Original artwork, not a still
Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest, you never know what you're gonna get.
— Forrest Gump ‧ 1994
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A Southern mother's folk wisdom, handed to a son she knows she cannot protect for ever. The image was so tidy that it became a greeting-card line and the film's calling card, ranked number 40 on the American Film Institute's movie quotes list. Fans like it because it comforts and unsettles at once: you can choose, but never what is in the box.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Forrest GumpShow the scene
Forrest is a grown man, home from the war, when he sits at his mother's bedside as she dies of cancer. Mrs. Gump tells him she believes people make their own destiny and must do the best with what God gave them. Forrest asks what his destiny is; she says he will have to work that out himself, then offers the chocolates line. Forrest narrates that she died on a Tuesday. At the start of the film he quotes her to a stranger on a bus bench, a box of chocolates in his lap.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Forrest GumpDialogue (Bubba induction; Mrs. Gump deathbed) and Forrest Gump sectionReference checked
- IMSDb: Forrest Gump scriptTraining scene with Bubba; 1954 Oak Alley scene; bus bench openingReference checked
Context reviewed
