII


NOT in any wise would the earls’-defence1
suffer that slaughterous stranger to live,
useless deeming his days and years
to men on earth. Now many an earl
of Beowulf brandished blade ancestral,
fain the life of their lord to shield,
their praised prince, if power were theirs;
never they knew, – as they neared the foe,
hardy-hearted heroes of war,
aiming their swords on every side
the accursed to kill, – no keenest blade,
no farest of falchions fashioned on earth,


-28-



could harm or hurt that hideous fiend!
He was safe, by his spells, from sword of battle,
from edge of iron. Yet his end and parting
on that same day of this our life
woful should be, and his wandering soul
far off flit to the fiends’ domain.
Soon he found, who in former days,
harmful in heart and hated of God,
on many a man such murder wrought,
that the frame of his body failed him now.
For him the keen-souled kinsman of Hygelac
held in hand; hateful alive
was each to other. The outlaw dire
took mortal hurt; a mighty wound
showed on his shoulder, and sinews cracked,
and the bone-frame burst. To Beowulf now
the glory was given, and Grendel thence
death-sick his den in the dark moor sought,
noisome abode: he knew too well
that here was the last of life, an end
of his days on earth. – To all the Danes
by that bloody battle the boon had come.
From ravage had rescued the roving stranger
Hrothgar’s hall; the hardy and wise one
had purged it anew. His night-work pleased him,
his deed and its honor. To Eastern Danes
had the valiant Geat his vaunt made good,
all their sorrow and ills assuaged,
their bale of battle borne so long,
and all the dole they erst endured
pain a-plenty. – ‘Twas proof of this,
when the hardy-in-fight a hand laid down,
arm and shoulder, – all, indeed,
of Grendel’s gripe, – ‘neath the gabled roof


<1> Kenning for Beowulf.
XIII


MANY at morning, as men have told me,
warriors gathered the gift-hall round,
folk-leaders faring from far and near,


-29-



o’er wide-stretched ways, the wonder to view,
trace of the traitor. Not troublous seemed
the enemy’s end to any man
who saw by the gait of the graceless foe
how the weary-hearted, away from thence,
baffled in battle and banned, his steps
death-marked dragged to the devils’ mere.
Bloody the billows were boiling there,
turbid the tide of tumbling waves
horribly seething, with sword-blood hot,
by that doomed one dyed, who in den of the moor
laid forlorn his life adown,
his heathen soul,-and hell received it.
Home then rode the hoary clansmen
from that merry journey, and many a youth,
on horses white, the hardy warriors,
back from the mere. Then Beowulf’s glory
eager they echoed, and all averred
that from sea to sea, or south or north,
there was no other in earth’s domain,
under vault of heaven, more valiant found,
of warriors none more worthy to rule!
(On their lord beloved they laid no slight,
gracious Hrothgar: a good king he!)
From time to time, the tried-in-battle
their gray steeds set to gallop amain,
and ran a race when the road seemed fair.
From time to time, a thane of the king,
who had made many vaunts, and was mindful of verses,
stored with sagas and songs of old,
bound word to word in well-knit rime,
welded his lay; this warrior soon
of Beowulf’s quest right cleverly sang,
and artfully added an excellent tale,
in well-ranged words, of the warlike deeds
he had heard in saga of Sigemund.
Strange the story: he said it all, –
the Waelsing’s wanderings wide, his struggles,
which never were told to tribes of men,


-30-



the feuds and the frauds, save to Fitela only,
when of these doings he deigned to speak,
uncle to nephew; as ever the twain
stood side by side in stress of war,
and multitude of the monster kind
they had felled with their swords. Of Sigemund grew,
when he passed from life, no little praise;
for the doughty-in-combat a dragon killed
that herded the hoard:1 under hoary rock
the atheling dared the deed alone
fearful quest, nor was Fitela there.
Yet so it befell, his falchion pierced
that wondrous worm, – on the wall it struck,
best blade; the dragon died in its blood.
Thus had the dread-one by daring achieved
over the ring-hoard to rule at will,
himself to pleasure; a sea-boat he loaded,
and bore on its bosom the beaming gold,
son of Waels; the worm was consumed.
He had of all heroes the highest renown
among races of men, this refuge-of-warriors,
for deeds of daring that decked his name
since the hand and heart of Heremod
grew slack in battle. He, swiftly banished
to mingle with monsters at mercy of foes,
to death was betrayed; for torrents of sorrow
had lamed him too long; a load of care
to earls and athelings all he proved.
Oft indeed, in earlier days,
for the warrior’s wayfaring wise men mourned,
who had hoped of him help from harm and bale,
and had thought their sovran’s son would thrive,
follow his father, his folk protect,
the hoard and the stronghold, heroes’ land,
home of Scyldings. – But here, thanes said,
the kinsman of Hygelac kinder seemed
to all: the other2 was urged to crime!


-31-



And afresh to the race,3 the fallow roads
by swift steeds measured! The morning sun
was climbing higher. Clansmen hastened
to the high-built hall, those hardy-minded,
the wonder to witness. Warden of treasure,
crowned with glory, the king himself,
with stately band from the bride-bower strode;
and with him the queen and her crowd of maidens
measured the path to the mead-house fair.


<1> “Guarded the treasure.”

<2> Sc. Heremod.

<3> The singer has sung his lays, and the epic resumes its story. The time-relations are not altogether good in this long passage which describes the rejoicings of “the day after”; but the present shift from the riders on the road to the folk at the hall is not very violent, and is of a piece with the general style.
XIV


HROTHGAR spake, – to the hall he went,
stood by the steps, the steep roof saw,
garnished with gold, and Grendel’s hand: –
“For the sight I see to the Sovran Ruler
be speedy thanks! A throng of sorrows
I have borne from Grendel; but God still works
wonder on wonder, the Warden-of-Glory.
It was but now that I never more
for woes that weighed on me waited help
long as I lived, when, laved in blood,
stood sword-gore-stained this stateliest house, –
widespread woe for wise men all,
who had no hope to hinder ever
foes infernal and fiendish sprites
from havoc in hall. This hero now,
by the Wielder’s might, a work has done
that not all of us erst could ever do
by wile and wisdom. Lo, well can she say
whoso of women this warrior bore
among sons of men, if still she liveth,
that the God of the ages was good to her
in the birth of her bairn. Now, Beowulf, thee,
of heroes best, I shall heartily love
as mine own, my son; preserve thou ever


-32-



this kinship new: thou shalt never lack
wealth of the world that I wield as mine!
Full oft for less have I largess showered,
my precious hoard, on a punier man,
less stout in struggle. Thyself hast now
fulfilled such deeds, that thy fame shall endure
through all the ages. As ever he did,
well may the Wielder reward thee still!”
Beowulf spake, bairn of Ecgtheow: –
“This work of war most willingly
we have fought, this fight, and fearlessly dared
force of the foe. Fain, too, were I
hadst thou but seen himself, what time
the fiend in his trappings tottered to fall!
Swiftly, I thought, in strongest gripe
on his bed of death to bind him down,
that he in the hent of this hand of mine
should breathe his last: but he broke away.
Him I might not – the Maker willed not –
hinder from flight, and firm enough hold
the life-destroyer: too sturdy was he,
the ruthless, in running! For rescue, however,
he left behind him his hand in pledge,
arm and shoulder; nor aught of help
could the cursed one thus procure at all.
None the longer liveth he, loathsome fiend,
sunk in his sins, but sorrow holds him
tightly grasped in gripe of anguish,
in baleful bonds, where bide he must,
evil outlaw, such awful doom
as the Mighty Maker shall mete him out.”


More silent seemed the son of Ecglaf1
in boastful speech of his battle-deeds,
since athelings all, through the earl’s great prowess,
beheld that hand, on the high roof gazing,
foeman’s fingers, – the forepart of each
of the sturdy nails to steel was likest, –
heathen’s “hand-spear,” hostile warrior’s


-33-



claw uncanny. ‘Twas clear, they said,
that him no blade of the brave could touch,
how keen soever, or cut away
that battle-hand bloody from baneful foe.


<1> Unferth, Beowulf’s sometime opponent in the flyting.
XV


THERE was hurry and hest in Heorot now
for hands to bedeck it, and dense was the throng
of men and women the wine-hall to cleanse,
the guest-room to garnish. Gold-gay shone the hangings
that were wove on the wall, and wonders many
to delight each mortal that looks upon them.
Though braced within by iron bands,
that building bright was broken sorely;1
rent were its hinges; the roof alone
held safe and sound, when, seared with crime,
the fiendish foe his flight essayed,
of life despairing. – No light thing that,
the flight for safety, – essay it who will!
Forced of fate, he shall find his way
to the refuge ready for race of man,
for soul-possessors, and sons of earth;
and there his body on bed of death
shall rest after revel.
Arrived was the hour
when to hall proceeded Healfdene’s son:
the king himself would sit to banquet.
Ne’er heard I of host in haughtier throng
more graciously gathered round giver-of-rings!
Bowed then to bench those bearers-of-glory,
fain of the feasting. Featly received
many a mead-cup the mighty-in-spirit,
kinsmen who sat in the sumptuous hall,
Hrothgar and Hrothulf. Heorot now


-34-



was filled with friends; the folk of Scyldings
ne’er yet had tried the traitor’s deed.
To Beowulf gave the bairn of Healfdene
a gold-wove banner, guerdon of triumph,
broidered battle-flag, breastplate and helmet;
and a splendid sword was seen of many
borne to the brave one. Beowulf took
cup in hall:2 for such costly gifts
he suffered no shame in that soldier throng.
For I heard of few heroes, in heartier mood,
with four such gifts, so fashioned with gold,
on the ale-bench honoring others thus!
O’er the roof of the helmet high, a ridge,
wound with wires, kept ward o’er the head,
lest the relict-of-files3 should fierce invade,
sharp in the strife, when that shielded hero
should go to grapple against his foes.
Then the earls’-defence4 on the floor5 bade lead
coursers eight, with carven head-gear,
adown the hall: one horse was decked
with a saddle all shining and set in jewels;
‘twas the battle-seat of the best of kings,
when to play of swords the son of Healfdene
was fain to fare. Ne’er failed his valor
in the crush of combat when corpses fell.
To Beowulf over them both then gave
the refuge-of-Ingwines right and power,
o’er war-steeds and weapons: wished him joy of them.
Manfully thus the mighty prince,
hoard-guard for heroes, that hard fight repaid
with steeds and treasures contemned by none
who is willing to say the sooth aright.


-35-





<1> There is no horrible inconsistency here such as the critics strive and cry about. In spite of the ruin that Grendel and Beowulf had made within the hall, the framework and roof held firm, and swift repairs made the interior habitable. Tapestries were hung on the walls, and willing hands prepared the banquet.

<2> From its formal use in other places, this phrase, to take cup in hall, or “on the floor,” would seem to mean that Beowulf stood up to receive his gifts, drink to the donor, and say thanks.

<3> Kenning for sword.

<4> Hrothgar. He is also the “refuge of the friends of Ing,” below. Ing belongs to myth.

<5> Horses are frequently led or ridden into the hall where folk sit at banquet: so in Chaucer’s Squire’s tale, in the ballad of King Estmere, and in the romances.
XVI


AND the lord of earls, to each that came
with Beowulf over the briny ways,
an heirloom there at the ale-bench gave,
precious gift; and the price1 bade pay
in gold for him whom Grendel erst
murdered, – and fain of them more had killed,
had not wisest God their Wyrd averted,
and the man’s2 brave mood. The Maker then
ruled human kind, as here and now.
Therefore is insight always best,
and forethought of mind. How much awaits him
of lief and of loath, who long time here,
through days of warfare this world endures!


Then song and music mingled sounds
in the presence of Healfdene’s head-of-armies3
and harping was heard with the hero-lay
as Hrothgar’s singer the hall-joy woke
along the mead-seats, making his song
of that sudden raid on the sons of Finn.4
Healfdene’s hero, Hnaef the Scylding,
was fated to fall in the Frisian slaughter.5
Hildeburh needed not hold in value


-36-



her enemies’ honor!6 Innocent both
were the loved ones she lost at the linden-play,
bairn and brother, they bowed to fate,
stricken by spears; ‘twas a sorrowful woman!
None doubted why the daughter of Hoc
bewailed her doom when dawning came,
and under the sky she saw them lying,
kinsmen murdered, where most she had kenned
of the sweets of the world! By war were swept, too,
Finn’s own liegemen, and few were left;
in the parleying-place7 he could ply no longer
weapon, nor war could he wage on Hengest,
and rescue his remnant by right of arms
from the prince’s thane. A pact he offered:
another dwelling the Danes should have,
hall and high-seat, and half the power
should fall to them in Frisian land;
and at the fee-gifts, Folcwald’s son
day by day the Danes should honor,
the folk of Hengest favor with rings,
even as truly, with treasure and jewels,
with fretted gold, as his Frisian kin
he meant to honor in ale-hall there.
Pact of peace they plighted further
on both sides firmly. Finn to Hengest
with oath, upon honor, openly promised
that woful remnant, with wise-men’s aid,
nobly to govern, so none of the guests
by word or work should warp the treaty,8
or with malice of mind bemoan themselves
as forced to follow their fee-giver’s slayer,
lordless men, as their lot ordained.
Should Frisian, moreover, with foeman’s taunt,
that murderous hatred to mind recall,
then edge of the sword must seal his doom.


-37-



Oaths were given, and ancient gold
heaped from hoard. – The hardy Scylding,
battle-thane best,9 on his balefire lay.
All on the pyre were plain to see
the gory sark, the gilded swine-crest,
boar of hard iron, and athelings many
slain by the sword: at the slaughter they fell.
It was Hildeburh’s hest, at Hnaef’s own pyre
the bairn of her body on brands to lay,
his bones to burn, on the balefire placed,
at his uncle’s side. In sorrowful dirges
bewept them the woman: great wailing ascended.
Then wound up to welkin the wildest of death-fires,
roared o’er the hillock:10 heads all were melted,
gashes burst, and blood gushed out
from bites11 of the body. Balefire devoured,
greediest spirit, those spared not by war
out of either folk: their flower was gone.


<1> Man-price, wergild.

<2> Beowulf’s.

<3> Hrothgar.

<4> There is no need to assume a gap in the Ms. As before about Sigemund and Heremod, so now, though at greater length, about Finn and his feud, a lay is chanted or recited; and the epic poet, counting on his readers’ familiarity with the story, – a fragment of it still exists, – simply gives the headings.

<5> The exact story to which this episode refers in summary is not to be determined, but the following account of it is reasonable and has good support among scholars. Finn, a Frisian chieftain, who nevertheless has a “castle” outside the Frisian border, marries Hildeburh, a Danish prin- cess; and her brother, Hnaef, with many other Danes, pays Finn a visit. Relations between the two peoples have been strained before. Something starts the old feud anew; and the visitors are attacked in their quarters. Hnaef is killed; so is a son of Hildeburh. Many fall on both sides. Peace is patched up; a stately funeral is held; and the surviving visitors become in a way vassals or liegemen of Finn, going back with him to Frisia. So matters rest a while. Hengest is now leader of the Danes; but he is set upon revenge for his former lord, Hnaef. Probably he is killed in feud; but his clansmen, Guthlaf and Oslaf, gather at their home a force of sturdy Danes, come back to Frisia, storm Finn’s stronghold, kill him, and carry back their kinswoman Hildeburh.

<6> The “enemies” must be the Frisians.

<7> Battlefield. – Hengest is the “prince’s thane,” companion of Hnaef. “Folcwald’s son” is Finn.

<8> That is, Finn would govern in all honor the few Danish warriors who were left, provided, of course, that none of them tried to renew the quarrel or avenge Hnaef their fallen lord. If, again, one of Finn’s Frisians began a quarrel, he should die by the sword.

<9> Hnaef.

<10> The high place chosen for the funeral: see description of Beowulf’s funeral-pile at the end of the poem.

<11> Wounds.
XVII


THEN hastened those heroes their home to see,
friendless, to find the Frisian land,
houses and high burg. Hengest still
through the death-dyed winter dwelt with Finn,
holding pact, yet of home he minded,
though powerless his ring-decked prow to drive
over the waters, now waves rolled fierce
lashed by the winds, or winter locked them
in icy fetters. Then fared another
year to men’s dwellings, as yet they do,
the sunbright skies, that their season ever
duly await. Far off winter was driven;
fair lay earth’s breast; and fain was the rover,
the guest, to depart, though more gladly he pondered
on wreaking his vengeance than roaming the deep,
and how to hasten the hot encounter


-38-



where sons of the Frisians were sure to be.
So he escaped not the common doom,
when Hun with “Lafing,” the light-of-battle,
best of blades, his bosom pierced:
its edge was famed with the Frisian earls.
On fierce-heart Finn there fell likewise,
on himself at home, the horrid sword-death;
for Guthlaf and Oslaf of grim attack
had sorrowing told, from sea-ways landed,
mourning their woes.1 Finn’s wavering spirit
bode not in breast. The burg was reddened
with blood of foemen, and Finn was slain,
king amid clansmen; the queen was taken.
To their ship the Scylding warriors bore
all the chattels the chieftain owned,
whatever they found in Finn’s domain
of gems and jewels. The gentle wife
o’er paths of the deep to the Danes they bore,
led to her land.
The lay was finished,
the gleeman’s song. Then glad rose the revel;
bench-joy brightened. Bearers draw
from their “wonder-vats” wine. Comes Wealhtheow forth,
under gold-crown goes where the good pair sit,
uncle and nephew, true each to the other one,
kindred in amity. Unferth the spokesman
at the Scylding lord’s feet sat: men had faith in his spirit,
his keenness of courage, though kinsmen had found him
unsure at the sword-play. The Scylding queen spoke:
“Quaff of this cup, my king and lord,
breaker of rings, and blithe be thou,
gold-friend of men; to the Geats here speak
such words of mildness as man should use.
Be glad with thy Geats; of those gifts be mindful,
or near or far, which now thou hast.


-39-



Men say to me, as son thou wishest
yon hero to hold. Thy Heorot purged,
jewel-hall brightest, enjoy while thou canst,
with many a largess; and leave to thy kin
folk and realm when forth thou goest
to greet thy doom. For gracious I deem
my Hrothulf,2 willing to hold and rule
nobly our youths, if thou yield up first,
prince of Scyldings, thy part in the world.
I ween with good he will well requite
offspring of ours, when all he minds
that for him we did in his helpless days
of gift and grace to gain him honor!”
Then she turned to the seat where her sons wereplaced,
Hrethric and Hrothmund, with heroes’ bairns,
young men together: the Geat, too, sat there,
Beowulf brave, the brothers between.


<1> That is, these two Danes, escaping home, had told the story of the attack on Hnaef, the slaying of Hengest, and all the Danish woes. Collect- ing a force, they return to Frisia and kill Finn in his home.

<2> Nephew to Hrothgar, with whom he subsequently quarrels, and elder cousin to the two young sons of Hrothgar and Wealhtheow, – their natural guardian in the event of the king’s death. There is something finely femi- nine in this speech of Wealhtheow’s, apart from its somewhat irregular and irrelevant sequence of topics. Both she and her lord probably distrust Hrothulf; but she bids the king to be of good cheer, and, turning to the suspect, heaps affectionate assurances on his probity. “My own Hrothulf” will surely not forget these favors and benefits of the past, but will repay them to the orphaned boy.
XVIII


A CUP she gave him, with kindly greeting
and winsome words. Of wounden gold,
she offered, to honor him, arm-jewels twain,
corselet and rings, and of collars the noblest
that ever I knew the earth around.
Ne’er heard I so mighty, ‘neath heaven’s dome,
a hoard-gem of heroes, since Hama bore
to his bright-built burg the Brisings’ necklace,
jewel and gem casket. – Jealousy fled he,
Eormenric’s hate: chose help eternal.
Hygelac Geat, grandson of Swerting,
on the last of his raids this ring bore with him,


-40-



under his banner the booty defending,
the war-spoil warding; but Wyrd o’erwhelmed him
what time, in his daring, dangers he sought,
feud with Frisians. Fairest of gems
he bore with him over the beaker-of-waves,
sovran strong: under shield he died.
Fell the corpse of the king into keeping of Franks,
gear of the breast, and that gorgeous ring;
weaker warriors won the spoil,
after gripe of battle, from Geatland’s lord,
and held the death-field.
Din rose in hall.
Wealhtheow spake amid warriors, and said: –
“This jewel enjoy in thy jocund youth,
Beowulf lov’d, these battle-weeds wear,
a royal treasure, and richly thrive!
Preserve thy strength, and these striplings here
counsel in kindness: requital be mine.
Hast done such deeds, that for days to come
thou art famed among folk both far and near,
so wide as washeth the wave of Ocean
his windy walls. Through the ways of life
prosper, O prince! I pray for thee
rich possessions. To son of mine
be helpful in deed and uphold his joys!
Here every earl to the other is true,
mild of mood, to the master loyal!
Thanes are friendly, the throng obedient,
liegemen are revelling: list and obey!”
Went then to her place. – That was proudest of feasts;
flowed wine for the warriors. Wyrd they knew not,
destiny dire, and the doom to be seen
by many an earl when eve should come,
and Hrothgar homeward hasten away,
royal, to rest. The room was guarded
by an army of earls, as erst was done.
They bared the bench-boards; abroad they spread
beds and bolsters. – One beer-carouser
in danger of doom lay down in the hall. –


-41-



At their heads they set their shields of war,
bucklers bright; on the bench were there
over each atheling, easy to see,
the high battle-helmet, the haughty spear,
the corselet of rings. ‘Twas their custom so
ever to be for battle prepared,
at home, or harrying, which it were,
even as oft as evil threatened
their sovran king. – They were clansmen good.
XIX


THEN sank they to sleep. With sorrow one bought
his rest of the evening, – as ofttime had happened
when Grendel guarded that golden hall,
evil wrought, till his end drew nigh,
slaughter for sins. ‘Twas seen and told
how an avenger survived the fiend,
as was learned afar. The livelong time
after that grim fight, Grendel’s mother,
monster of women, mourned her woe.
She was doomed to dwell in the dreary waters,
cold sea-courses, since Cain cut down
with edge of the sword his only brother,
his father’s offspring: outlawed he fled,
marked with murder, from men’s delights
warded the wilds. – There woke from him
such fate-sent ghosts as Grendel, who,
war-wolf horrid, at Heorot found
a warrior watching and waiting the fray,
with whom the grisly one grappled amain.
But the man remembered his mighty power,
the glorious gift that God had sent him,
in his Maker’s mercy put his trust
for comfort and help: so he conquered the foe,
felled the fiend, who fled abject,
reft of joy, to the realms of death,
mankind’s foe. And his mother now,
gloomy and grim, would go that quest


-42-



of sorrow, the death of her son to avenge.
To Heorot came she, where helmeted Danes
slept in the hall. Too soon came back
old ills of the earls, when in she burst,
the mother of Grendel. Less grim, though, that terror,
e’en as terror of woman in war is less,
might of maid, than of men in arms
when, hammer-forged, the falchion hard,
sword gore-stained, through swine of the helm,
crested, with keen blade carves amain.
Then was in hall the hard-edge drawn,
the swords on the settles,1 and shields a-many
firm held in hand: nor helmet minded
nor harness of mail, whom that horror seized.
Haste was hers; she would hie afar
and save her life when the liegemen saw her.
Yet a single atheling up she seized
fast and firm, as she fled to the moor.
He was for Hrothgar of heroes the dearest,
of trusty vassals betwixt the seas,
whom she killed on his couch, a clansman famous,
in battle brave. – Nor was Beowulf there;
another house had been held apart,
after giving of gold, for the Geat renowned. –
Uproar filled Heorot; the hand all had viewed,
blood-flecked, she bore with her; bale was returned,
dole in the dwellings: ‘twas dire exchange
where Dane and Geat were doomed to give
the lives of loved ones. Long-tried king,
the hoary hero, at heart was sad
when he knew his noble no more lived,
and dead indeed was his dearest thane.
To his bower was Beowulf brought in haste,
dauntless victor. As daylight broke,
along with his earls the atheling lord,
with his clansmen, came where the king abode
waiting to see if the Wielder-of-All
would turn this tale of trouble and woe.
Strode o’er floor the famed-in-strife,


-43-



with his hand-companions, – the hall resounded, –
wishing to greet the wise old king,
Ingwines’ lord; he asked if the night
had passed in peace to the prince’s mind.


<1> They had laid their arms on the benches near where they slept.
XX


HROTHGAR spake, helmet-of-Scyldings: –
“Ask not of pleasure! Pain is renewed
to Danish folk. Dead is Aeschere,
of Yrmenlaf the elder brother,
my sage adviser and stay in council,
shoulder-comrade in stress of fight
when warriors clashed and we warded our heads,
hewed the helm-boars; hero famed
should be every earl as Aeschere was!
But here in Heorot a hand hath slain him
of wandering death-sprite. I wot not whither,1
proud of the prey, her path she took,
fain of her fill. The feud she avenged
that yesternight, unyieldingly,
Grendel in grimmest grasp thou killedst, –
seeing how long these liegemen mine
he ruined and ravaged. Reft of life,
in arms he fell. Now another comes,
keen and cruel, her kin to avenge,
faring far in feud of blood:
so that many a thane shall think, who e’er
sorrows in soul for that sharer of rings,
this is hardest of heart-bales. The hand lies low
that once was willing each wish to please.
Land-dwellers here2 and liegemen mine,
who house by those parts, I have heard relate
that such a pair they have sometimes seen,


-44-



march-stalkers mighty the moorland haunting,
wandering spirits: one of them seemed,
so far as my folk could fairly judge,
of womankind; and one, accursed,
in man’s guise trod the misery-track
of exile, though huger than human bulk.
Grendel in days long gone they named him,
folk of the land; his father they knew not,
nor any brood that was born to him
of treacherous spirits. Untrod is their home;
by wolf-cliffs haunt they and windy headlands,
fenways fearful, where flows the stream
from mountains gliding to gloom of the rocks,
underground flood. Not far is it hence
in measure of miles that the mere expands,
and o’er it the frost-bound forest hanging,

[Danger Mouse]

1. Wait till you see my epic poem version of 'Dude, Where's My Car?'

...it'll take me a few years to write, tho.

[RadiationTherapy]

2. 300?? nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. No, Beowulf.

[Richardo]

4. Weekend at Bernies 2?

[PBS Poll-435]

5. American Pie?

[ForrestGump]

6. This one's much tougher...

EXT. A SAVANNAH STREET - DAY (1981)

A feather floats through the air. The falling feather.

A city, Savannah, is revealed in the background. The feather
floats down toward the city below. The feather drops down
toward the street below, as people walk past and cars drive
by, and nearly lands on a man's shoulder.

He walks across the street, causing the feather to be whisked
back on its journey. The feather floats above a stopped car.
The car drives off right as the feather floats down toward
the street.

The feather floats under a passing car, then is sent flying
back up in the air. A MAN sits on a bus bench. The feather
floats above the ground and finally lands on the man's
mudsoaked shoe.

The man reached down and picks up the feather. His name is
FORREST GUMP. He looks at the feather oddly, moves aside a
box of chocolates from an old suitcase, then opens the case.

Inside the old suitcase are an assortment of clothes, a
pingpong paddle, toothpaste and other personal items.

Forrest pulls out a book titled "Curious George," then places
the feather inside the book. Forrest closes the suitcase.

Something in his eyes reveals that Forrest may not be all
there.

Forrest looks right as the sound of an arriving bus is heard.

A bus pulls up. Forrest remains on the bus bench as the bus
continues on.

A BLACK WOMAN in a nurse's outfit steps up and sits down at
the bus bench next to Forrest. The nurse begins to read a
magazine as Forrest looks at her.

FORREST
Hello. My name's Forrest Gump.

He opens a box of chocolates and holds it out for the nurse.

FORREST
You want a chocolate?

The nurse shakes her head, a bit apprehensive about this
strange man next to her.

FORREST
I could eat about a million and a
half of these. My momma always said,
"Life was like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you're gonna
get."

Forrest eats a chocolate as he looks down at the nurse's
shoes.

FORREST
Those must be comfortable shoes.
I'll bet you could walk all day in
shoes like that and not feel a thing.
I wish I had shoes like that.

BLACK WOMAN
My feet hurt.

FORREST
Momma always says there's an awful
lot you could tell about a person by
their shoes. Where they're going.
Where they've been.

The black woman stares at Forrest as he looks down at his
own shoes.

FORREST
I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I
think about it real hard I could
remember my first pair of shoes.

Forrest closes his eyes tightly.

FORREST
Momma said they'd take my anywhere.

INT. COUNTRY DOCTOR'S OFFICE - GREENBOW, ALABAMA - DAY
(1951)

A little boy closes his eyes tightly. It is young Forrest as
he sits in a doctor's office.

FORREST (V.O.)
She said they was my magic shoes.

Forrest has been fitted with orthopedic shoes and metal leg
braces.

DOCTOR
All right, Forrest, you can open
your eyes now. Let's take a little
walk around.

The doctor sets Forrest down on its feet. Forrest walks around
stiffly. Forrest's mother, MRS. GUMP, watches him as he clanks
around the room awkwardly.

DOCTOR
How do those feel? His legs are
strong, Mrs. Gump. As strong as I've
ever seen. But his back is as crooked
as a politician.

Forrest walks foreground past the doctor and Mrs. Gump.

DOCTOR
But we're gonna straighten him right
up now, won't we, Forrest?

A loud thud is heard as, outside, Forrest falls.

MRS. GUMP
Forrest!

EXT. GREENBOW, ALABAMA

Mrs. Gump and young Forrest walk across the street. Forrest
walks stiffly next to his mother.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, when I was a baby, Momma named
me after the great Civil War hero,
General Nathan Bedford Forrest...

EXT. RURAL ALABAMA

A black and white photo of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The photo turns into live action as the General dons a hooded
sheet over his head.

The General is in full Ku Klux Klan garb, including his horse.

The General rides off, followed by a large group of Klan
members dressed in full uniform.

FORREST (V.O.)
She said we was related to him in
some way. And, what he did was, he
started up this club called the Ku
Klux Klan. They'd all dress up in
their robes and their bedsheets and
act like a bunch of ghosts or spooks
or something. They'd even put
bedsheets on their horses and ride
around. And anyway, that's how I got
my name. Forrest Gump.

EXT. GREENBOW

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk across the street.

FORREST (V.O.)
Momma said that the Forrest part was
to remind me that sometimes we all
do things that, well, just don't
make no sense.

Forrest stops suddenly as his brace gets stuck. Forrest's
brace is caught in a gutter grate. Mrs. Gump bends down and
tries to free Forrest. Two old cronies sit in front of a
barber shop and watch.

MRS. GUMP
Just wait, let me get it.

Mrs. Gump struggles to pull the stuck brace from the grate.

MRS. GUMP
Let me get it. Wait, get it this
way. Hold on.

Forrest pulls his foot out of the grate.

MRS. GUMP
All right.

Mrs. Gump helps Forrest up onto the sidewalk. She looks up
and notices the two old man.

MRS. GUMP
Oooh. All right. What are you all
staring at? Haven't you ever seen a
little boy with braces on his legs
before?

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along the sidewalk past the two
old men. Mrs. Gump holds tightly onto Forrest's hand.

MRS. GUMP
Don't ever let anybody tell you
they're better than you, Forrest. If
God intended everybody to be the
same, he'd have given us all braces
on our legs.

FORREST (V.O.)
Momma always had a way of explaining
things so I could understand them.

EXT. OAK ALLEY/THE GUMP BOARDING HOUSE

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along a dirt road. A row of
mailboxes stands left.

FORREST (V.O.)
We lived about a quarter mile of
Route 17, about a half mile from the
town of Greenbow, Alabama. That's in
the county of Greenbow. Our house
had been in Momma's family since her
grandpa's grandpa's grandpa had come
across the ocean about a thousand
years ago. Something like that.

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along the Gump Boarding House
driveway.

FORREST (V.O.)
Since it was just me and Momma and
we had all these empty rooms, Momma
decided to let those rooms out. Mostly
to people passing through. Like from,
oh, Mobile, Montgomery, place like
that. That's how me and Mommy got
money. Mommy was a real smart lady.

MRS. GUMP
Remember what I told you, Forrest.
You're no different than anybody
else is.

Mrs. Gump heads Forrest to the porch. She bends down to look
Forrest in the eye.

MRS. GUMP
Did you hear what I said, Forrest?
You're the same as everybody else.
You are no different.

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL / PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - DAY

PRINCIPAL
Your boy's... different, Mrs. Gump.
Now, his I.Q. is seventy-five.

MRS. GUMP
Well, we're all different, Mr.
Hancock.

The principal sighs, then stands up.

INT. HALLWAY

Forrest sits outside the principal's office and waits.

FORREST (V.O.)
She wanted me to have the finest
education, so she took me to the
Greenbow County Central School. I
met the principal and all.

The principal stands in front of Mrs. Gump. Forrest, sitting
left, listens.

PRINCIPAL
I want to show you something, Mrs.
Gump. Now, this is normal.

The principal holds up a chart with a designations according
to I.Q. and points to the center of the graph, labeled
"Normal." A red line below the normal area is labeled "State
Acceptance." The principal points to the section below the
acceptance line labeled "Below."

PRINCIPAL
Forrest is right here. The state
requires a minimum I.Q. of eighty to
attend public school, Mrs. Gump.
He's gonna have to go to a special
school. Now, he'll be just fine.

MRS. GUMP
What does normal mean, anyway? He
might be a bit on the slow side, but
my boy Forrest is going to get the
same opportunities as everyone else.
He's not going to some special school
to learn to how to re-tread tires.
We're talking about five little points
here. There must be something can be
done.

INT. HALLWAY

Forrest sits outside the principal's office.

PRINCIPAL
We're a progressive school system.
We don't want to see anybody left
behind.

INT. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE

PRINCIPAL
Is there a Mr. Gump, Mrs. Gump?

MRS. GUMP
He's on vacation.

EXT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest sits on a swing outside the house. Loud organic male
grunts are heard coming from inside the house. Forrest sits
on the swing as the grunts continue. The principal steps out
of the Gump House and wipes the sweat from his face.

Forrest is sitting on the porch.

PRINCIPAL
Well, your momma sure does care about
your schooling, son. Mm-mm-mm.

The principal wipes the sweat from his neck, then looks back
at Forrest.

PRINCIPAL
You don't say much, do you?

Forrest grunts, imitating him. The principal, embarrassed,
turns and walks away.

INT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE/FORREST'S BEDROOM

Mrs. Gump reads from the book "Curious George" as Forrest
sits on the bed and listens.

MRS. GUMP
Finally, he had to try it. It looked
easy, but, oh, what happened. First
there...

FORREST
Momma, what's vacation mean?

MRS. GUMP
Vacation?

FORREST
Where Daddy went?

MRS. GUMP
Vacation's when you go somewhere,
and you don't ever come back.

Forrest lies down on his bed and looks up.

FORREST (V.O.)
Anyway, I guess you could say me and
Momma was on our own.

EXT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE - DAY

A cab driver closes the trunk of the car as two women walk
toward the house. A milkman steps down from the porch.

FORREST (V.O.)
But we didn't mind. Our house was
never empty. There was always folks
comin' and goin'.

MRS. GUMP (V.O.)
Suppa.

INT. GUMP BOARDING HOUSE

Mrs. Gump steps forward and speaks to all the boarders.

MRS. GUMP
It's suppa, everyone. Forrest...

A MAN WITH A CANE steps left across the hall.

MAN WITH CANE
My, my. That sure looks special.

Mrs. Gump looks into a sitting room and informs the boarders
about dinner.

MRS. GUMP
Gentlemen, would you care to join us
for supper? Hurry up and get it before
the flies do. I prefer you don't
smoke that cigar so close to mealtime.

FORREST (V.O.)
Sometimes we had so many people
stayin' with us that every room was
filled with travelers. You know,
folks livin' out of their suitcases,
and hat cases, and sample cases.

MRS. GUMP
Well, you go ahead and start. I can't
find Forrest.

Mrs. Gump walks up the stairs.

MRS. GUMP
Forrest... Forrest...

FORREST (V.O.)
One time a young man was staying
with us, and he had him a guitar
case.

Mrs. Gump looks into Forrest's room. She hears singing coming
from another room and walks over to a closed door. Mrs. Gump
opens the door, revealing a young man with long sideburns as
he plays the guitar and sings. Forrest holds onto a broom
and dances oddly. The young man is ELVIS PRESLEY.

ELVIS PRESLEY
(sings)
"Well, you ain't never caught a
rabbit, and you ain't no friend of
mine."

Forrest's legs rock back and forth to the guitar.

MRS. GUMP
Forrest! I told you not to bother
this nice young man.

ELVIS
Oh, no, that's all right, ma'am. I
was just showin' him a thing or two
on the guitar here.

MRS. GUMP
All right, but your supper's ready
if y'all want to eat.

ELVIS
Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you,
ma'am.

Mrs. Gump leaves and closes the door. Elvis sits back down.

Forrest stands left, and looks himself in a mirror.

ELVIS
Say, man, show me that crazy little
walk you just did there. Slow it
down some.

Forrest begins to dance again as Elvis plays the guitar and
sings.

ELVIS
(sings)
"You ain't nothin' but a hound, hound
dog..."

FORREST (V.O.)
I liked that guitar.

Forrest dances as he watches himself in the mirror.

FORREST (V.O.)
It sounded good.

ELVIS
(sings)
"...cryin' all the time"

Forrest rocks up and down on his braced legs, then begins to
step.

ELVIS
(sings)
"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog..."

FORREST (V.O.)
I started moving around to the music,
swinging my hips. This one night me
and Momma...

EXT. GREENBOW - NIGHT

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk along a sidewalk. A television
inside a store window reveals Elvis Presley as he performs
"Houng Dog" on a stage.

FORREST (V.O.)
...was out shoppin', and we walked
right by Benson's Furniture and
Appliance store, and guess what.

The television reveals Elvis as he thrusts his hips and sings.

ELVIS
(sings)
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

Mrs. Gump and Forrest watch the television. Elvis dances
around in the same manner Forrest did. A woman in the audience
screaming and applauding.

ELVIS
(sings)
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

MRS. GUMP
This is not children's eyes.

Mrs. Gump walks away, pulling Forrest with her. Forrest stops
and takes one last look. Elvis continues to perform over the
television.

ELVIS
(sings)
"Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
and you ain't no friend of mine."

FORREST (V.O.)
Some years later, that handsome young
man who they called "The King," well,
he sung too many songs, had himself
a heart attack or something.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY

Forrest is still sitting on the bus bench. The black nurse
looks at him.

FORREST
Must be hard being a king. You know,
it's funny how you remember some
things, but some things you can't.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD/ALABAMA - MORNING (1954)

Mrs. Gump and Forrest wait for the school bus. The bus pulls
up as Mrs. Gump prepares Forrest for his first day of school.

MRS. GUMP
You do your very best now, Forrest.

FORREST
I sure will, Momma.

FORREST (V.O.)
I remember the bus ride on the first
day of school very well.

The bus driver opens the door and looks down. Forrest walks
to the steps of the bus and looks at the bus driver. She is
smoking a cigarette.

BUS DRIVER
Are you comin' along?

FORREST
Momma said not to be taking rides
from strangers.

BUS DRIVER
This is the bus to school.

FORREST
I'm Forrest Gump.

BUS DRIVER
I'm Dorothy Harris.

FORREST
Well, now we ain't strangers anymore.

The bus driver smiles as Forrest steps up into the bus.

INT. BUS

Forrest steps up onto the bus. Mrs. Gump waves to Forrest as
the bus drives away. Forrest begins to walk down the aisle.

TWO YOUNG BOYS look up from the seat.

BOY #1
This seat's taken.

BOY #2
It's taken!

Forrest looks around. A larger girl slides over so Forrest
can't sit next to her. She shakes her head. Forrest looks to
the other side where a boy sits alone on a larger seat. They
boy glares up at Forrest.

BOY #3
You can't sit here.

FORREST (V.O.)
You know, it's funny what a young
man recollects. 'Cause I don't
remember being born.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY

Forrest continues talking as he sits on the bus bench.

FORREST (V.O.)
I, I... don't recall what I got for
my first Christmas and I don't know
when I went on my first outdoor
picnic. But, I do remember the first
time I heard the sweetiest voice...

INT. BUS - MORNING (1954)

Young Forrest is still standing in the aisle on the bus.

FORREST (V.O.)
...in the wide world.

GIRL
You can sit here if you want.

Forrest looks back at JENNY CURRAN, a young girl about
Forrest's age.

FORREST (V.O.)
I had never seen anything so beautiful
in my life. She was like an angel.

JENNY
Well, are you gonna sit down, or
aren't ya?

Forrest sits down next to Jenny.

JENNY
What's wrong with your legs?

FORREST
Um, nothing at all, thank you. My
legs are just fine and dandy.

FORREST (V.O.)
I just sat next to her on that bus
and had conversation all the way to
school.

JENNY
Then why do you have those shoes on?

FORREST
My momma said my back's crooked like
a question mark. These are going to
make me as straight as an arrow.
They're my magic shoes.

FORREST (V.O.)
And next to Momma, no one ever talked
to me or asked me questions.

JENNY
Are you stupid or something.

FORREST
Mommy says stupid is as stupid does.

Jenny puts her hand out toward Forrest. Forrest reaches over
and shakes her hand.

JENNY
I'm Jenny.

FORREST
I'm Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump.

FORREST (V.O.)
From that day on, we was always
together. Jenny and me was like peas
and carrots.

EXT. OAK TREE - DAY

Young Jenny and Forrest run toward a large oak tree.

FORREST (V.O.)
She taught me how to climb...

Jenny sits on a large branch and calls down to Forrest.

JENNY
Come on, Forrest, you can do it.

Forrest dangles from the branch.

FORREST (V.O.)
...I showed her how to dangle.

Jenny and Forrest sit on a tree branch and read.

FORREST
"...a good little monkey and..."

FORREST (V.O.)
She helped me to learn how to read.

Forrest hangs upside down from a branch and swings back and
forth. Forrest's braces are wedged in the tree.

FORREST (V.O.)
And I showed her to swing.

EXT. OAK TREE - NIGHT

The silhouete of the oak tree, Jenny and Forrest as they sit
on a branch.

FORREST (V.O.)
Sometimes we'd just sit out and wait
for the stars.

FORREST
Momma's gonna worry about me.

Jenny puts her hand on Forrest's hand.

JENNY
Just stay a little longer.

FORREST (V.O.)
For some reason, Jenny didn't never
want to go home.

FORREST
Okay, Jenny. I'll stay.

FORREST (V.O.)
She was my most special friend.

INT. SAVANNAH/BUS STOP - DAY

Forrest nods as he remembers.

FORREST
My only friend.

Forrest continues talking to the black woman. She doesn't
seem to be listening as she reads her magazine. She looks up
from her magazine.

FORREST
Now, my Momma always told me that
miracles happen every day. Some people
don't think so, but they do.

EXT. OAK ALLEY - ANOTHER DAY (1954)

Jenny and Forrest walk. A dirt clod hits Forrest in the back
of the head. Jenny looks as Forrest rubs his head. THREE
YOUNG BOYS get off their bikes and pick up more rocks.

BOY #1
Hey... dummy!

Forrest is hit in the eye with another dirt clod. Forrest
falls backward onto the ground as the boys glare at him.

BOY #2
Are you retarded, or just plain
stupid?

BOY #3
Look, I'm Forrest Gump.

Jenny helps Forrest back up. Boy #1 and Boy #2 throw more
dirt clods at Forrest.

JENNY
Just run away, Forrest.

Another dirt clod hits Forrest in the arm.

JENNY
Run, Forrest!

Forrest tries to run along the road, but his braces makes it
impossible. He hobbles along as Jenny yells after him.

JENNY
Run away! Hurry!

Boy #1 and Boy #2 turn back toward the bikes.

BOY #2
Get the bikes!

BOY #3
Hurry up!

The boys pick up their bikes and ride after Forrest.

BOY #3
Let's get him! Come on!

BOY #2
Look out, dummy, here we come!

The boys ride after Forrest. Jenny stands and watches.

BOY #2
We're gonna get you!

JENNY
Run, Forrest! Run!

Forrest hobbles along the dirt road.

JENNY
Run, Forrest!

Forrest looks over his shoulder. The three boys race on their
bikes.

BOY #1
Come back here, you!

Forrest begins to run faster with his braces on. Forrest
continues running as the boys chase him. Blood drips down
from a cut on his head. The boys on the bikes are gaining on
Forrest. Forrest hobbles along. He begins to gain speed.

JENNY
Run, Forrest! Run!

SLOW MOTION --

Forrest runs from the chasing room. He looks over his shoulder
in fear.

The boys on the bikes peddle faster as they gain on Forrest,
running.

Forrest tries to run even faster to get away. Suddenly his
braces shatter, sending steel and plastic flying into the
air.

Forrest runs and look down at his legs in surprise.

Forrest continues to run faster as the metal braces and straps
fly off his legs.

Forrest runs free of his braces and begins to pick up speed.

The chasing boys ride over the remains of Forrest's braces.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, you wouldn't believe it if I
told you.

EXT. SAVANNAH/ BUS BENCH - DAY

FORREST
But I can run like the wind blows.

The black woman continues to read her magazine. Forrest smiles
as he remembers.

FORREST
From that day on, if I was going
somewhere, I was running!

EXT. OAK ALLEY - DAY (1954)

Forrest sprints away from the boys. The boys stop the chase
and watch in disbelief. Forrest is already at the far end of
the road, clear of the chasing boys.

BOY #2
He's gettin' away! Stop him!

Boy #1 throws his bike down in frustration. Forrest runs
across a field.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD

Forrest runs past a chain gang in their prison uniforms.

They are cutting at the weeds on the side of the road.

EXT. GREENBOW

Forrest runs across the street. THE TWO OLD MEN sit in front
of the barber shop.

OLD CRONY
That boy sure is a running fool.

EXT. JENNY'S HOUSE

Forrest runs down a driveway toward Jenny's small house.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now remember how I told you that
Jenny never seemed to want to go
home? Well, she lived in a house
that was as old as Alabama. Her Momma
had gone up to heaven when she was
five and her daddy was some kind of
a farmer.

Forrest knocks on Jenny's door.

FORREST
Jenny? Jenny?

Forrest look around the field at the left. He notices Jenny
and runs toward her.

FORREST (V.O.)
He was a very lovin' man. He was
always kissing and touchin' her and
her sisters. And then this one time,
Jenny wasn't on the bus to go to
school.

Forrest runs to Jenny.

FORREST
Jenny, why didn't you come to school
today?

JENNY
Hsh! Daddy's takin' a nap.

Jenny grabs Forrest's hand and runs into the field. Jenny's
DAD drunk, steps out onto the porch and shouts.

JENNY'S DAD
Jenny!

JENNY
Come on!

JENNY'S DAD
Jenny, where'd you run to? You'd
better come back here, girl!

Jenny's dad steps out toward the field. Jenny leads Forrest
into the thick tobacco field. Jenny's dad runs through the
field searching for Jenny with a liquor bottle in his hand.

JENNY'S DAD
Where you at?

Jenny and Forrest run into a corn field as Jenny's dad tries
to chase her.

JENNY'S DAD
Jenny! Jenny! Where you at? Jenny!

Jenny drops to her knees and pulls Forrest down with her.

JENNY
Pray with me, Forrest. Pray with me.

JENNY'S DAD
Jenny!

JENNY
Dear God, make me a bird so I can
fly far, far, far away from here.
Dear God, make me a bird so I can
fly far, far, far away from here.

FORREST (V.O.)
Momma always said that God is
mysterious.

JENNY'S DAD
Jenny! Get back here!

FORREST (V.O.)
He didn't turn Jenny into a bird
that day. Instead...

EXT. TRAILER PARK/ALABAMA - DAY (1955)

A police officer escorts Jenny to her grandmother's trailer.

Jenny's grandmother meets Jenny outside and leads her toward
the trailer.

FORREST (V.O.)
...he had the police say Jenny didn't
have to stay in that house no more.
She went to live with her grandma
just over on Creekmore Avenue, which
made me happy 'cause she was so close.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT (1955)

Jenny climbs over a second-floor railing and enters the house.

FORREST (V.O.)
Some nights, Jenny'd sneak out and
come over to my house, just 'cause
she said she was scared. Scared of
what, I don't know...

INT. GUMP HOUSE/FORREST'S BEDROOM

Jenny lies in bed next to young Forrest. She hugs him.

FORREST (V.O.)
...but I think it was her grandma's
dog. He was a mean dog. Anyway, Jenny
and me was best friends...

EXT. GREENBOW/OAK ALLEY - DAY (1961)

Forrest and Jenny are teenagers now. They walk along an
oaklined road.

FORREST (V.O.)
...all the way to high school.

Suddenly Forrest is hit in the back with a rock. Forrest and
Jenny turn around.

OLDER BOY #1
Hey, stupid!

JENNY
Quit it!

A teenage boy throws another rock as a pickup truck pulls up
behind him. Jenny turns and looks at Forrest.

JENNY
Run, Forrest, run!

OLDER BOY #1
Hey. Did you hear me, stupid?

JENNY
Run, Forrest!

Forrest drops his books and runs down the road. The teenage
boy jumps into the back of the pickup truck with another boy
as the truck speeds after Forrest. Jenny steps left and gets
out of the way.

OLDER BOY #2
Come on, he's getting away! Move it!

JENNY
Run, Forrest! Run!

OLDER BOY #1
You better be runnin', stupid.

Forrest runs along the road. The truck speeds after him.

OLDER BOY #2
Come on, dummy!

OLDER BOY #1
Haul ass, dummy!

Older Boy throws rocks at Forrest.

OLDER BOY #1
Yeah, you better be runnin'!

INT. TRUCK

BOY
Ya-hoo!

EXT. OAK ALLEY

The boys in the back of the truck throw rocks at Forrest as
they drive up to him.

OLDER BOY #1
Move it, jack rabbit!

The truck follows right on Forrest's heels. A rebel flag
license plate adorns the truck's grill.

OLDER BOY #1
Come on!

Forrest runs along the road as the truck chases him. The
boys in the back of the truck pound on the roof as the truck
turns right, after Forrest. The truck drives into a field.

Forrest runs toward a fence.

BOY
Run! Faster! Yeah! Go! Go! Come on,
Forrest! Yeah!

JENNY
Run, Forrest!

Forrest leaps over a five-foot fence as the boys try to catch
him.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY (1981)

Forrest looks left as he continues telling his life story.

FORREST
Now, it used to be, I ran to get
where I was goin'. I never thought
it would take me anywhere.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL/ROAD - DAY (1961)

Forrest runs along the road in front of the high school. The
truck continues to chase him as the boys pound on the roof.

OLDER BOY
Come on. Whoo-hoo!

The truck speeds past Forrest as he turns from the road and
runs onto the high school football field. Forrest runs across
the field during a football scrimmage.

In the stands watching the scrimmage is the legendary
University of Alabama football coach BEAR BRYANT, wearing
his trademark plaid hat.

A group of assistant coaches sit around him, as well as the
high school football coach. The quarterback throws the ball
into the air.

Forrest runs past the quarterback. The receiver catches the
ball. Forrest runs past the receiver as an opposing player
tackles the stunned receiver.

The football coach stands, followed by the assistant coaches.

FOOTBALL COACH
Who in the hell is that?

HIGH SCHOOL COACH
That there is Forrest Gump. Coach.
Just a local idiot.

Forrest runs under the field goal post and through the end
zone.

FORREST (V.O.)
And can you believe it? I got to go
to college, too.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA STADIUM - DAY (1962)

The crowd roars with excitement as a football is kicked off.

The football players run around on the field. The crowd of
cheering fans create a huge sign that reads: "GO."

Forrest is in a University of Alabama football uniform. He
looks up into the cheering crowd as his teammate fields the
kickoff. The teammate runs over to Forrest and hands him the
ball.

FOOTBALL COACH
Okay! Run!

The football coach, the assistants, and Alabama players cheer
for Forrest.

FOOTBALL COACH
Run, you stupid son-of-a-bitch! Run!

Forrest runs across the field. He speeds past the defending
players. Forrest runs past the opposite players. The crowd
cheers wildly, holding up cards, making a large sign that
reads: "Go."

They turn the cards over, creating the word: "ALABAMA." The
football coach runs along the sidelines as he yells.

FOOTBALL COACH
You stupid son-of-a-bitch! Run! Go!
Run!

Forrest cuts and runs toward the sidelines. Two opposing
players collide. The football coach, the assistants and the
players all motion for Forrest to run toward the end zone.

FOOTBALL COACH
Run! Turn! Go!

Forrest turns up the sidelines and runs toward the end zone.

Some opposing players fall down. Forrest runs along the
sidelines. The opposing players try to catch him.

Forrest runs into the end zone as an opposing player dives
at his feet. The referee holds up his arm, signaling a touch
down. The crowd cheers wildly.

Forrest continues to run, smashing through the band members,
then all the way toward the team tunnel. The football coach
looks at an assistant coach.

FOOTBALL COACH
He must be the stupidest son-of-a-
bitch alive. But he sure is fast!

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, maybe it was just me but college
was very confusing times.

INT. GREENBOW/BARBER SHOT - BLACK & WHITE TELEVISION (JUNE
11, 1963)

An anchorman named CHET HUNTLEY appears over the television.

CHET HUNTLEY
(on TV)
Federal troops enforcing a court
order integrated the University of
Alabama today.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA - DAY

Forrest walks through a crowd of people.

CHET HUNTLEY
Governor George Wallace had carried
out his symbolic threat to stand in
the schoolhouse door.

GOVERNOR WALLACE
We hereby denounce and forbid this
illegal and unwarranted action by
the central government.

INT. GREENBOW/BARBER SHOP

A black & white television reveals George Wallace as he stands
in the doorway of the schoolhouse.

KATZENBACH
(on TV)
Governor Wallace, I take it from
that, uh...

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Forrest steps over to a young man as the crowd looks at the
demonstration.

KATZENBACH
...statement that you are going to
stand in that door, and that you are
not going to carry out the orders of
this court, and that you are going
to resist us from doing so. I would
ask you once again to responsibility
step aside and if you do not, I'm
going to assure you...

FORREST
Earl, what's going on?

EARL
Coons are tryin' to get into school.

FORREST
Coons? When raccoons try to get on
our back porch, Momma just chase 'em
off with a broom.

EARL
Not raccoons, you idiot, niggas. And
they want to go to school with us.

FORREST
With us? They do?

Forrest walks toward the schoolhouse.

INT. COACHES' OFFICE

A football coach looks at a black and white television as a
newsman outside the schoolhouse speaks to the camera.

NEWSMAN
(on TV)
...block the doorway, President
Kennedy ordered the Secretary of
Defense then to use the military
force.

BLACK AND WHITE FOOTAGE

The footage cuts to Governor Wallace as he speaks to General
Graham.

NEWSMAN
Here by videotape is the encounter
by General Graham, Commander of the
National Guard, and Governor Wallace.

Forrest stands next to George Wallace and listens.

GOVERNOR WALLACE
We must have no violence today, or
any other day, because these National
Guardsmen are here today as Federal
Soldiers for Alabamans. And they
live within our borders and they are
all our brothers. We are winning in
this fight because we are awakening
the American people to the dangers
that we have spoken about so many
times, just so evident today, the
trend toward military dictatorship
in this country.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Some of the Alabama policeman and citizens clap their hands
as the National Guardsmen stand at attention with their
weapons in front of them. Forrest walks through the crowd.

Two black students were being led toward the schoolhouse.

NEWSMAN
And so at day's end the University
of Alabama in Tuscaloosa had been
desegregated and students Jimmy Hood
and Vivian Malone had been signed up
for summer classes.

The young black girl drops one of her books. Forrest notices
and steps past the policeman toward the book on the ground.

Forrest steps out from the crowd and picks up the book. He
brings it up to the girl.

FORREST
Ma'am, you dropped your book. Ma'am.

INT. COACHES' OFFICE - NIGHT (1963)

A coach looks at the television. The television reveals
Forrest as he stands at the schoolhouse door. He looks around,
then waves.

CHET HUNTLEY
(on TV)
Governor Wallace did what he promised
to do. By being on the Tuscaloosa
campus, he kept the mob from gathering
and prevented violence.

An assistant coach looks at the television, then at the other
coaches.

ASSISTANT COACH
Say, wasn't that Gump?

The football coach and two assistant coaches look. Forrest
dries himself off with a towel as he steps from the showers.

CHET HUNTLEY
(on TV)
NBC News will present a special
program on the Alabama integration
story at 7:30 p.m. tonight...

ASSISTANT COACH
Naw, that couldn't be.

FOOTBALL COACH
It sure as hell was.

CHET HUNTLEY
...standard Eastern Daylight Time.
Now a word from Anacin.

Forrest steps up to the coaches' area and grabs a clean towel.

The coaches turn and stare at Forrest. Forrest gives them
one of his silly waves, then walks away.

COLOR FOOTAGE - Governor Wallace waves to the crowd as he
stands behind a podium with his wife.

FORREST (V.O.)
A few years later, that angry little
man at the schoolhouse door thought
it would be a good idea, and ran for
President.

COLOR FOOTAGE - Governor Wallace mingles in a crowd. Gunshots
are fired, wounding him. Some men wrestle the shooter. Wallace
lies wounded on the ground.

FORREST (V.O.)
But, somebody thought that it wasn't.

EXT. SAVANNAH/BUS BENCH - DAY (1981)

Forrest sits on the bench as the black woman looks at him. A
WHITE WOMAN with a bay sits left.

FORREST
But he didn't die.

A bus pulls up to the bus stop. The BLACK WOMAN looks down
at her watch.

BLACK WOMAN
My bus is here.

FORREST
Is it the number 9?

BLACK WOMAN
No, it's the number 4.

The Black Woman gets up and steps over to the bus.

FORREST
It was nice talkin' to you.

The white woman sits closer to Forrest.

WHITE WOMAN
I remember when that happened, when
Wallace got shot. I was in college.

FORREST
Did you go to a girls' college, or
to a girls' and boys' together
college?

WHITE WOMAN
It was co-ed.

FORREST
'Cause Jenny went to a college I
couldn't go to. It was a college
just for girls.

EXT, GIRLS' COLLEGE/JENNY'S DORM - NIGHT (1963)

Forrest sits outside Jenny's dorm in the rain.

FORREST (V.O.)
But, I'd go and visit her every chance
I got.

A car pulls up. A song is heard from the radio. Forrest,
holding a box of chocolates, looks at the car. The two people
inside the car begins to kiss and embrace each other. Jenny
is inside the car with a boy. She leans back against the
passenger side door as they struggle to get comfortable.

JENNY
Ouch! That hurts.

Forrest gets up and runs toward the car. He tries to look in
the window as he steps over to the driver's side door. He
opens the door and begins to punch the boy inside. Jenny
jump out of the car and runs over to Forrest.

JENNY
Forrest! Forrest! Forrest, stop it!
Stop it!

BILLY
Jesus!

JENNY
What are you doing?

FORREST
He was hurtin' you.

Jenny's date, named BILLY, gets out of the car angrily.

BILLY
What the hell is going on here?

JENNY
No, he's not!

BILLY
Who is that? Who is that?

JENNY
Get over there!

Jenny turns and looks at Billy. He shoves Jenny's hands away
from him.

JENNY
Billy, I'm sorry.

BILLY
What in the hell, git, would you git
away from me!

JENNY
Don't... Wait a second!

BILLY
Git, just git away from me!

JENNY
Don't go! Billy, wait a second!

Billy gets back into the car.

JENNY
He doesn't know any better!

Billy pulls away as Jenny steps toward Forrest.

JENNY
Forrest, why'd you do that?

Forrest holds out the box of chocolates.

FORREST
I brought you some chocolates. I'm
sorry. I'll go back to my college
now.

JENNY
Forrest, look at you! Come on. Come
on.

Jenny grabs Forrest hand and leads him toward the dorm.

INT. JENNY'S DORM/HALLWAY

Jenny and Forrest sneak to Jenny's door.

FORREST
Is this your room?

JENNY
Shh!

Jenny unlocks the door and they step inside.

INT. JENNY'S DORM ROOM

Jenny pulls a robe off of her sleeping roommate's bed. Jenny
hands the robe to Forrest, sitting on Jenny's bed.

JENNY
Do you ever dream, Forrest, about
who you're gonna be?

FORREST
Who I'm gonna be?

JENNY
Yeah.

FORREST
Aren't I going to be me?

JENNY
Well, you'll always be you, just
another kind of you. You know? I
want to be famous.

Jenny picks up a towel, then walks back toward Forrest. Jenny
dries the water from her hair.

JENNY
I want to be a singer like Joan Baez.
I just want to be an empty stage
with my guitar, my voice... just me.

Jenny takes off her slip and sits on the bed next to him.

She is only wearing her bra and panties. Forrest looks at
Jenny like he's never seen a woman in her underwear before.

JENNY
And I want to reach people on a
personal level. I want to be able to
say things, just one-to-one.

Forrest looks down at Jenny's breasts. Jenny realizes that
he is looking at her.

JENNY
Have you ever been with a girl,
Forrest?

FORREST
I sit next to them in my home
economics class all the time.

DJ
(over radio)
You're listening to WHHY in
Birmingham, the clear A.M. voice of
Northern Alabama. I'm Joel Dorn...

Forrest looks at Jenny as she removes her bra. Forrest looks
away, a bit shamed. Jenny takes his hand and guides it up to
her breast.

DJ
(over radio)
...coming to you on a night that is
anything but c

[ForrestGump]

7. But wait...there's more:

DJ
(over radio)
...coming to you on a night that is
anything but clear. The weatherman
says that rain's gonna fall all night
long so stay with us, get warm, get
cozy, get under the covers to the
cool sounds of WHHY.

Forrest looks over at Jenny's breasts, the shudder as he has
an orgasm.

FORREST
Ohh... Oh... I'm sorry. Sorry.

JENNY
It's okay.

DJ
(over radio)
...444-6789, with ya till sunrise,
playing the music you want to hear
when you want to hear it. If you
have a request or dedication, give
us a call. We guarantee you'll hear
your requests within one hour.

Forrest breathes heavily. Jenny puts her bra back on.

JENNY
It's all right.

Jenny leans over and puts her head on Forrest's shoulder.

DJ
(over radio)
Candy is on the line tonight. Candy's
answering the phones, give Candy
your request, your dedication, and
ask her why she won't go out with
me, would you? Here's more music.

JENNY
It's okay.

FORREST
Oh, I'm dizzy.

A song is coming over the radio. Jenny hugs Forrest.

JENNY
I bet that never happened in home
ec.

FORREST
No.

Jenny laughs and kisses Forrest on the cheek. Forrest and
Jenny hug on the bed as Jenny's roommate pretends to be
asleep, but is listening, horrified, with her eyes open.

FORREST
I think I ruined your roommate's
bathrobe.

JENNY
I don't care. I don't like her,
anyway.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA/FOOTBALL STADIUM - DAY (1963)

Forrest runs across the field as the defending team chases
him. The crowd yells for Forrest. They flip a sign that reads:
"Go Forrest."

CROWD
Run! Run! Run!

Forrest runs along the field. The crowd cheers.

CROWD
Run! Run! Run!

Forrest runs into the end zone. The band members rush toward
Forrest with their hands up, signaling him to stop. The crowd
flips over cards, creating a sign that reads "STOP."

CROWD
Stop!

Forrest stops in the end zone as he hears the crowd yells.

The band motions for Forrest to stop and stay in the end

zone. A group of defending players fall over each other in
the end zone. Forrest looks as the crowd cheers wildly.

FORREST (V.O.)
College ran by real fast 'cause I
played so much football.

BLACK AND WHITE PARAMOUNT NEWSREEL - DAY (1963)

The White House with the words "The eyes and ears of the
world Paramount News" superimposed.

FORREST (V.O.)
They even put me on a thing called
the All-America Team where you get
to meet the President of the United
States.

BLACK AND WHITE NEWSREEL

PRESIDENT KENNEDY holds an autographed football as the All-
American Team stands behind him. Forrest is among the players
in suits.

ANNOUNCER
(over newsreel)
President Kennedy met with the
Collegiate All-American Football
Team at the Oval Office today.

INT. WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION AREA - DAY (1963)

The All-American players mingle around the food table. Forrest
steps up to the table. A large spread of food and soda is on
the table.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, the real good thing about meeting
the President of the United States
is the food.

Forrest takes a bottle of Dr. Pepper from the buffet table.

Numerous bottle of Dr. Pepper are displayed on the table. A
servant opens the bottle for him.

FORREST (V.O.)
They put you in this little room
with just about anything you'd want
to eat or drink. And since number
one, I wasn't hungry, but thirsty...

Forrest begins to guzzle the Dr. Pepper.

FORREST (V.O.)
...and number two, they was free, I
musta drank me about fifteen Dr.
Peppers.

Forrest sets down an empty Dr. Pepper bottle next to a large
number of other empty bottles. Forrest holds his stomach and
burps.

BLACK AND WHITE FOOTAGE - President Kennedy shakes hands
with the All-American football players.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY
Congratulations. How does it feel to
be an All-American?

1ST PLAYER
It's an honor, Sir.

Another player steps up to the President and shakes the
President's hand.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY
Congratulations. How does it feel to
be an All-American?

2ND PLAYER
Very good, Sir.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY
Congratulations. How does it feel to
be an All-American?

3RD PLAYER
Very good, Sir.

The player walks away. Forrest steps up to the President.

The President shakes his hand.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY
Congratulations. How do you feel?

FORREST
I gotta pee.

President Kennedy turns and smiles.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY
I believe he said he had to go pee.

INT. WHITE HOUSE/BATHROOM

Forrest urinates in the bathroom, then lowers the lid and
flashes. Forrest washes his hands, then notices an autographed
photo from Marilyn Monroe and a photo of John with his brother
Bobby.

FORREST (V.O.)
Sometime later, for no particular
reason, somebody shot that nice young
President when he was ridin' in his
car.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE - DAY SLOW MOTION - President Kennedy rises
in a convertible and smiles.

FORREST
And a few years after that...

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE - Robert Kennedy stands at a podium as people
around him applaud.

FORREST (V.O.)
...somebody shot his little brother,
too, only he was in a hotel kitchen.

EXT. SAVANNHA/BUS BENCH - DAY (1981)

Forrest sits on the bench and shakes his head.

FORREST
It must be hard being brothers. I
wouldn't know.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA - DAY - GRADUATION DAY (1966)

Students in their caps and gowns step forward the podium to
receive their diplomas. Forrest's name is called. He steps
up and accepts his diploma.

DEAN
Forrest Gump.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now can you believe it? After only
five years of playing football, I
got a college degree.

The dean shakes Forrest's hand vigorously. Forrest looks out
into the crowd.

DEAN
Congratulations, son.

Mrs. Gump, sitting in the audience, cries.

FORREST (V.O.)
Momma was proud.

Forrest and Mrs. Gump have their picure taken in front of a
large statue. A military recruiter spots Forrest and steps
up to him.

MRS. GUMP
Forrest, I'm so proud of you. Here,
I'll hold this for you.

Mrs. Gump takes the diploma from Forrest. The recruiter slaps
Forrest on the shoulder and hands him some military
literature.

MILITARY RECRUITER
Congratulations, son. Have you given
any thought to your future?

FORREST
Thought?

Forrest looks at a pamphlet with a photo of "Uncle Sam" and
the caption "EXCELLENT CAREERS FOR EXCELLENT YOUNG MAN. Apply
now at your local U.S. Army Recruiting Center."

FORREST (V.O.)
Hello, I'm Forrest...

INT. ARMY BUS - DAY (1966)

Forrest steps onto the army bus. Rain pours outside as the
army bus driver yells at Forrest.

FORREST
...Forrest Gump.

ARMY BUS DRIVER
Nobody gives a hunk of shit who you
are, fuzzball! You're not even a
lowlife scum sucking maggot! Get
your faggoty ass on the bus. You're
in the Army now!

Forrest is about to sit on the first available seat, but the
recruit sitting there refuses Forrest.

RECRUIT #1
This seat's taken.

Forrest tries to sit on the next seat, but the 2nd recruit
slides over, blocking him.

RECRUIT #2
It's taken.

Forrest steps forward, looking much like he did on his first
bus ride to school years ago.

FORREST (V.O.)
At first, it seemed like I made a
mistake.

A large black recruit with a strange look on his face, much
like Forrest's, looks up from his seat. His name is BUBBA.

FORREST (V.O.)
...seeing how it was my induction
day and I was already gettin' yelled
at.

Bubba moves his case over, making room for Forrest to sit
down.

BUBBA
You can sit down... if you want to.

FORREST (V.O.)
I didn't know who I might meet or
what they might ask.

Bubba hands Forrest a handkerchief.

BUBBA
You ever been on a real shrimp boat?

FORREST
No, but I been on a real big boat.

BUBBA
I'm talkin' about a shrimp catchin'
boat. I've been workin' on shrimp
boats all my life. I started out my
uncle's boat, that's my mother's
brother, when I was about maybe nine.
I was just lookin' into buyin' a
boat of my own and got drafted. My
given name is Benjamin Buford Blue.

Bubba and Forrest shake hands.

BUBBA
People call me Bubba. Just like one
of them redneck boys. Can you believe
that?

FORREST
My name's Forrest Gump. People call
me Forrest Gump.

FORREST (V.O.)
So Bubba was from Bayou La Batre,
Alabama, and his momma cooked shrimp.

INT. LOUISIANA/KITCHEN - DAY (1966)

Bubba's mother, a robust woman in a cook's uniform, carries
a bowl of shrimp into a dining room. She sets it down on a
table in front of a wealthy white man.

FORREST (V.O.)
And her momma before her cooked
shrimp.

INT. SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH/KITCHEN - DAY (EARLY DAYS OF
SLAVERY)

Bubba's grandmother carries a bowl of shrimp into a dining
room. She sets it down on a table in front of a wealthy white
man.

FORREST (V.O.)
And her momma before her momma cooked
shrimp, too. Bubba's family knew
everything...

INT. ARMY BUS - DAY (1966)

FORREST (V.O.)
...there was to know about the
shrimpin' business.

BUBBA
I know everything there is to know
about the shrimpin' business. Matter
of fact, I'm goin' into the shrimpin'
business for myself after I get out
the Army.

FORREST
Okay.

INT. BARRACKS - DAY

A DRILL SERGEANT is in Forrest's face as Forrest stands in
line with the other recruits.

DRILL SERGEANT
Gump! What's your sole purpose in
this Army?

FORREST
To do whatever you tell me, Drill
Sergeant!

DRILL SERGEANT
Godamnit, Gump! You're a goddamned
genius! That's the most outstanding
answer I've ever heard. You must
have a godamned I.Q. of a hundred
and sixty! You are godamned gifted,
Private Gump!

The Drill Sergeant moves down the line to the next man.

DRILL SERGEANT
Listen up, people...

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, for some reason, I fit in the
Army like one of them round pegs.
It's not really hard. You just make
your bed real neat and remember to
stand up straight.

DRILL SERGEANT
That is one very intelligent
individual! You lock your scuzzy
bodies up behind that private and do
exactly what he does and you will go
far in this man's army!

FORREST (V.O.)
And always answer every question
with "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"

DRILL SERGEANT
Is that clear?

FORREST & RECRUITS
Yes, Drill Sergeant!

ANOTHER DAY

The recruits are sitting at the base of their bunks assembling
their rifles. Bubba speaks to Forrest.

BUBBA
What you do is you just drag your
nets across the bottom. On a good
day, you can catch over a hundred
pounds of shrimp. If everything goes
all right, two men shrimpin' ten
hours, less what you spends on gas,
you can...

Forrest finishes assembling his rifle as the other recruits
are still working on theirs.

FORREST
Done, Drill Sergeant!

DRILL SERGEANT
Gump!

The Drill Sergeant rushes up to Forrest.

DRILL SERGEANT
Why did you put that weapon together
so quickly, Gump?

FORREST
You told me to, Drill Sergeant.

The Drill Sergeant looks at his stop watch.

DRILL SERGEANT
Jesus Christ! This is a new company
record. If it wouldn't be a waste of
such a damn fine enlisted man, I'd
recommended you for O.C.S., Private
Gump. You are gonna be a General
some day, Gump! Now, disassemble
your weapon and continue!

The Drill Sergeant walks away as Forrest begins to disassemble
his rifle. After the Drill Sergeant walks past Bubba, Bubba
looks up at Forrest. Bubba continues talking about shrimp in
his slow southern drawl.

BUBBA
Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is
the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue
it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute
it. There, uh, shrimp kabobs, shrimp
creole...

ANOTHER DAY

Bubba and Forrest shine their boots.

BUBBA
...shrimp gumbo, panfried, deep fried,
stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp,
lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper
shrimp...

ANOTHER DAY

Bubba and Forrest are on their hands and knees as they scrub
the floor with toothbrushes.

BUBBA
...shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp
salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp
burger, shrimp sandwich... that's,
that's about it.

NIGHT

Bubba lies in his bunk and looks up quietly.

FORREST (V.O.)
Nighttime in the Army is a lovely
time.

Forrest lies in his bunk and looks up.

FORREST (V.O.)
We'd lay there in our bunks, and I'd
miss my momma. And I'd miss Jenny.

A young private tosses a Playboy magazine onto Forrest.

YOUNG PRIVATE
Hey, Gump. Get a load of the tits on
her!

Forrest pick up the magazine and turns the page, revealing
Jenny as she poses with a school sweater on, and that's all.

The pictorial is titled: "Girls of the South." Forrest looks
up with shock. He cranes his head up for a closer look.

FORREST (V.O.)
Turns out, Jenny had gotten into
some trouble over... some photos of
her in her college sweater. And she
was thrown out of school.

SONG
"My baby does the hanky-panky..."

INT. NASHVILLE/NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT (1966)

Forrest, in his army uniform, steps into the foyer of the
club.

FORREST (V.O.)
But that wasn't a bad thing. Because
a man who owns a theater in Memphis,
Tennessee, saw those photo and offered
Jenny a job singing in a show. The
first chance I got, I took the bus
up to Memphis to see her perform in
that show.

EMCEE steps out onto the stage.

EMCEE
That was Amber, Amber Flame. Give
her a big hand, guys. Good job, Amber.
And now, for your listening and
viewing pleasure, direct from
Hollywood, California, our very own
beatnik beauty, let's give a big
round of applause to the luscious
Bobbie Dylan.

CROWD
Bobbie... Bobbie...

The emcee walks back off the stage and the curtain opens,
revealing Jenny as she sits on a stool on the stage. She
holds a guitar up and begins to play. She is topless.

JENNY
(sings)
"Yes, and how many seas must the
white dove said, before she sleeps
in the sand."

FORREST (V.O.)
Her dream had come true. She was a
folk singer.

JENNY
(sings)
"Yes, how many times must the
cannonballs fly before they're forever
banned."

MAN #1
You gotta lose the guitar, darling.

MAN #2
Hey, come on, baby. Shake it up.
Shake it up now.

MAN #3
Hey, somebody ought to get her a
harmonica.

The men laugh.

JENNY
(sings)
"The answer, my friend is blowing in
the wind. The answer is blowing in...

MAN #
...skin, honey. This isn't Captain
Kangaroo.

MEN
Yeah! Come on!

Man #5 reaches up and tries to stick some money in Jenny's
shoe.

MAN #5 :
Hey, honey, I got something here for
you.

Jenny kicks his hand. He yells angrily as he sits back down,
then tosses his drink on her.

MAN #5
Goddamnit!

JENNY
Hey! Hey! Stupid jerk! I'm singing a
song here. Polly, get out here!

MAN #
Hey, show us some stuff, honey!

JENNY
Shut up! Oh, shut up!

Forrest walks up to Man #5 and grabs him and tosses him down
on the ground. Man #4 tries to grab Forrest, but Forrest
shoves him down too.

JENNY
Forrest, what are you doing here?
What are you doing?

Forrest climbs up onto the stage and picks Jenny up, guitar
and all, and carries her.

FORREST
Come on.

JENNY
What are you doing? Forrest, let me
down!

Jenny struggles and frees herself from Forrest. Forrest steps
back in surprise. Jenny shoves the guitar at Forrest. Jenny
walks off as Forrest holds the guitar. He follows after her.

EXT. MEMPHIS BRIDGE - NIGHT

Forrest follows Jenny over a bridge outside the night club.

JENNY
You can't keep doing this, Forrest.
You can't keep tryin' to rescue me
all the time.

FORREST
They was tryin' to grab you.

JENNY
A lot of people try to grab me. Just --
you can't keep doing this all the
time!

FORREST
I can't help it. I love you.

JENNY
Forrest, you don't know what love
is.

Jenny turns and looks over the bridge.

JENNY
You remember that time we prayed,
Forrest? We prayed for God to turn
me into a bird so I could fly far,
far away?

FORREST
Yes, I do.

JENNY
You think I can fly off this bridge?

FORREST
What do you mean, Jenny?

JENNY
Nothing.

Jenny turns and looks at the light of an approaching vehicle.

She steps into the street.

JENNY
I gotta get outta here.

Jenny runs and flags down the approaching vehicle.

FORREST
But wait. Jenny!

JENNY
Forrest, you stay away from me, okay?
You just stay away from me, please.

A pickup truck pulls over as Jenny looks at the driver.

JENNY
Can I have a ride?

DRIVER
Where you going?

JENNY
I don't care.

DRIVER
Get in the truck.

FORREST
So bye-bye, Jenny. They sendin' me
to Vietnam. It's this whole other
country.

Jenny walks toward Forrest. She looks at the driver.

JENNY
Just hang on a minute.

Jenny walks up to Forrest.

JENNY
Listen, you promise me something,
okay? Just if you're ever in trouble,
don't try to be brave, you just run,
okay? Just run away.

FORREST
Okay. Jenny, I'll write you all the
time.

Jenny takes a last look at Forrest, then climbs into the
truck. Forrest watches Jenny in the pickup as it drives away.

FORREST (V.O.)
And just like that.

EXT. GREENBOW/GUMP BOARDING HOUSE/RIVER - DAY

Forrest, dressed in his uniform, sits on a log and looks out
at a river.

FORREST (V.O.)
...she was gone.

Mrs. Gump walks toward Forrest and sits down next to him on
the log. Forrest leans down, placing his head on his mother's
shoulder.

MRS. GUMP
You come back safe to me, do ya hear?

EXT. VIETNAM/MEKONG DELTA - MORNING (1967)

The shadow of a helicopter over the rice field below. A
soldier is manning a gun from inside the helicopter. The
solider looks left, Forrest and Bubba ride in the helicopter.

EXT. FIREBASE/4TH PLATOON

The helicopter circles overhead, then lands at the firebase.

SONG
"Some folks are born made to wave
the flag. Ooh, they're red, white
and blue. And when the band plays
"Hail to the Chief," ohh, they point
the cannon at you all. It ain't me.
It ain't me. I ain't no Senator's
son, no. It ain't me. It ain't me..."

Bubba and Forrest jump out of the helicopter with their gear/
They walk and look around oddly.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, they told us that Vietnam was
gonna be very different from the
United Sates of America.

The soldier places a case of beer on a large stack of cases.

He takes two beers out and walks away. In the background,
soldiers are barbecuing steaks and drinking beer.

FORREST (V.O.)
Except for all the beer cans and the
barbecue, it was.

BUBBA
Y'know, I bet there's shrimp all in
these waters. They tell me these
Vietnams is good shrimp. You know,
after we win this war, and we take
over everything we can get American
shrimpers to come on here and shrimp
these waters. We'll just shrimp all
the time, man. So much shrimp, why,
you wouldn't believe it.

Lieutenant DAN TAYLOR steps out of a tent. Shirtless, he
holds a roll of toilet paper in his hand.

LT. DAN
You must be my F.N.G.'s.

BUBBA AND FORREST
Morning', sir!

LT. DAN
Ho! Get your hands down. Do not salute
me. There are goddamned snipers all
around this area who would love to
grease an officer. I'm Lieutenant
Dan Taylor. Welcome to Fourth Platoon.

Lt. Dan looks at Bubba.

LT. DAN
What's wrong with your lips?

BUBBA
I was born with big gums, sir.

LT. DAN
Yeah, well, you better tuck that in.
Gonna get that caught on a trip wire.
Where you boys from in the world?

BUBBA & FORREST
Alabama, sir!

LT. DAN
You twins?

Forrest and Bubba look at each other oddly, they don't get
the joke.

FORREST
No, we are not relations, sir.

LT. DAN
Look, it's pretty basic here.

Lt. Dan starts to walk. Bubba and Forrest grab their gear
and follow him.

LT. DAN
You stick with me, you learn from
the guys who been in country awhile,
you'll be right. There is one item
of G.I. gear that can be the
difference between a live grunt and
a dead grunt.

Lt. Dan stops and looks at the boys.

LT. DAN
Socks, cushion, sole, O.D. green.
Try and keep your feet dry when we're
out humpin'. I want you boys to
remember to change your socks wherever
we stop. The Mekong will eat a grunt's
feet right off his legs.

Lt. Dan steps over to a large black soldier named SERGEANT
SIMS.

LT. DAN
Sergeant Sims! Goddamnit, where is
that sling-rope I told you to order.

SGT. SIMS
I put in requisitions at Battalion.

LT. DAN
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well you call those
sonabitches again, call them again
and again and again. I don't care
how much it takes...

FORREST (V.O.)
Lt. Dan sure knew his stuff. I felt
real lucky he was my lieutenant. He
was from a long, great military
tradition. Somebody in his family
had fought and died in every single
American war.

EXT. VALLEY FORGE/THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - DAY (1778)

A distant relative of Lt. Dan's, wearing a revolutionary war
uniform, falls dead in the snow.

EXT. GETTYSBURG/THE CIVIL WAR - DAY (1863)

Another relative, wearing a civil war uniform and bearing a
striking resemblance to Lt. Dan, falls down dead.

EXT. NORMANDY/WORLD WAR II - DAY (1944)

Another relative, wearing a World War II, falls down dead on
the beach at Normandy.

EXT. VETNAM/MEKONG DELTA/FIREBASE - DAY (1967)

LT. DAN
Goddamnit, kick some ass!

SGT. SIMS
I'm on it, Lieutenant.

LT. DAN
Get on it!

Lt. Dan steps back up to Bubba and Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)
I guess you could say he had a lot
to live up to.

Lt. Dan walks along the walkway and Bubba and Forrest follow.

LT. DAN
So, you boys are from Arkansas, huh?
Well, I've been through there. Little
Rock's a fine town. Now, go shake
down your gear, see the platoon
sergeant, draw what you need for the
field.

Lt. Dan steps inside the latrine, still holding the roll of
toilet paper.

LT. DAN
If you boys are hungry, we got steaks
burnin' right here.

Lt. Dan sits down out of sight in the latrine, then stands
up, looking at the boys.

LT. DAN
Two standing orders in this platoon.
One, take good care of your feet.
Two, try not to do anything stupid,
like gettin' yourself killed.

Lt. Dan sits back down out of sight in the latrine. Bubba
and Forrest look at each other.

FORREST
I sure hope I don't let him down.

EXT. RICE FIELD - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest, Bubba, and other soldiers in the Fourth Platoon
walk across the rice field. Some Vietnamese rice farmers are
working as the soldiers walk past.

FORREST (V.O.)
I got to see a lot of countryside.
We would take these real long walks.

EXT. JUNGLE/DIRT ROAD - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest's unit walks along a dirt road.

SONG
And we were always lookin' for this
guy named Charlie. I can't get no
relief.

Suddenly Lt. Dan holds up his fist, a signal for the unit to
stop. He motions for them to get down.

LT. DAN
Hold it up!

SGT. SIMS
Hold up, boys!

Forrest gets down and looks around.

FORREST (V.O.)
It wasn't always fun. Lt. Dan always
gettin' these funny feelings about a
rock or a trail, or the road, so
he'd tell you to get down, shut up!

LT. DAN
Get down! Shut up!

FORREST (V.O.)
So we did.

Lt. Dan motions for the lead soldier to get down. Lt. Dan
crouches down. Lt. Dan looks at the soldiers and points to
his eyes. He lies down on the dirt road and crawls.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, I don't know much about anything,
but I think some of American's best
young men served in this war. There
was Dallas, from Phoenix. Cleveland,
he was from Detroit.

CLEVELAND
Hey, Tex. Hey, Tex. Man, what the
hell's going on?

Tex holds up his hand, motioning that he doesn't know.

FORREST (V.O.)
And Tex was, well, I don't remember
where Tex come from.

LT. DAN
Ah, nothin'. Fourth Platoon, on your
feet! Still got ten clicks to go to
that river.

Forrest stands up and begins to walk with the platoon.

LT. DAN
All right, move out! Comin' out.
Look alive out there.

FORREST (V.O.)
The good thing about Vietnam is there
was always someplace to go.

LT. DAN (V.O.)
Fire in the hole!

EXT. VIETNAM/VIET CONG FOXHOLE - ANOTHER DAY

Lt. Dan walks away as Forrest rushes over, aims two pistols
in the hole, then climbs inside.

FORREST (V.O.)
And there was always something to
do.

LT. DAN
Mount 'em up.

SGT. SIMS
Spread out! Cover his back.

ANOTHER DAY - The platoon walks through a rice paddy, waits
deep in water. It begins to rain.

FORREST (V.O.)
One day it started raining, and it
didn't quit for four months.

EXT. JUNGLE

The rain pours down on Forrest and Bubba as they sit in a
foxhole.

FORREST (V.O.)
We been through every kind of rain
there is. Little bitty stingin'
rain...

ANOTHER DAY - The platoon walks through the jungle as rain
pours down on them.

FORREST (V.O.)
...and big ol' fat rain.

ANOTHER DAY - The platoon shelters themselves as they walk
through the wind and rain.

FORREST (V.O.)
Rain that flew in sideways.

ANOTHER DAY - Forrest and other soldiers walk chest-deep
through a river. The rain splatters back up from the river,
hitting the soldiers. Forrest holds his hand up to protect
his face.

FORREST (V.O.)
And sometimes rain even seemed to
come straight up from underneath.

EXT. ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

The rain pours down on the men of the platoon as they sit in
a camp. Bubba sits down next to Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)
Shoot, it even rained at night.

Bubba leans his back up against Forrest's back.

BUBBA
Hey Forrest...

FORREST
Hey Bubba...

BUBBA
I'm gonna lean up against you, you
just lean right back against me.

BUBBA
This way, we don't have to sleep
with our heads in the mud. You know
why we a good partnership, Forrest?
'Cause we be watchin' out for one
another. Like brothers and stuff.
Hey, Forrest, there's somethin' I've
been thinkin' about. I got a very
important question to ask you. How
would you like to go into the
shrimpin' business with me?

FORREST
Okay.

BUBBA
Man, I tell you what, I got it all
figured out, too. So many pounds of
shrimp to pay off the boat, so many
pounds for gas, we can just live
right on the boat. We ain't got to
pay no rent. I'll be the captain; we
can just work it together. Split
everything right down the middle.
Man, I'm tellin' you, fifty-fifty.
And, hey, Forrest, all the shrimp
you can get.

FORREST
That's a fine idea.

FORREST (V.O.)
Bubba did have a fine idea.

ANOTHER NIGHT - Some soldiers patrol the area. Forrest lies
in a pup tent and writes a litter as the rain pours down. He
uses his flashlight to see.

FORREST (V.O.)
I even wrote Jenny and told her all
about it. I sent her letters. Not
every day, but almost. I told her
what I was doin' and asked her what
she was doing, and I told her how I
thought about her always.

EXT. JENNY'S GRANDMOTHER'S TRAILER - DAY

Jenny steps out of the trailer with a backpack and a guitar.

She hugs a hippie guy, then jumps into the back of a
Volkswagen bus with another guy.

FORREST (V.O.)
And how I was looking forward to
getting a letter from her just as
soon as she had the time I'd always
let her know that I was okay.

EXT. VIETNAM - NIGHT

Forrest writes a letter in his tent.

FORREST (V.O.)
Then I'd sign each letter, "Love,
Forrest Gump."

EXT. JUNGLE - DAY

The Fourth Platoon makes their way through the jungle and
rain.

SONG
"There's something happenin' here.
What it is ain't exactly clear.
There's a man with a gun over there,
telling' me I got to beware."

FORREST (V.O.)
This one day, we was out walking,
like always, and then, just like
that, somebody turned off the rain
and the sun come out.

Forrest looks up as the sun suddenly appears. Forrest's
platoon is attacked. A bullet kills the soldier standing
next to Forrest. Bombs explode all around as the soldiers
scramble to the ground.

LT. DAN
Take cover!

Forrest crawls over a berm as bullets fly overhead and explode
all around him. Forrest rolls over and pulls his pack off
Lt. Dan lies next to Forrest.

LT. DAN
Get that pig up here, goddammit!

BUBBA
Forrest, you okay?

Two soldiers with a machine gun fire into the jungle. Lt.
Dan shouts into the radio. Forrest begins firing his weapon
into the jungle.

LT. DAN
...Strongarm, please be advised...

Two soldiers pull a wounded soldier into the jungle.

BUBBA
Medic, we got a man down!

LT. DAN
Strongarm, this is Leg Lima 6, over!

LT. DAN
Roger, Strongarm, be advised we have
incoming from the treeline at point
blue plus two. A.K's and rockets...

The machine gunner fires into the treeline. Another soldier
helps him with the ammunition. The machine gun jams.

SOLDIER WITH BIG MACHINE GUN
Misfire! Misfire!

LT. DAN
Goddammit, Mac! Get that pig unfucked
and get it in the treeline!

A rocket explodes on the machine gunner and the other soldier,
killing them. Forrest looks down and covers his head as
rockets explodes all around him.

LT. DAN
(into radio)
Ah, Jesus! My unit is down hard and
hurting! 6 pulling back to the blue
line, Leg Lima 6 out! Pull back!
Pull back!

BUBBA
Forrest! Run! Run, Forrest!

LT. DAN
Pull back!

BUBBA
Forrest! Run! Run, Forrest! Run!
Run!

SGT. SIMS
Pull back! Let's go!

Lt. Dan gets up and grabs Forrest by the collar.

LT. DAN
Run, goddammit, run!

The platoon gets up and runs toward the cover of the jungle.

Rockets explode all around the field. Forrest runs into the
jungle. The soldiers run through the jungle as bullets explode
all around. A soldier is blown up by a rocket. A soldier
runs through the jungle. Forrest runs past the soldier.

SOLDIER
Medic! Medic! Jesus, can I get a
medic?

FORREST (V.O.)
I ran and ran, just like Jenny told
me to.

Rockets explode in the jungle as Forrest runs out toward a
clearing.

FORREST (V.O.)
I ran so far and so fast that pretty
soon I was all by myself, which was
a bad thing.

FORREST
Bubba!

Forrest turns around, then runs back into the jungle.

FORREST (V.O.)
Bubba was my best good friend. I had
to make sure he was okay.

Rockets explode in the jungle. Forrest runs back into the
jungle to look for Bubba.

1ST SOLDIER
Any friendlies out there?

2ND SOLDIER
Yeah, I've got three over there.

1ST SOLDIER
Where the hell are you?

Forrest stops and aims his weapon. He looks around, scared.

FORREST
Bubba?

Something moves. Forrest turns and looks, then rushes over.

FORREST (V.O.)
And on my way back to find Bubba,
well, there was this boy laying on
the ground.

FORREST
Tex!

Tex lies on the ground, his face distorted with pain.

FORREST
Okay.

Forrest reaches down and picks up Tex from the ground. Forrest
pulls Tex up over his shoulder, then runs.

FORREST (V.O.)
I couldn't just let him lay there
all alone, scared the way he was, so
I grabbed him up and run him out of
there.

Forrest carries Tex out of the jungle and into the clearing.

He sets Tex down on the bank of a river, and runs back into
the jungle.

FORREST (V.O.)
And every time I went back looking
for Bubba, somebody else was saying,
"Help me, Forrest. Help me."

Forrest drops another wounded soldier down at the bank of
the river next to Tex, and then runs back toward the jungle.

Forrest grabs the third wounded soldier up from the ground
and turns him over. It is DALLAS.

DALLAS
Can't hear... Can't hear...

Dallas is dropped off at the bank next to the other wounded
soldiers. Forrest turns to go back to the jungle.

2ND WOUNDED SOLDIER
No sweat, man. Just lay back. You're
gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay.

FORREST (V.O.)
I started to get scared that I might
never find Bubba.

STRONGARM
(over radio)
You're danger close for crack air,
over.

Forrest trips over something and falls to the ground. He
looks up to find two bloody legs. It is Lt. Dan, who is
wounded. He speaks into the radio.

LT. DAN
(into radio)
Roger, Strongarm, I know my position
is danger close! We got Charlie all
over this area! I gotta have those
fast movers in here now! Over!

STRONGARM
(over radio)
Six, Strongarm, we want...

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan, Coleman's dead!

LT. DAN
I know he's dead! My whole goddamned
platoon is wiped out!

STRONGARM
(over radio)
Leg Lima 6, Leg Lima 6, how copy you
this transmission? Over.

Forrest tries to pick up Lt. Dan, who tries to push Forrest
away.

LT. DAN
Goddammit! What are you doing? Leave
me here! Get away. Just leave me
here! Get out!

Forrest pulls Lt. Dan over his shoulder and runs through the
jungle.

STRONGARM
Leg Lima 6, Leg Lima 6. This is
Strongarm, be advised, your fast
movers are inbound at this time,
over.

FORREST (V.O.)
Then it felt like something just
jumped up and bit me.

Forrest falls down.

FORREST
Ah, something bit me!

Forrest gets up as Lt. Dan yells. Lt. Dan fires his pistol
at the unseen enemy as Forrest pulls him away.

LT. DAN
You dink son-of-a-bitch! I can't
leave the platoon! I told you to
leave me there, Gump. Forget about
me. Get yourself out! Did you hear
what I said! Goddammit, pull me down!
Get your ass out of here!

Forrest drops Lt. Dan down at the bank, next to the other
wounded soldiers. Lt. Dan grabs Forrest by the shirt, angry.

LT. DAN
I didn't ask you to pull me out of
there, goddamn you! What the hell do
you think you're going?

FORREST
To get Bubba.

LT. DAN
I got an air strike inbound right
now. They're gonna nape the whole
area.

Forrest gets up and runs as Lt. Dan yells after him.

LT. DAN
Gump, you stay here, goddammit! That's
an order!

FORREST
I gotta find Bubba!

Forrest runs through the jungle searching for Bubba. Forrest
slows down and looks around carefully.

BUBBA
Forrest...

FORREST
Bubba...

Bubba looks up as he lies on the ground.

BUBBA
I'm okay.

Bubba holds a palm frond over his wound. Forrest removes the
frond to look at the wound. Bubba's chest has been blown
open.

FORREST
Oh, Bubba, no...

BUBBA
Naw, I'm gonna be all right.

Forrest looks around as he hear the voices of the enemy.

FORREST
Come on. Come on. Come here...

Forrest carries Bubba through the jungle. The sound of
approaching planes fills the air.

BUBBA
I'm okay, Forrest. I'm all right.

The roar of approaching planes is deafening. Forrest looks
up in fear. Three planes dive down toward the jungle. They
fire napalm as the jungle explodes with massive fireballs.

Forrest runs, carrying Bubba. The fireballs explode behind
him. The entire jungle area is in flames as Forrest runs.

Forrest carries Bubba to the bank of the river. Lt. Dan and
the other wounded soldiers wait for a rescue helicopter.

LT. DAN
Helo's inbound. Pop smoke, get it up
there!

FORREST (V.O.)
If I'd a known this was gonna be the
last time me and Bubba was gonna
talk, I'd a thought of something
better to say.

Forrest looks down at Bubba. A soldier releases a smoke
canister.

FORREST
Hey, Bubba...

BUBBA
Hey, Forrest. Forrest, why'd this
happen?

FORREST
You got shot.

FORREST (V.O.)
Then Bubba said something I won't
even forget.

BUBBA
I wanna go home.

FORREST (V.O.)
Bubba was my best good friend. And
even I know that ain't something you
can find just around the corner.
Bubba was gonna be a shrimpin' boat
captain, but instead he died right
there by that river in Vietnam.

The helicopter fly overhead.

BUS STATION - DAY

Forrest continues with his life story. A MAN is sitting next
to Forrest on the bus bench.

FORREST
That's all I have to say about that.

MAN
It was a bullet, wasn't it?

FORREST
A bullet?

MAN
That jumped up and bit you.

FORREST
Oh, yes sir. Bit me directly in the

[ForrestGump]

8. Stilll haven't figured it out? The epic continues

MAN
It was a bullet, wasn't it?

FORREST
A bullet?

MAN
That jumped up and bit you.

FORREST
Oh, yes sir. Bit me directly in the
buttocks. They said it was a million
dollar wound, but the Army must keep
that money, 'cause I still ain't
seen a nickel of that million dollars.
The only good thing about being
wounded in the buttocks...

FLASHBACK - INT. US. ARMY HOSPITAL/VIETNAM - DAY

Forrest holds two ice cream cones in his hands as he is
wheeled on a rolling stretcher.

FORREST (V.O.)
...is the ice cream. They gave me
all the ice cream I could eat. And
guess what. A good friend of mine
was in the bed right next door.

Forrest, lying on his stomach, is wheeled to his bed.

Forrest's butt sticks up and is bandaged. Forrest looks at
Lt. Dan lying on the bed. Forrest holds out an ice cream
cone for Lt. Dan.

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan, I got you some ice
cream. Lieutenant Dan, ice cream.

Lt. Dan, annoyed, takes the ice cream cone and drops it into
his bed pan. Forrest slides himself onto his bed. A NURSE
reaches toward Lt. Dan.

MALE NURSE
It's time for your bath, Lieutenant.

The male nurse places Lt. Dan's hands on a pull-up bar, then
picks up Lt. Dan, whose legs have been amputated.

MALE NURSE
Harper...

Another nurse wheels the rolling bed under Lt. Dan. The male
nurse sets Lt. Dan down on the rolling bed. Forrest looks up
at Lt. Dan as he is wheeled away. A soldier reads the names
from a pile of letters.

SOLDIER
Cooper, Larson, Webster, Gump, Gump...

FORREST
I'm Forrest Gump.

The soldier hands Forrest a large pile of letters.

"Undeliverable as addressed. No forwarding order on file."

Jenny Curran Rural Route 2 Greenbow, Ala. 39902 Forrest looks
down at the pile of letters.

INT. ARMY HOSPITAL/VIETNAM - DAY

A group of wounded soldiers hang out in the hospital,
recuperating. Forrest sits and watches "Gomer Pyle" on the
television.

SOLDIER
Gump, how can you watch that stupid
shit? Turn it off!

ANNOUNCER
From the D.M.Z. to the Delta, you
are tuned to the American Forces
Vietnam Network. This is Channel 6,
Saigon.

Forrest turns the TV off and he is hit on the back of the
head by a ping-pong ball.

SOLDIER
Good catch, Gump. You know how to
play this?

Forrest shakes his head.

SOLDIER
Come on, let me show you. Here.

The wounded ping-pong player hands Forrest a paddle. Forrest
and the wounded ping-pong player step toward the ping-pong
table.

SOLDIER
Now the secret to this game is, no
matter what happens, never, never
take your eye off the ball.

He holds the ball up and moves it back and forth. Forrest
keeps his eyes on the ball.

SOLDIER
All right...

The wounded ping-pong player tosses the ball down onto the
table. Forrest begins to hit the ball back to the other
player.

FORREST (V.O.)
For some reason, ping pong came very
natural to me.

SOLDIER
See, any idiot can play.

FORREST (V.O.)
So I started playing it all the time.

Forrest hits ping-pong balls.

FORREST (V.O.)
I played ping-pong even when I didn't
have anyone to play ping-pong with.

The balls at land in a bed pan positioned on a chair. A group
of wounded soldier sit and watch Forrest play with himself.
Forrest hits two balls at a time against the opposite side
of the table.

FORREST (V.O.)
The hospital's people said it made
me look like a duck in water, whatever
that means. Even Lieutenant Dan would
come and watch me play.

Lt. Dan stares out the window. Forrest lies in his bed asleep.
A hand reaches and grabs him.

FORREST (V.O.)
I played ping-pong so much, I even
played it in my sleep.

Lt. Dan pulls Forrest to the floor, and holds Forrest down.

LT. DAN
Now, you listen to me. We all have a
destiny. Nothing just happens, it's
all part of a plan. I should have
died out there with my men! But now,
I'm nothing but a goddamned cripple!
A legless freak. Look! Look! Look at
me! Do you see that? Do you know
what it's like not to be able to use
your legs?

FORREST
Well... Yes, sir, I do.

LT. DAN
Did you hear what I said? You cheated
me. I had a destiny. I was supposed
to die in the field! With honor!
That was my destiny! And you cheated
me out of it! You understand what
I'm saying, Gump? This wasn't supposed
to happen. Not to me. I had a destiny.
I was Lieutenant Dan Tyler.

FORREST
Yo-You're still Lieutenant Dan.

Lt. Dan looks at Forrest, lets go of Forrest and rolls.

Lt. Dan sits up as Forrest looks at him.

LT. DAN
Look at me. What am I gonna do now?
What am I gonna do now?

INT. REC ROOM/VIETNAM HOSPITAL - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest plays ping-pong by himself. An OFFICER walks up to
him.

OFFICER
P.F.C. Gump?

Forrest immediately grabs the ball and places it down on the
table under its paddle. Stands at attention.

FORREST
Yes, sir!

OFFICER
As you were.

The officer holds up an envelope.

OFFICER
Son, you've been awarded the Medal
of Honor.

INT. VIETNAM HOSPITAL WARD

Forrest steps up to Lt. Dan's bed.

FORREST
Guess what, Lieutenant Dan, they
want to give me a me...

Forrest stops in mid-sentence as he looks down at the bed. A
heavily bandaged soldier with bloodstains lies there. Forrest
turns and look at the NURSE.

FORREST
Ma'am, what'd they do with Lieutenant
Dan?

NURSE
They sent him home.

FORREST (V.O.)
Two weeks later, I left Vietnam.

INT. BARBER SHOP/GREENBOW - DAY

ANCHORMAN
(on T.V.)
The ceremony was kicked off with a
candid speech by the President
regarding the need for further
escalation of the war in Vietnam.
President Johnson awarded four Medals
of Honor to men from each of the
Armed Services.

The television reveals Forrest as he is awarded the Medal of
Honor by President Johnson.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON
America owes you a debt of gratitude,
son.

Color footage revealing President Johnson as he places the
award around Forrest's neck and shakes hands.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON
I understand you were wounded. Where
were you hit?

FORREST
In the buttocks, sir.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON
Oh, that must be a sight.

President Johnson leans and whispers into Forrest's ear.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON
I'd kinda like to see that.

INT. BARBER SHOP

The television revealing Forrest as he drops his pants, bends
over and shows the bullet wound on his bare buttocks.

President Johnson looks down and smiles. The three men in
the barber shop look up in disbelief. Mrs. Gump looks up in
shock.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON
Goddamn, son.

EXT. LINCOLN MEMORIAL - DAY

Forrest walks by the Lincoln Memorial. A fence surrounds the
Memorial, as well as armed military guards.

FORREST (V.O.)
After that, Momma went to the hotel
to lay down, so I went out for a
walk to see our national capital.

ISABEL
Hilary, all right, I've got the vets,
what do you want me to do with them?

HILARY
What are you doing here so late?

Forrest takes a photo of the memorial as a woman named Hilary
gathers together some veterans against the Vietnam War.

HILARY
We've been waiting for you for half
an hour, so just get them in a line,
will you. Hey, hey, come on, pictures
later. You look great. Oh come on,
get in this line, come on, come on
right in line. Come on, let him here,
let him in here.

Hilary grabs Forrest and puts him in the line with the other
vets against the war.

FORREST (V.O.)
It's a good thing Momma was resting,
'cause the street was awful crowded
with people looking at all the statues
and monuments. And some of them people
were loud and pushy.

Hilary leads the line of vets toward the large anti-Vietnam
War rally.

HILARY
Okay, follow me! Come on.

The group of vets walk as Forrest tries to take another
picture. A vet behind him pushes him along.

HILARY
Let's move it out.

VET
Hey, buddy, come on. We could use
your help.

Forrest walks in the line. A banner reads "Veterans against
the War in Vietnam."

FORREST (V.O.)
Everywhere I went, I had to stand in
line.

HILARY
Follow me, let's go!

Hilary leads the vets through a crowd of people outside the
rally. Another woman, named Isabel, leads the vets toward
the back of a stage.

ISABEL
All right, come on, guys.

HILARY
Stand here.

VET
Hey, you're a good man for doin'
this. Good!

FORREST
Okay.

A man, wearing an American flag shirt, stands on the stage.

He is anti-war activist ABBIE HOFFMAN.

ABBIE HOFFMAN
We must declare to that fucking
impostor in the White House --
Johnson. We ain't going to work on
your farm no more! Yeah!

FORREST (V.O.)
There was this man, giving a little
talk. And for some reason, he was
wearing an American flag for a
shirt...

ABBIE HOFFMAN
Now, I'm going to bring up some
soldiers that are going to talk about
the war, man...

FORREST (V.O.)
...and he liked to say the "F" word.
A lot. "F" this and "F" that. And
every time...

ABBIE HOFFMAN
...that war has come home, and we
have to stop these politicians...

FORREST (V.O.)
...he said "F" word, people, for
some reason, well, they'd cheer.

ABBIE HOFFMAN
...these guys just told Lyndon Johnson
where to stick this fucking war!
Yeah!

Forrest looks up at the cheering crowd. Abbie turns and
motions for Forrest to come up on the stage.

ABBIE HOFFMAN
Come on, man. Come up here, man.

HILARY
Come on. Come on. Yeah, you!

Hilary pulls Forrest up onto the stage.

HILARY
Come on, get up there. Come on. Move,
move. Let's go! Let's go.

The other vets follow Forrest pushes onto the stage and push
him toward the microphones.

VET
Come on, go. You can do it. Just get
up there. Go on. That's it.

Thousands of cheering protesters stand around the Washington
Monument. Forrest looks at the crowd. Abbie Hoffmann steps
up to Forrest.

ABBIE HOFFMAN
Tell us a little bit about the war,
man.

FORREST
The war in Vietnam?

ABBIE HOFFMAN
The war in Viet-fucking-nam!

Abbie raises his fist as the crowd cheers wildly.

FORREST
Well...

FORREST (V.O.)
There was only one thing I could say
about the war in Vietnam.

FORREST
...there was only one thing I could
say about the war in Vietnam.

Forrest looks at the crowd as he speaks. A policeman looks
around as he sneaks over to the audio circuit board.

FORREST
In Vietnam war...

The policeman pulls the patch cords out of the audio board.

Forrest's amplified voice becomes inaudible. Forrest continues
to speak into the microphone, even though no one can hear
what he is saying. Hilary looks over and notices the
policeman. Hilary rushes over toward the audio board, pushes
the policeman away and grabs his night stick. Another
protester grabs the policeman and pulls him away.

POLICEMAN
Hey, what the hell are you doing?

HILARY
I'll beat your head in, you goddamned
oinker!

Isabel, Hilary and another protester try to plug the tangled
mess of wires back into the audio board.

ISABEL
Christ, what'd they do with this?

Forrest continues to speak into the microphone. The crowd
grows restless.

CROWD
We can't hear you! We can't hear
anything!

HILARY
This one! This one! Give me that!

Hilary plugs in the right patch cord.

HILARY
That's it.

FORREST
...and that's all I have to say about
that.

Forrest looks at the massive crowd. They are silent. Abbie
Hoffman steps over to Forrest and pats him on the shoulder.

ABBIE HOFFMAN
That's so right on, man. You said it
all. What's your name, man?

FORREST
My name is Forrest Gump. Forrest
Gump.

ABBIE HOFFMAN
Forrest Gump!

Abbie raises his fist into the air. Abbie steps away from
Forrest. The crowd cheers.

CROWD
Forrest Gump!

JENNY
(screaming)
Forrest! Forrest!

Jenny wades out into the reflection pool and waves her hand
into the air. Forrest recognizes her.

FORREST
Jenny!

Forrest rushes off the stage as Jenny makes her way out into
the pool.

JENNY
Forrest!

Forrest jumps down into the crowd and runs. Jenny smiles as
she tries to run through the water. The crowd parts as Forrest
runs into the pool. Jenny rushes toward him.

JENNY
Hey! Hey!

The massive crowd cheers for the embracing couple in the
pool.

FORREST (V.O.)
It was the happiest moment of my
life.

EXT. WASHINGTON MONUMENT/PROTESTER'S ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

Forrest and Jenny walk past the protesters who are camping
out on the lawn.

FORREST (V.O.)
Jenny and me were just peas and
carrots again. She showed me around,
and even introduced me...

INT. BLACK PANTHER HEADQUARTERS/STOREFRONT, D.C. - NIGHT

Forrest stands at an open window and looks at the White House.

FORREST (V.O.)
...to some of her new friends.

A Black Panther, named RUBEN, steps over and pulls the shades
down.

RUBEN
Shut that blind, man. And get your
white ass away from that window.
Don't you know we in war here?

Another Black Panther named MASAI grabs Forrest and pats him
down.

JENNY
Hey man, he's cool. He's cool. He's
one of us. He's one of us.

MASAI
Let me tell you about us.

WESLEY
Where the hell have you been?

JENNY
I ran into a friend.

MASAI
Our purpose here is to protect our
black leaders from the racial
onslaught of the pig who wishes to
brutalize our black leaders, rape
our women, and destroy our black
communists.

BLACK PANTHER
Masai, phone. Talk to these guys.

WESLEY
Who's the baby killer?

JENNY
This is my good friend I told you
about. This is Forrest Gump. Forrest,
this is Wesley. Wesley and I live
together in Berkeley, and he's the
president of the Berkeley chapter of
S.D.S.

MASAI
Let me tell you something else.

WESLEY
I want to talk to you.

JENNY
Okay, but...

WESLEY
No. Now! Goddammit!

MASAI
We are here to offer protection and
help for all of those who need our
help, because we, the Black Panthers,
are against the war in Vietnam. Yes,
we are against any war where black
soldiers are sent to the front line
to die for a country that hates them.
Yes, we are against any war where
black soldiers go to fight and come
to be brutalized and killed in their
own communities as they sleep in
their beds at night. Yes, we are
against all these racists and imperial
dog acts.

JENNY
You are a fucking asshole!

Wesley hits Jenny across the face. Slow motion -- Jenny falls
back. Slow motion -- Forrest steps forward with rage.

Slow motion -- Wesley turns and looks at Forrest. Forrest
tackles Wesley and slams him onto a table. Jenny turns and
looks as Masai pulls out a gun.

JENNY
Forrest! Quit it! Quit it! Forrest!
Stop it!

Jenny rushes over to Forrest and pulls Forrest off Wesley.

JENNY
Stop it!

Jenny tries to help Wesley as he moans on the floor. Wesley
knocks Jenny's hand away. He gets up, holding his bloody
lip.

WESLEY
Oh, God. I shouldn't have brought
you here. I should have known it was
just gonna be some bullshit hassle.

FORREST
He should not be hitting you, Jenny.

JENNY
Come on, Forrest.

Jenny steps out the door as Forrest picks up his hat.

FORREST
Sorry I had a fight in the middle of
your Black Panther party.

The group of Black Panthers glare at Forrest. Forrest turns
and walks out the room.

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - NIGHT

Forrest and Jenny walk past the White House. Protesters hold
a candlelight vigil behind them.

JENNY
He doesn't mean it when he does things
like this. He doesn't.

FORREST
I would never hurt you, Jenny.

JENNY
I know you wouldn't, Forrest.

FORREST
I wanted to be your boyfriend.

They walk in silence. Jenny touches Forrest's uniform.

JENNY
That uniform is a trip, Forrest. You
look handsome in it. You do.

FORREST
You know what?

JENNY
What?

FORREST
I'm glad we were here together in
our national capitol.

JENNY
Me too, Forrest. I have so much to
tell you, you won't believe what's
been going on...

FORREST (V.O.)
We walked around all night, Jenny
and me, just talkin'.

EXT. ROUTE 66 - FLASHBACK - DAY

Jenny stands in the rain, hitchhiking. A car pulls over to
pick her up. Jenny and other other girls get into the car.

FORREST (V.O.)
She told me about all the travellin'
she's done.

EXT. COMMUNE IN NEW MEXICO - NIGHT

A hippie gives Jenny a sugar cube of acid as they sit in
front of a roaring fire.

FORREST (V.O.)
And how she'd discovered ways to
expand her mind and learn how to
live in harmony...

EXT. HOLLYWOOD/WALK OF FAME - DAY

A star with the name "Jean Harlow" on the sidewalk. Jenny
and two other girls sing on the sidewalk and collect change
from the passersby. Jenny plays the guitar.

FORREST (V.O.)
...which must be out west somewhere,
'cause she made it all the way to
California.

JENNY
(sings)
"Smile on your brother, everybody
get together, try to love on another
right now"

A young hippie looks over his faded Volkswagen at the girls.

YOUNG HIPPIE
Hey, anybody want to go to San
Francisco?

JENNY
I'll go.

YOUNG HIPPIE
Far out!

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - DAWN

Forrest and Jenny walk through the park.

FORREST (V.O.)
I was a very special night for the
two of us. I didn't want it to end.

EXT. PARKING LOT - EARLY MORNING

Jenny carries a backpack as she prepares to board a bus back
to Berkeley.

FORREST
I wish you wouldn't go, Jenny.

JENNY
I have to, Forrest.

WESLEY
Jenny? Things got a little out of
hand. It's just this war and that,
that lyin' son-of-a-bitch Johnson. I
would never hurt you. You know that.

FORREST
You know what I think? I think you
should go home to Greenbow. Alabama!

JENNY
Forrest, we have very different lives,
you know.

Forrest looks down at Jenny. He pulls his Medal of Honor
from around his neck.

FORREST
I want you to have this.

Forrest places the Medal of Honor in Jenny's hand. Jenny
looks up at him.

JENNY
Forrest, I can't keep this.

FORREST
I got it just by doing what you told
me to do.

JENNY
Why're you so good to me?

FORREST
You're my girl.

JENNY
I'll always be your girl.

Jenny and Forrest hug each other. Wesley waits for Jenny.

Jenny turns and walks up to Wesley. They walk toward the
entrance of the bus. Forrest smiles as Jenny looks at her.

Jenny climbs up into the bus. Wesley glares at Forrest.

Forrest gives Wesley the "evil eye." Jenny through the near
window of the bus, knocks on the window. Forrest turns and
looks. Jenny waves to Forrest. Forrest looks up and smiles
sadly. Jenny gives Forrest the peace sign as the bus pulls
away. The sign on the back of the bus reads "Berkeley to
D.C." Forrest gives Jenny the peace sign.

FORREST (V.O.)
And just like that, she was gone out
of my life again.

INT. VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL/REC ROOM - DAY

A footage of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon on
television.

NEIL ARMSTRONG
That's one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind. The, uh, the
surface is fine and powdery. I can,
I can pick it up loosely.

Forrest demonstrates a ping-pong to some wounded vets.

FORREST (V.O.)
I thought I was going back to Vietnam,
but instead, they decided the best
way for me to fight communists was
to play ping-pong. So I was in the
Special Services, traveling around
the country cheering up all them
wounded veterans and showing them
how to play...

BUS STOP - PRESENT - DAY

Forrest looks at a man.

FORREST
...ping-pong. I was so good that
some years later...

EXT. CHINA/PING-PONG TOURNAMENT - FLASHBACK - DAY

Forrest plays ping-pong against a Chinese player. A large
mural of Mao Tse-tung hangs on the wall. A crowd of communist
leaders sit and watch.

FORREST (V.O.)
...the Army decided I should be on
the All-American Ping-Pong Team. We
were the first Americans to visit
the land of China in like a million
years or something like that, and
somebody said that world peace was
in our hands. But all I did was play
ping-pong. When I got home...

BUS STOP - PRESENT - DAY

FORREST
...I was national celebrity. Famouser
even than Captain Kangaroo.

Color footage of the DICK CAVETT Show. Dick Cavett stands up
as he introduces Forrest.

DICK CAVETT
Here he is, Forrest Gump, right here.

Forrest makes his way onto the stage, shakes hands with Dick
Cavett.

DICK CAVETT
Mr. Gump, have a seat.

Forrest sits down between JOHN LENNON and Dick Cavett.

DICK CAVETT
Forrest Gump, John Lennon.

JOHN LENNON
Welcome home.

DICK CAVETT
You had quite a trip. Can you, uh,
tell us, uh, what was China like?

John Lennon lights a cigarette.

FORREST
Well, in the land of China, people
hardly got nothing at all.

JOHN LENNON
No possessions?

FORREST
And in China, they never go to church.

JOHN LENNON
No religion, too?

DICK CAVETT
Oh. Hard to imagine.

JOHN LENNON
Well, it's easy if you try, Dick.

Forrest looks oddly at John Lennon.

FORREST (V.O.)
Some years later, that nice young
man from England was on his way home
to see his little boy and was signing
some autographs. For no particular
reason at all, somebody shot him.

EXT. STUDIO - LATER

A guard lets Forrest out a side entrance door. Forrest steps,
an then stops as he hears s man sitting in a wheelchair speak
to him.

LT. DAN
They gave you the Congressional Medal
of Honor.

FORREST
Now that's Lieutenant Dan. Lieutenant
Dan!

Forrest looks at Lt. Dan. He is a dirty with long hair.

LT. DAN
They gave you the Congressional Medal
of Honor!

FORREST
Yes sir, they sure did.

LT. DAN
They gave you an imbecile, a moron
who goes on television and makes a
fool out himself in front of the
whole damn country, the Congressional
Medal of Honor.

FORREST
Yes, sir.

LT. DAN
Well, then, that's just perfect!
Yeah, well I just got one thing to
say to that. Goddamn bless America.

Lt. Dan's wheelchair begins to slide down the ramp and spins
around on the icy ground. Forrest looks down at Lt. Dan
crashes at the bottom of the ramp.

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan!

EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Taxi cabs crowd the street as Forrest pushes Lt. Dan along
the sidewalk.

FORREST (V.O.)
Lieutenant Dan said he was living in
a hotel. And because he didn't have
no legs, he spent most of his time
exercising his arms.

LT. DAN
Take a right, take a right.

A taxi driver honks his horn as Forrest wheels Lt. Dan out
in front of the taxi.

TAXI DRIVER #1
Hey! Come on already!

LT. DAN
Ah!

FORREST
What are you doing here in New York,
Lieutenant Dan?

LT. DAN
I'm living off the government tit.
Sucking it dry.

A taxi skids to a stop, almost hitting them as they cross
the street. The taxi honks at Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan slaps the
bumper of the taxi.

LT. DAN
Hey! Hey! Hey! Are you blind? I'm
walking here! Ah, get out...

TAXI DRIVER #2
Why don't you go home before you
kill yourself? Get out of the way!

LT. DAN
Come on, go! Go! Go!

EXT. LT. DAN'S HOTEL ROOM - LATER

A Bob Hope Christmas special in Vietnam on television. Lt.
Dan and Forrest watch the television.

FORREST (V.O.)
I stayed with Lieutenant Dan and
celebrated the holidays.

BOB HOPE
You have a great year and hurry home.
God bless you.

LT. DAN
Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?

FORREST
I didn't know I was supposed to be
looking for him, sir.

Lt. Dan chuckles, drinks the rest of a bottle of wine and
tosses it down. He looks at Forrest. He wheels himself over
to television and turns it off.

LT. DAN
That's all these cripples, down at
the V.A., that's all they ever talk
about.

Lt. Dan picks up another bottle of port wine, but it is empty.
He tosses it onto the floor.

LT. DAN
Jesus this and Jesus that. Have I
found Jesus? They even had a priest
come and talk to me. He said God is
listening, but I have to help myself.
Now, if I accept Jesus into my heart,
I'll get to walk beside him in the
Kingdom of Heaven.

Lt. Dan tosses the empty liquor bottle down and picks another
bottle. He becomes enraged as he throws the bottle and looks
at Forrest.

LT. DAN
Did you hear what I said? Walk beside
him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Well,
kiss my crippled ass. God is
listening. What a crock of shit.

FORREST
I'm going to heaven, Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN
Huh? Ah, well, before you go, why
don't you get your ass down to the
corner and get us another bottle of
wine.

FORREST
Yes, sir.

INT. TIMES SQUARE BAR - NIGHT

A television shows DICK CLARK as he emcees the Times Square
New York Eve celebration.

DICK CLARK
We are at approximately 45th Street
in New York City at One Astor Plaza.
This is the site of the old Astor
Hotel. Down below us, well over a
hundred thousand people are milling
about, cheering with horns and
whistles and hats...

LT. DAN
What the hell's in Bayou La Batre?

FORREST
Shrimpin' boats.

LT. DAN
Shrimpin' boats? Who gives a shit
about shrimpin' boats?

FORREST
I gotta buy me one of them shrimpin'
boats as soon as I have some money.
I made me a promise to Bubba in
Vietnam, that as soon as the war was
over, we'd go in partners. He'd be
the captain of the shrimpin' boat
and I'd be his first mate. But now
that he's dead, that means that I
gotta be the captain.

LT. DAN
A shrimp boat captain.

FORREST
Yes, sir. A promise is a promise,
Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN
Now hear this! Private Gump here is
gonna be a shrimp boat captain. Well,
I tell you what, Gilligan, the day
that you are a shrimp boat captain,
I will come and be your first mate.

FORREST
Okay.

LT. DAN
If you're ever a shrimp boat captain,
that's the day I'm an astronaut.

Two sleazy women, named LENORE and CARLA, walk up to Lt.
Dan.

LENORE
Danny, what are you complaining about?

CARLA
What are you doing, huh?

LENORE
Mr. Hot Wheels. Who's your friend?

FORREST
My name is Forrest, Forrest Gump.

LT. DAN
This is Cunning Carla, and Long-Limbs
Lenore.

Carla puts a "Happy New Year" crown on Lt. Dan's head. Lenore
fixes her makeup.

CARLA
So where you been, baby-cakes, huh?
Haven't seen you around lately. You
know, you should have been here for
Christmas 'cause Tommy bought a round
on the house and gave everybody a
turkey sandwich.

LT. DAN
Well, well, I had, uh, company.

LENORE
Hey, hey! We was, we was just there.
That's at Times Square.

Lenore leans and speaks into Forrest's ear.

LENORE
Don't you just love New Year's? You
get to start all over.

CARLA
Hey, Lenore.

LENORE
Everybody gets a second chance.

FORREST (V.O.)
It's funny, but in the middle of all
that fun, I began to think about
Jenny.

DICK CLARK
(on television)
...getting wild out there. It's
beginning to...

INT. APARTMENT/L.A. - NIGHT

The New Year's Eve celebration over the T.V.

DICK CLARK
(over television)
...pour here in Times Square. It's
been off-and-on all night, but these
people hang in there.

Jenny fills her bag with her belongings.

FORREST (V.O.)
Wondering how she was spending her
New Year's night out in California.

A man lies passed out on the bed. Jenny looks at her black
eye in a mirror, then leaves the apartment. The TV shows the
ball in Times Square.

CROWD
(over television)

INT. TIMES SQUARE BAR - NIGHT

The ball is lowered, lighting up a sign that reads "1972."

CROWD
(over television)
...1! Happy New Year!

The people in the bar cheer and kiss each other. They blow
horns and toss confetti into the air. Forrest looks around
as Carla and Lenore lean over and kiss him.

PATRONS
(sing)
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind...

FORREST
Happy New Year, Lieutenant Dan!

PATRONS
(sing)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne."

INT. LT. DAN'S HOTEL ROOM - LATER

Carla removes her top and sits on top of Dan in his
wheelchair. They kiss and play around. Forrest sits in a
chair. Lenore leaps on him and begins to kiss Forrest. She
reaches down to Forrest's crotch. Forrest stands up nervously,
causing Lenore to fall down on the floor. Lenore stands up,
angry.

LENORE
What are you, stupid or something?
What's your problem? What's his
problem? Did you lose your pecker in
the war or something?

CARLA
What, is your friend stupid or
something?

LT. DAN
What did you say?

CARLA
I said, is your friend stupid or
something?

LT. DAN
Hey! Don't call him stupid!

Lt. Dan throws Carla back onto the bed.

CARLA
Don't push me like that!

LENORE
Hey, don't you push her!

LT. DAN
You shut up! Don't you ever call him
stupid!

CARLA
What's the matter, baby? Why you
treating me like shit?

LT. DAN
Get the hell out of here!

LENORE
You stupid gimp. You belong in
"Ripley's Believe It Or Not."

LT. DAN
Get the hell out of here! Go on!

LENORE
You should be in a side show!

LT. DAN
Go on! Get out of here! Get out of
here!

LENORE
You big loser!

CARLA
Come on, Lenore. We don't need this
shit!

LENORE
You're so pathetic.

LT. DAN
Get out of here!

Lt. Dan falls out of his wheelchair and lands down on the
floor. Carla and Lenore laugh as they leave the apartment.

CARLA
You retard!

LENORE
You loser! You freak!

Forrest tries to help Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan pushes Forrest away.

LT. DAN
No!

Forrest steps back as Lt. Dan flips back over, then pulls
himself back up onto his wheelchair. He breathes heavily.

FORREST
I'm sorry I ruined your New Year's
Eve party, Lieutenant Dan. She tastes
like cigarettes.

FORREST (V.O.)
I guess Lieutenant Dan figured there's
some things you just can't change.
He didn't want to be called crippled,
just like I didn't want to be called
stupid.

LT. DAN
Happy New Year.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

An ANCHORMAN reports in front of the White House.

ANCHORMAN
The U.S. Ping-Pong Team met with
President Nixon today at an Oval
Office ceremony...

FORREST (V.O.)
And wouldn't you know it...

PRESENT - BUS STOP

Forrest looks at the fat man on the bus bench.

FORREST
...a few months later they invited
me and the ping-pong team to visit
the White House. So I went again.
And I met the President of the United
States again.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

A plaque, presented to Forrest, reads "Presented to Forrest
Gump, member of the United States table tennis team as player
of the year for 1971. President NIXON holds the plaque.

FORREST (V.O.)
Only this time they didn't get us
rooms in a real fancy hotel.

PRESIDENT NIXON
So are you enjoying yourself in our
national capital, young man?

FORREST
Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT NIXON
Well, where are you staying?

FORREST
It's called the Hotel Ebbott.

PRESIDENT NIXON
Oh, no, no, no, no. I know of a much
nicer hotel. It's brand-new. Very
modern. I'll have my people take
care of it for you.

INT. WATERGATE HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Forrest speaks on the phone.

SECURITY GUARD
Security, Frank Wills.

Forrest steps over to a window. Flashlights are moving around
in an office across from Forrest's room.

FORREST
Yeah, sir, you might want to send a
maintenance man over to that office
across the way. The lights are off,
and they must be looking for the
fuse box or something, 'cause them
flashlights they're, they're keeping
me awake.

SECURITY GUARD
Okay, sir. I'll check it out.

FORREST
Thank you.

SECURITY GUARD
No problem.

FORREST
Good night.

SECURITY GUARD
Good night.

Forrest hangs up the phone. The camera tilts down, revealing
the hotel stationary, which reads "The Watergate Hotel."

INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY

President Nixon makes a resignation speech on TV.

PRESIDENT NIXON
(over television)
Therefore, I shall resign the
Presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

The television cuts to a shot of President Nixon standing
outside Air Force One with his hands in the peace sign.

PRESIDENT NIXON
(over television)
Vice President Ford will be sworn in
as President at that hour in this
office. As I recall the high hopes
for America with which we began this
second term, I feel a great sadness
that I will not be here in this
office...

Forrest is playing ping-pong by himself at the gymnasium. An
officer steps up to him.

OFFICER
Sergeant Gump!

FORREST
Yes, sir!

OFFICER
As you were. I have your discharge
papers. Your service is up, son.

The officer hands Forrest an envelope, then walks away.

FORREST
Does this mean I can't play ping
pong no more?

OFFICER
For the Army it does.

FORREST (V.O.)
And just like that, my service in
the United States Army was over. So
I went home.

Forrest takes his paddle and runs out of the gymnasium.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Mrs. Gump walks out of the house and smiles. Forrest walks
up to the house, wearing his uniform.

FORREST
I'm home, Momma.

MRS. GUMP
I know, I know.

INT. GUMP HOUSE

Mrs. Gump and Forrest walk into the house.

MRS. GUMP
Louise, he's here. He's here,
everybody.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, when I got home, I had no idea
that Momma had had all sorts of
visitors.

In the house are stacks of ping-pong paddles and life-sized
cardboard cutouts of Forrest playing ping-pong. The name on
the ping-pong paddles boxes reads: "Gump-Mao table tennis."

MRS. GUMP
We've had all sorts of visitors,
Forrest. Everybody wants you to use
their ping-pong stuff. One man even
left a check for twenty-five thousand
dollars if you'd be agreeable to
saying you like using their paddle.

FORREST
Oh, Momma. I only like using my own
paddle. Hi, Miss Louise.

LOUISE
Hey, Forrest.

MRS. GUMP
I know that. I know that. But it's
twenty-five thousand dollars, Forrest.
I thought maybe you could hold it
for a while, see if it grows on you.
Oh, you look good, Forrest. You look
real good.

FORREST (V.O.)
That Momma, she sure was right. It's
funny how things work out.

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE/BUBBA'S MOM'S HOUSE - DAY

Forrest walks up to a shack on the edge of the Bayou. A group
of black kids play in the front yard.

FORREST (V.O.)
I didn't stay home for long, because
I'd made a promise to Bubba. And I
always try to keep my promise. So I
went on down to Bayou La Batre to
meet Bubba's family and make their
introduction.

Bubba's mother named MRS. BLUE and her other children look
at Forrest.

MRS. BLUE
Are you crazy, or just plain stupid?

FORREST
Stupid is as stupid does, Mrs. Blue.

MRS. BLUE
I guess.

EXT. BUBBA'S GRAVE - DAY

Forrest steps over to Bubba's tombstone.

FORREST (V.O.)
And of course, I paid my respect to
Bubba himself.

FORREST
Hey, Bubba, it's me, Forrest Gump. I
remember everything you said, and I
got it all figured out.

Forrest pulls out notes from his pocket.

FORREST
I'm taking the twenty-four thousand,
five hundred and six-two dollars and
forty-seven cents that I got...

EXT. BAYOU - DAY

Forrest walks across a yard where men are cleaning shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.)
...well, that's left after a new
hair cut and a new suit and

[ForrestGump]

9. More? Okay

Forrest walks across a yard where men are cleaning shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.)
...well, that's left after a new
hair cut and a new suit and I took
Momma out to real fancy dinner and I
bought a bus ticket and three Doctor
Peppers.

Forrest walks along a wooden pier. Forrest pays an old black
shrimper a large wad of cash.

OLD SHRIMPER
Tell me something. Are you stupid or
something?

FORREST
Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

EXT. BUBBA'S GRAVE

Forrest stands at the grave.

FORREST
Well, that's what's left after me
saying, "When I was in China on the
All-America Ping-Pong Team, I just
loved playing ping-pong with my Flex-
O-Ping-Pong Paddle." Which everybody
knows it isn't true, but Momma says
it's just a little white lie so it
wouldn't hurt nobody. So, anyway,
I'm putting all that on gas, ropes
and new nets and a brand-new shrimpin'
boat.

EXT. BAYOU - DAY

Forrest steers his shrimping boat. The boat is old and rusty.

Forrest unleashes his nets as his catch of the day drops to
the deck. It is a bunch of garbage and shells. Forrest picks
up one shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, Bubba had told me everything he
knows about shrimpin', but you know
what I found out? Shrimpin' is tough.

EXT. DOCKS

Forrest pulls a couple of shrimp out of a bucket.

FORREST
I only caught five.

OLD SHRIMPER
A couple of more, you can have
yourself a cocktail.

The old shrimper begins to walk away, then stops and looks
at Forrest.

OLD SHRIMPER
Hey, you ever think about namin'
this old boat?

FORREST (V.O.)
I'd never named a boat before, but
there was only one I could think of.

Forrest paints a name on the side of his boat. The name is
"Jenny."

FORREST (V.O.)
The most beautiful name in the wide
world.

INT. DISCO

Disco lights flash and people dance. A guy asks a girl to
dance.

GIRL
Okay.

Jenny sits at a table with some other people. She is snorting
cocaine.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, I hadn't heard from Jenny in a
long while. But...

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE - DAY

Forrest stands at the helm as the boat glides across the
water.

FORREST (V.O.)
But I thought about her a lot. And I
hoped that whatever she was doing
made her happy.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

Drug paraphernalia and a large wad of cash are spread out on
a table. A man drops a syringe on the table. He reaches over
and touches Jenny. She is pale with dark lines under her
eyes.

INT. BATHROOM

Jenny smears some lines of cocaine on a mirror. She looks at
herself in the mirror.

EXT. BALCONY

Jenny steps out onto the high-rise balcony. She steps up on
a table and stands on the edge of the balcony. A busy street
lies many stories below. Jenny looks down to the intersection
below.

She slips over the edge, regains her balance, turns and looks
back at the intersection below, and begins to get down from
the edge.

Jenny grabs a hold of the ledge and carefully climbs down.

She sits down on a chair. Jenny rocks back and forth as she
cries. She looks up at the sky.

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE/FORREST'S BOAT - NIGHT

The moon shines above in the sky. Forrest lies in a hammock
on his boat.

FORREST (V.O.)
I thought about Jenny all the time.

EXT. FORREST'S BOAT/BAYOU DOCK - DAY

Forrest stands at the helm of his boat and slowly glides by
the docks. Forrest looks around and notices something and
bends down to get a clear view. Lt. Dan sits in his wheelchair
on the deck. Forrest looks at Lt. Dan. He smiles, surprised.

FORREST
Hi!

Forrest leaps off of his moving boat and into the water. The
boat continues as Forrest clumsily swims. Lt. Dan sits in
his wheelchair at the edge of the dock. Forrest flails his
arms as he swims up to the dock. Lt. Dan waits for Forrest,
smoking a cigar. Forrest climbs up a ladder onto the dock.

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan, what are you doing
here?

LT. DAN
Well, I thought I'd try out my sea
legs.

FORREST
Well, you ain't got no legs,
Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN
Well, well, Captain Forrest Gump. I
had to see this for myself. And I
told you if you were ever a shrimp
boat captain, that I'd be your first
mate. Well, here I am. I am a man of
my word.

FORREST
Okay.

Forrest shakes Lt. Dan's hand.

LT. DAN
Yeah, but don't you be thinking that
I'm gonna be calling you sir.

FORREST
No, sir.

Forrest's boat glides, crushing a dock. Forrest and Lt. Dan
look at it.

FORREST
That's my boat.

EXT. BAYOU LA BATRE WATERS - DAY

Forrest's shrimping boat is alone on the gulf waters.

LT. DAN
I have a feeling if we head the east,
we'll find some shrimp. So, take a
left. Take a left.

Forrest looks up. Lt. Dan is sitting in the rigging.

FORREST
Which way?

LT. DAN
Over there! They're over there! Get,
get on the wheel and take a left!

FORREST
Okay.

LT. DAN
Gump, what are you doing? Take a
left! Left! That's where we're gonna
find those shrimp, my boy! That's
where we'll find 'em.

Forrest empties the net. Their "catch" is debris that falls
to the deck.

FORREST
Still no shrimp, Lieutenant Dan.

LT. DAN
Okay, so I was wrong.

FORREST
Well, how we gonna find them?

LT. DAN
Well, maybe you should just pray for
shrimp.

INT. SMALL CHURCH - DAY

The all-black gospel choir sings and claps their hands.

FORREST (V.O.)
So I went to church every Sunday...

Lt. Dan is sitting in his chair at the back of the church.
He takes swigs from a liquor bottle.

FORREST (V.O.)
Sometimes Lieutenant Dan came, too.
Though I think he left the praying
up to me.

EXT. BOAT - ANOTHER DAY

A catch of junk is dumped onto the deck. Lt. Dan lowers
himself from the rigging.

FORREST
No shrimp.

LT. DAN
Where the hell's this God of yours?

The wind begins to blow strong.

FORREST (V.O.)
It's funny Lieutenant Dan said that,
'cause right then, God showed up.

EXT. BOAT - NIGHT

Water sprays on deck during a hurricane. Lt. Dan on the
rigging, shouts and shakes his fist as he is pelted by wind
and rain.

LT. DAN
You'll never sink this boat!

FORREST (V.O.)
Now me, I was scared. But Lieutenant
Dan, he was mad.

LT. DAN
Come on! You call this a storm?

Forrest slides back and forth as he attempts to steer the
boat.

LT. DAN
Blow, you son-of-a-bitch! Blow! It's
time for a showdown! You and me. I'm
right here. Come and get me! You'll
never sink this boat!

INT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

An ANCHORMAN over TV, is standing in front of a pier.

ANCHORMAN
(over television)
Hurricane Carmen came through here
yesterday...

EXT. BAYOU DOCKS - DAY

The anchorman is standing in front of the ruined pier and
boats.

ANCHORMAN
...destroying nearly everything in
its path. And as in other towns up
and down the coast, Bayou La Batre's
entire shrimping industry...

INT. GUMP HOUSE

ANCHORMAN
...has fallen victim to Carmen and
has been left in utter ruin. Speaking
with local officials, this reporter
has learned, in fact, only one
shrimping boat actually survived the
storm.

Forrest's boat comes down the river.

MRS. GUMP
Louise. Louise, there's Forrest!

FORREST (V.O.)
After that, shrimpin' was easy.

FORREST'S BOAT - DAY

Lt. Dan and Forrest empty their net. A huge catch of shrimp
falls onto the deck. Lt. Dan opens another big catch.

Another catch drops open on top of yet another huge catch.

Forrest and Lt. Dan smile.

FORREST (V.O.)
And since people still needed them
shrimps for shrimp cocktails and
barbecues and all...

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

The man sitting on the bench listens to Forrest. An ELDERLY
WOMAN sits next to the man.

FORREST
...and we were the only boat left
standing "Bubba-Gump" shrimp's what
they got. We got a whole bunch of
boats. Twelve Jenny's, a big ol'
warehouse, we even have hats that
says "Bubba-Gump" on 'em. "Bubba-
Gump Shrimp." It's a household name.

MAN
Hold on there, boy. Are you telling
me you're the owner of the Bubba-
Gump Shrimp Corporation?

FORREST
Yes, sir. We've got more money than
Davy Crocket.

MAN
Boy, I've heard some whoppers in my
time, but that tops them all. We was
sitting next to a millionaire!

The man laughs as he walks away.

ELDERLY WOMAN
Well, I thought it was a very lovely
story. And you tell it so well. With
such enthusiasm.

FORREST
Would you like to see what Lieutenant
Dan looks like?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Well, yes, I would!

Forrest shows her the cover of a "Fortune" magazine with
Forrest and Lt. Dan on the cover.

FORREST
That's him right there.

The elderly woman looks at the magazine and at Forrest with
surprise.

FORREST
And let me tell you something about
Lieutenant Dan.

EXT. BOAT/DECK - DAY

Forrest and Lt. Dan are working on the boat.

LT. DAN
Forrest, I never thanked you for
saving my life.

Forrest looks a little surprised. Lt. Dan smiles, then looks
away. Lt. Dan pulls himself out of his chair to the railing
and jumps into the water.

FORREST (V.O.)
He never actually said so, but I
think he made his peace with God.

EXT. BOAT

Forrest and Lt. Dan have dinner on the deck. The television
shows an assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford.

ANCHORMAN
(over television)
For the second time in seventeen
days, President Ford escaped possible
assassination today when a woman,
Sarah Jane Moore, fired on him as he
stepped out of a hotel in San
Francisco.

MARGO
(over radio)
Base to Jenny One. Base to Jenny
One.

LT. DAN
Jenny One, go Margo.

MARGO
(over radio)
Forrest has a phone call.

LT. DAN
Yeah, well you'll have to tell them
to call him back. He is indisposed
at the moment.

MARGO
(over radio)
His momma's sick.

ANCHORMAN
(over television)
Lynett Alice Fromme, a follower of
Charles Manson better known as
"Squeaky," attempted to assassinate
the President as he was...

Forrest dives into the water as he reacts.

EXT. ROAD/GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Forrest carries a suitcase as he runs down the road. Forrest
runs past the row of mailboxes and turns into the drive.

Louise and others are on the front porch.

FORREST
Where's Momma?

LOUISE
She's upstairs.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - WOMAN'S BED ROOM

Forrest opens the door, the doctor stands next to Mrs. Gump
in bed.

MRS. GUMP
Hi, Forrest.

DOCTOR
I'll see you tomorrow.

MRS. GUMP
Oh, all right.

The doctor looks down at Forrest's legs.

DOCTOR
We sure got you straightened out,
didn't we, boy?

The doctor leaves and closes the door. Forrest takes off his
hat and steps over to her.

FORREST
What's the matter, Momma?

MRS. GUMP
I'm dyin', Forrest. Come on in, sit
down over here.

FORREST
Why are you dyin', Momma?

MRS. GUMP
It's my time. It's just my time. Oh,
now, don't you be afraid, sweetheart.
Death is just a part of life. It's
something we're all destined to do.
I didn't know it, but I was destined
to be your momma. I did the best I
could.

FORREST
You did good, Momma.

MRS. GUMP
Well, I happened to believe you make
your own destiny. You have to do the
best with what God gave you.

FORREST
What's my destiny, Momma?

MRS. GUMP
You're gonna have to figure that out
for yourself. Life is a box of
chocolates, Forrest. You never know
what you're gonna get.

FORREST (V.O.)
Momma always had a way of explaining
things so I could understand them.

MRS. GUMP
I will miss you, Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)
She had got the cancer and died on a
Tuesday. I bought her a new hat with
little flowers on it.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

The elderly woman and Forrest sit. The woman is crying and
wipes her eyes with a hankie.

FORREST
And that's all I have to say about
that.

A bus stops. Forrest looks at the elderly woman.

FORREST
Didn't you say you were waiting for
the Number Seven bus?

ELDERLY WOMAN
There'll be another one along shortly.

FORREST
Now, because I had been a football
star, and a war hero, and a national
celebrity, and a shrimpin' boat
captain, and a college graduate, the
city of fathers of Greenbow, Alabama,
decided to get together and offered
me a fine job.

EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY

Forrest rides a lawn tractor as he moves the football field
lawn.

FORREST (V.O.)
So, I never went back to work for
Lieutenant Dan.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE MAILBOXES

Forrest takes out a letter and opens it.

FORREST (V.O.)
Though he did take care of my Bubba-
Gump money. He got me invested in
some kind of fruit company. And so
then I got a call from him saying we
don't have to worry about money no
more.

EXT. BUS STOP

FORREST
And I said, "That's good. One less
thing."

INT. CHURCH - DAY The choir and members are singing.

FORREST (V.O.)
Now, Momma said there's only so much
fortune a man really needs...

EXT. CHURCH

The sign reads: "Four Square Baptist Church." A new cross is
placed on the steeple. New furniture is taken inside.

REVEREND
Praise the Lord.

FORREST (V.O.)
...and the rest is just for showing
off. So, I gave a whole bunch of it
to the Four Square Gospel Church.

EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY

The sign reads: "Gump Medical Center Bayou La Batre, Alabama."

The ribbon-cutting ceremony.

FORREST (V.O.)
And I gave a whole bunch to the Bayou
La Batre Fishing Hospital.

EXT. BUBBA'S MOM'S HOUSE

A postman delivers a letter to Bubba's mom. She opens the
letter.

FORREST (V.O.)
And even though Bubba was dead, and
Lieutenant Dan said I was nuts. I
gave Bubba's mommy Bubba's share.

She is surrounded by her many children. She looks at the
check and faints.

EXT. BUS STOP

FORREST
And you know what...

INT. FLORIDA CONDO

A door opens as a white woman serves Bubba's mom some shrimp.

FORREST (V.O.)
She didn't have to work in nobody's
kitchen no more.

MRS. BLUE
Smells wonderful!

EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD

Forrest rides the mower.

FORREST (V.O.)
And 'cause I was godzillionaire and
I liked doing it so much. I cut that
grass for free.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE BALCONY - NIGHT

Forrest looks down the road as he steps onto the porch.

FORREST (V.O.)
But at nighttime, when there was
nothing to do and the house was all
empty, I'd always think of Jenny.

Jenny's image walks, then vanishes. Forrest looks away. He
turns and walks into the house.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Jenny walks across the lawn to Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)
And then, she was there.

JENNY
Hello, Forrest.

FORREST
Hello, Jenny.

FORREST (V.O.)
Jenny came back and stayed with me.

INT. GUMP HOUSE

Jenny lies asleep in bed.

FORREST (V.O.)
Maybe it was because she had nowhere
else to go. Or maybe it was because
she was so tired, because she went
to bed and slept and slept like she
hadn't slept in years. It was
wonderful having her home.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Forrest and Jenny walking.

FORREST (V.O.)
Every day we'd take a walk, and I'd
jabber on like a monkey in a tree.
And she'd listen about ping-pong and
shrimpin' boats and Momma makin' a
trip to heaven. I did all the talkin'.
Jenny most of the time was real quiet.

FORREST
...big ol' gobs of rain and little
bitty stinging rain and rain...

Jenny's old house stands at the end of the dirt road. It
appears to be deserted. Jenny walks toward the house and
stops. She stares at the house. Forrest walks toward Jenny.

Jenny suddenly heaves a rock angrily at the house. She throws
other things at the house.

JENNY
How could you do this?

She breaks a window. Jenny collapses to the ground and sobs.

Forrest knees down next to her.

FORREST (V.O.)
Sometimes I guess there just aren't
enough rocks.

EXT. OLD OAK TREE - DAY

Jenny and Forrest sit on a limb together.

FORREST (V.O.)
I never really knew why she came
back, but I didn't care. It was like
olden times. We was like peas and
carrots again.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Jenny sits by the vase of flowers and look out the window.

FORREST (V.O.)
Every day I'd pick pretty flowers
and put them in her room for her.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Forrest closes his eyes as he sits on the porch. Jenny places
a box of Nike running shoes in his lap.

FORREST (V.O.)
And she gave me the best gift anyone
could ever get in the wide world.

JENNY
Okay, you can open your eyes.

FORREST
New shoes.

JENNY
They make them just for running.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Through the windows, Forrest and Jenny are dancing as it
rains outside.

FORREST (V.O.)
And she even showed me how to dance.
And, well, we was like family...
Jenny and me.

EXT. RIVER - NIGHT

Jenny and Forrest sit on a log together and look at the river.

Jenny places her arms around Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)
And it was the happiest time of my
life.

The fireworks explode in the sky.

INT. GUMP'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The Statue of Liberty is shown on the TV. Fireworks go off.

Forrest and Jenny are watching the 4th of July celebration
on TV.

ANNOUNCER
(over television)
And this Fourth is witnessing one of
the largest fireworks displays in
the nation's two-hundred year
history...

JENNY
You done watching it?

FORREST
Mm-hmm.

ANNOUNCER
(over television)
...here in New York Harbor. After
the spectacular display of tall ships
earlier, the Statue of Liberty...

Jenny stands up and kisses Forrest on the cheek.

JENNY
I'm going to bed.

Jenny turns off the TV and walks outside. Forrest stands as
he puts down his Dr. Pepper. Jenny walks toward the stairs.

FORREST
Will you marry me? I'd make a good
husband, Jenny.

JENNY
You would, Forrest.

FORREST
But you won't marry me.

JENNY
You don't want to marry me.

FORREST
Why don't you love me, Jenny? I'm
not a smart man, but I know what
love is.

Forrest turns and walks toward the door. Jenny turns and
walks up the stairs. Forrest stands outside.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

The house stands in the rain.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest lies in his bed as the door opens. Jenny gets into
bed next to Forrest.

FORREST
Jenny?

JENNY
Forrest, I do love you.

Jenny and Forrest kiss. Jenny takes off her nightgown as
they make love.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - MORNING

Jenny carries her purse and walks toward a waiting cab.

CAB DRIVER
Where are you running off to?

JENNY
I'm not running.

INT. GUMP HOUSE

The cab drives away as Forrest is asleep in his bed. The
Congressional Medal lies on a table by a ping-pong paddle.

Forrest holds a glass of milk and wears his bathrobe. He
looks at the medal he had give to Jenny. Jenny's bed is made.
Forrest stands in the doorway looking at the room and bed
where Jenny had been.

EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY

Forrest sit on a rocking chair with his running shoes on. He
is still, as if in a trance. He slowly puts on his Bubba-
Gump cap. Forrest stands. He walks off the porch. He begins
to jog across the lawn. His speed increases as he runs farther
away. Forrest runs down the drive away from his house.

FORREST (V.O.)
That day, for no particular reason,
I decided to go for a little run.

Forrest runs to the end of the drive, then turns right and
runs down the highway.

FORREST (V.O.)
So I ran to the end of the road, and
when I got there, I thought maybe
I'd run to the end of town.

INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY

The three men sit as they watch the television. Forrest runs
through the main street of town.

NEWSCASTER
President Carter, suffering from
heat exhaustion fell into the arms
of security agents.

FORREST (V.O.)
And when I got there...

EXT. ALABAMA ROAD

The sign reads "Entering Greenbow County."

FORREST (V.O.)
...I thought maybe I'd just run across
Greenbow County. And I figured since
I run this far, maybe I'd just run
across the great...

Forrest runs by a sign that reads "Mississippi welcomes you.
The Magnolia State."

FORREST (V.O.)
...state of Alabama. And that's what
I did I ran clear across Alabama.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST
For no particular reason, I just
kept on going. I ran clear to the
ocean.

EXT. SANTA MONICA - DAY

The sign reads "Santa Monica yacht harbor sports fishing -
boating - cafes." Forrest runs under the sign and onto the
pier.

FORREST (V.O.)
And when I got there, I figured since
I'd gone this far, I might as well
turn around, just keep on going.

EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN

Forrest runs to a pier at the Atlantic Ocean.

FORREST (V.O.)
When I got to another ocean, I figured
since I've gone this far, I might as
well just turn back, keep right on
going.

Forrest runs across the pier. A lighthouse stands at the end
of the pier.

FORREST (V.O.)
When I got tired, I slept. When I
got hungry, I ate.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST
When I had to go, you know, I went.

ELDERLY WOMAN
And so, you just ran?

FORREST
Yeah.

EXT. HIGHWAY

Forrest is running along the highway. Forrest runs down a
road between field of wheat. A Mountain river. Forrest runs
across a cobble-stone bridge. The Rocky Mountains are behind
him in distance. Forrest runs through some meadowland.

Split rail fences line the road.

FORREST (V.O.)
I'd think a lot about Momma and Bubba,
and Lieutenant Dan, but most of all,
I thought about Jenny. I thought
about her a lot.

EXT. BARBER SHOP

The three men in the barber shop watch the news on television.

NEWSCASTER
For more than two years now, a man
named Forrest Gump, a gardener from
Greenbow, Alabama, stopping only to
sleep, has been running across
America.

INT. COFFEE SHOP

Jenny fills customer's coffee cups.

NEWSCASTER
Charles Cooper brings us this report.

NEWSMAN
For the fourth time on his journey
across America, Forrest Gump, a
gardener from Greenbow, Alabama, is
about to cross the Mississippi River
again today.

The TV shows Forrest runs across a bridge that reads
"Mississippi River."

JENNY
I'll be damned. Forrest...

EXT. MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE

NEWSMAN
Sir, why are you running?

1ST REPORTER
Why are you running?

2ND REPORTER
Are you doing this for world peace?

3RD REPORTER
Are you doing this for women's right?

NEWSMAN
Or for the environment?

REPORTER
Or for animals?

3RD REPORTER
Or for nuclear arms?

FORREST (V.O.)
They just couldn't believe that
somebody would do all that running
for no particular reason.

2ND REPORTER
Why are you doing this?

FORREST
I just felt like running.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST
I just left like running.

EXT. SMALL EASTERN TOWN

Forrest runs as a YOUNG MAN runs up to him.

YOUNG MAN
It's you. I can't believe it's really
you.

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST
Now, for some reason what I was doing
seemed to make sense to people.

EXT. SMALL EASTERN TOWN

The young man jobs behind Forrest.

YOUNG MAN
I mean, it was like an alarm went
off in my head, you know. I said,
here's a guy that's got his act
together. Here's somebody who's got
it, all figured out. Here's somebody
who has the answer. I'll follow you
anywhere, Mr. Gump.

FORREST (V.O.)
So, I got company.

Forrest runs up a slope on a high mountain road. A group of
people are jogging behind him.

FORREST (V.O.)
And after that I got more company.
And then...

A large group jogs behind Forrest across the desert road.

FORREST (V.O.)
...even more people joined in.
Somebody later told me...

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

FORREST
...it gave people hope. Now... Now,
I don't know anything about that,
but...

Forrest and his followers job through a small town. A man
runs up and talks to Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)
Some of those people asked me if I
could help them out.

AGING HIPPIE
Hey, man, hey, listen. I was wondering
if you might help me, huh? Listen,
I'm in the bumper sticker business
and I've been trying to think up a
good slogan. And since you have been
such a big inspiration to the people
around here, I thought you might be
able to help me jump into... Whoa!
Man, you just ran through a big pile
of dogshit!

The hippie jumps over the "dogshit" as he runs along Forrest.

FORREST
It happens.

AGING HIPPIE
What, shit?

FORREST
Sometimes.

The hippie stops to ponder this profound thought.

FORREST (V.O.)
And some years later I heard that
fella did come up with a bumper
sticker slogan...

A bumper sticker reads "Shit Happens."

FORREST (V.O.)
...and he make a lot of money off of
it.

The truck with the bumper sticker drives into an intersection.

It collides with a car.

EXT. TRUCK STOP

Forrest runs, followed by his group, as a man runs up to
him.

FORREST (V.O.)
Another time I was running along,
somebody who had lost all his money
in the T-shirt business, and he wanted
to put my face on a T-shirt, but he
couldn't draw that well and he didn't
have a camera.

WILD-EYED MAN
I think it would be really fortunate
for me if I could get your name on
these, oh, your face and name on
these T-shirts. It would be wonderful.

A truck splashes mud onto Forrest as it goes by. The man
hands Forrest a yellow T-shirt to use as a rag to wipe the
mud off.

WILD-EYED MAN
Here, use this one. Nobody likes
that color anyway.

Forrest wipes his face on the towel and hands it back to the
man.

FORREST
Have a nice day.

The man looks at the T-shirt. He holds it up displaying the
"Happy Face."

FORREST (V.O.)
And some years later I found out
that that man did come up with a
idea for a T-shirt and he made a lot
of money off of it.

EXT. MONUMENT VALLEY

Forrest runs with a group that follows behind him.

FORREST (V.O.)
Anyway, like I was saying, I had a
lot of company. My Momma always said
you got to put the past behind you
before you can move on. And I think
that's what my running was all about.
I had run for three years, two months,
fourteen days, and sixteen hours.

Forrest stops running. The group stops behind him. Forrest
stands and looks as the group waits expectantly. Forrest
turns and look.

YOUNG MAN
Quiet. Quiet, he's gonna say
something.

FORREST
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go
home now.

Forrest walks toward the group. The group parts for Forrest
as he walks down the middle of the road.

YOUNG MAN
Now what are we supposed to do?

FORREST (V.O.)
And just like that, my running days
was over. So, I went home to Alabama.

A television shows President Reagan and his staff as they
react to gunshots in front of a limo.

NEWSCASTER
(over television)
Moments ago, at two twenty-five p.m.,
as President Reagan was leaving the
Washington Hilton Hotel...

INT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

Forrest sits eating a sandwich, watching the news of the
assassination attempt.

NEWSCASTER
...five or six gunshots were fired
by an unknown would-be assassin. The
President was shot in the chest and
the assailant was immediately tackled
by a half a dozen lawmen. As the
Presidential...

LOUISE
I picked up the mail.

FORREST
Oh, thank you, Miss, Miss Louise.

FORREST (V.O.)
One day, out of the blue clear sky,
I got a letter from Jenny...

EXT. BUS STOP - PRESENT

Forrest takes the letter out of his pocket.

FORREST
...wondering if I could come down to
Savannah to see her, and that's what
I'm doing here. She saw me on TV,
running, I'm supposed to go on the
Number Nine bus to Richmond Street
and get off and go one block left to
1-9-4-7 Henry Street, Apartment 4.

The elderly woman looks at the letter.

ELDERLY WOMAN
Why, you don't need to take a bus.
Henry Street is just five or six
blocks down that way.

FORREST
Down that way?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Down that way.

Forrest hastily grabs his suitcase and letter as he stands.

FORREST
It was nice talking' to you.

Forrest runs, the elderly woman shouts from the bus stop
bench. A truck honks its horn as Forrest runs across the
street past the truck.

ELDERLY WOMAN
I hope everything works out for you.

INT. JENNY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Jenny opens the door.

JENNY
Hey! Forrest! How you doing?

FORREST
Hi.

JENNY
Come in. Come in.

FORREST
I got your letter.

JENNY
Oh, I was wondering about that.

Jenny shuts the door. Forrest looks around.

FORREST
Is this your house?

JENNY
Yeah, it's messy right now. I just
got off work.

FORREST
It's nice. You got air conditioning.

Forrest hands Jenny the box of chocolates.

FORREST
Ah...

JENNY
Thank you.

FORREST
I ate some.

Jenny picks up a scrapbook and turns the pages.

JENNY
Hey, I kept, I kept a scrapbook of
your, of your clippings and
everything. There you are. This, I
got your running.

FORREST
I ran a long way. For a long time.

JENNY
There. Listen, Forrest. I don't know
how to say this. Um, I just... I
want to apologize for anything that
I ever did to you, 'cause I was messed
up for a long time, and...

There is a knock at the door. LYNN MARIE enters as she opens
the door.

LYNN MARIE
Yoo-hoo.

JENNY
Hey.

LYNN MARIE
Hi.

Jenny grabs a young boy.

JENNY
Hey, you. This is an old friend from
Alabama.

LYNN MARIE
Oh, how do you do?

JENNY
Ah, listen, next week my schedule
changes, so I'll be able to... but
thanks for picking up.

LYNN MARIE
No problem. Got to go, Jen. I'm double
parked.

JENNY
Okay.

Lynn Marie closes the door and waves bye to Forrest.

LYNN MARIE
Bye.

JENNY
Thanks. This is very good friend,
Mr. Gump. Can you say hi to him?

LITTLE BOY
Hello, Mr. Gump.

FORREST
Hello.

LITTLE BOY
Now, can I go watch TV now?

JENNY
Yes, you can. Just keep it low.

The little boy runs into other room and picks up TV remote
control.

FORREST
You're a momma, Jenny.

JENNY
I'm a momma. His name is Forrest.

FORREST
Like me.

JENNY
I named him after his Daddy.

FORREST
He got a daddy named Forrest, too?

JENNY
You're his daddy, Forrest.

Forrest continues to stare at Forrest Jr. Forrest then looks
frightened and starts to back away.

JENNY
Hey, Forrest, look at me. Look at
me, Forrest. There's nothing you
need to do, okay? You didn't do
anything wrong. Okay?

Jenny turns and looks at Forrest Jr. in the other room.

JENNY
Isn't he beautiful?

FORREST
He's the most beautiful thing I've
ever seen. But... is, is he smart,
or is he...

JENNY
He's very smart. He's one of the
smartest in his class.

Forrest breathes deep. He looks at Jenny, then at Forrest
Jr.

JENNY
Yeah, it's okay. Go talk to him.

Forrest walks into the room and sits down next to Forrest
Jr. "Sesame Street" is on the TV.

BERT
Oh, great.

ERNIE
Hey, Bert, can you give me a hand?

BERT
A hand? Well, yeah, what do you want,
Ernie?

FORREST
What are you watching.

FORREST JR.
Bert and Ernie.

ERNIE
Well, it's the first stage. Bert.
It's planning to write a story, Bert.
I have pencils right here to write
with, Bert. Now, we got, uh, paper.
I'll take that paper, Bert. See, we
have the paper to write on.

EXT. PARK - DAY

Forrest and Jenny sit on a bench. Forrest Jr. swings behind
them.

JENNY
Forrest, I'm sick.

FORREST
What, do you have a cough due to
cold?

JENNY
I have some kind virus. And the
doctors don't, they don't know what
it is. And there isn't anything they
can do about it.

FORREST
You could come home with me. Jenny,
you and little Forrest could come
stay at my house in Greenbow. I'll
take care of you if you're sick.

JENNY
Would you marry me, Forrest?

FORREST
Okay.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - DAY

A group has gathered on the lawn for the wedding. Louise
walks up to Forrest.

MINISTER
Please take your seats.

LOUISE
Forrest, it's time to start.

Jenny walks out of the house. Forrest walks over to greet
her. She wears a white dress. She walks up to Forrest and
adjusts his necktie.

JENNY
Hi. Your tie.

Lt. Dan is walking across the lawn. He uses a cane. A WOMAN
is walking next to him.

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan? Lieutenant Dan!

LT. DAN
Hello, Forrest.

Jenny walks over to Forrest and Lt. Dan.

FORREST
You got new legs. New legs!

LT. DAN
Yeah, I got new legs.

Lt. Dan lifts his pant leg to display his metal leg.

LT. DAN
Custom-made titanium alloy. It's
what they use on the space shuttle.

FORREST
Magic legs.

LT. DAN
This is my fiancee, Susan.

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan!

Susan shakes Forrest's hand.

SUSAN
Hi, Forrest.

FORREST
Lieutenant Dan, this is my Jenny.

JENNY
Hey, it's nice to meet you, finally.

Jenny steps forward and kisses Lt. Dan's cheek. The group is
seated as they watch Forrest and Jenny take vows on the front
lawn. Forrest Jr. stands next to Jenny.

MINISTER
Do you, Forrest, take Jenny to be
your wife? Do you, Jenny, take Forrest
to be your husband? If so, I pronounce
you man and wife.

The wind blows fallen leaves across the ground. Jenny,
Forrest, and Forrest Jr. walk toward the house. They all
hold hands as they walk.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - MORNING

Forrest steps into Jenny's bedroom. He carries a tray with
breakfast on it. Forrest looks at Jenny as she sleeps.

Slowly she wakes up and looks at Forrest.

FORREST
Hey.

JENNY
Hey.

Forrest sets the tray down next to Jenny as she sits up in
bed. Forrest opens a window, then sits down next to the bed.

JENNY
Hey, Forrest, were you scared in
Vietnam?

FORREST
Yes. Well, I, I don't know.

EXT. VIETNAM - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Forrest looks up into the sky as the rain stops. Forrest
removes his helmet. The stars emerge from behind the clouds.

FORREST (V.O.)
Sometimes it would stop raining long
enough for the stars to come out.
And then it was nice. It was like
just before the sun goes to bed down
on the bayou...

EXT. BAYOU - FLASHBACK - SUNSET

Forrest stands on his boat and looks at a deep orange and
red sunset.

FORREST (V.O.)
There was over a million sparkles on
the water. Like that mountain lake.

EXT. MOUNTAIN LAKE - FLASHBACK - DAY

Forrest runs along a highway. A lake reflects the mountains
and the sky.

FORREST (V.O.)
It was so clear, Jenny. It looks
like there were two skies, one on
top of the other. And then in the
desert, when the sun comes up...

EXT. DESERT - FLASHBACK - SUNRISE

Forrest runs along a desert highway. The morning light casts
an orange glow over the desert.

FORREST (V.O.)
I couldn't tell where heavens stopped
and the earth began. It was so
beautiful.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - MORNING

Forrest looks at Jenny. Jenny looks out the window.

JENNY
I wish I could have been there with
you.

FORREST
You were.

Jenny reaches over and takes Forrest's hand.

JENNY
I love you.

FORREST (V.O.)
You died on a Saturday morning.

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE AT OLD OAK TREE - DAY

Forrest stands under the old oak tree where Jenny has been
buried.

FORREST
And I had you placed here under our
tree.

Jenny's grave marker. Forrest tries to hold back his tears.

FORREST
And I had that house of your father's
bulldozed to the ground.

EXT. JENNY'S OLD HOUSE - DAY

Forrest watches as

[ForrestGump]

10. All things must end...

EXT. JENNY'S OLD HOUSE - DAY

Forrest watches as Jenny's dad's house is knocked down by a
bulldozer.

FORREST (V.O.)
Momma...

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE

FORREST
...always said dyin' was a part of
life.

Jenny's grave marker reads: JENNY GUMP July 16, 1945 -- March
22, 1982 Beloved Mother, Wife and Friend

FORREST
I sure wish it wasn't. Little Forrest,
he's doing just fine.

INT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest Jr. reads a book to Forrest sitting next to him.

FORREST JR.
(reading)
"But he wasn't quite sure. Everywhere
they went, the new guests...

FORREST (V.O.)
About to start school again soon. I
make his breakfast, lunch, and
dinner...

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE

Forrest looks down as he sobs.

FORREST
...every day. I make sure he combs
his hair and brushes his teeth every
day. Teaching him how to play ping
pong.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE - NIGHT

Forrest tries to teach Forrest Jr. how to play ping-pong.

FORREST
Okay...

FORREST (V.O.)
He's really good.

FORREST
Forrest, you go.

Forrest Jr. serves the ball, causing Forrest dive and miss
it.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE/RIVER - DAY

Forrest and Forrest Jr. sit on a log by the river and fish.

FORREST (V.O.)
We fish a lot.

EXT. JENNY'S GRAVE

Forrest looks down at the grave marker.

FORREST
And every night, we read a book.
He's so smart, Jenny. You'd be so
proud of him. I am. He, uh, wrote a
letter, and he says I can't read it.
I'm not supposed to, so I'll just
leave it here for you.

Forrest places the letter down at the grave marker, next to
fresh flowers. The name on the envelope reads: "Mom." Forrest
steps back and looks down at the grave.

FORREST
Jenny, I don't know if Momma was
right or if, if it's Lieutenant Dan.
I don't know if we each have a
destiny, or if we're all just floating
around accidental-like on a breeze,
but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe
both is happening at the same time.
I miss you, Jenny. If there's anything
you need, I won't be far away.

As Forrest walks away, a flock of birds flies overhead and
lands in the tree. Forrest turns and watches.

EXT. ROAD - MORNING

Forrest walks with Forrest Jr. for the bus. The bus drives
toward them.

FORREST
Here's your bus. Okay.

Forrest pulls "Curious George" out of Forrest Jr.'s backpack.

FORREST
Hey, I know this.

FORREST JR.
I'm gonna show that for show-and-
tell because grandma used to read it
to you.

Forrest looks at the book. The feather from the beginning of
the movie drops out of the book, unnoticed.

FORREST
My favorite book.

The bus comes to a stop. The door opens.

FORREST
Well...

Forrest puts the book back into Forrest Jr.'s backpack and
hands it to him.

FORREST
...okay. Hey, there you go.

Forrest Jr. walks toward the bus. Forrest stands up.

FORREST
Hey, Forrest. Don't... I wanted to
tell you I love you.

FORREST JR.
I love you too, Daddy.

FORREST
I'll be right here when you get back.

Forrest Jr. looks into the bus and at the bus driver. It is
the same bus driver, only older now, who drove Forrest to
school when he was a young boy.

SCHOOLD BUS DRIVER
You understand this is the bus to
school now, don't you?

FORREST JR.
Of course, and you're Dorothy Harris
and I'm Forrest Gump.

Forrest Jr. looks over and waves to his father. Forrest nods
approvingly.

Forrest Jr. gets on the bus. The bus pulls away. Forrest
stands next to the mailbox.

Forrest sits down. The camera cranes down, revealing the
feather as it lies at Forrest's feet.

A gust of wind picks the feather up. The feather floats up
into the air.

Forrest sits at the side of the road. The feather floats
higher into the air.

The feather soars up into the sky and travels up and down,
then covers the camera lens.

THE END

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Hate to tell ya, Forrest, but that's not epic or saga form - that's movie script form.

Entirely against the rules of this exercise.

:P