This is definitely not Forrest Gump’s Rotten Tomatoes score

Given Forrest Gump Reputation and legacy, its Rotten Tomatoes score is surprising to say the least. With a box office gross of $678.2 million Tom Hanks’ film tells the story of an unintelligent man from Alabama who maneuvers his way through the great events of the 20th centuryin which Forrest Gump meets real historical figures while trying to build a relationship with his childhood friend, Jenny (Robin Wright). Forrest Gump is arguably Tom Hanks’ best film and made him the Hollywood star he is known as today.

But despite numerous awards and international fame, Forrest Gump only has a Tomatometer score of 76% on the popular film review website Rotten Tomatoes. It is of course shocking that an American classic has such a low rating as Forrest Gump is one of the most quoted films of all time and the film has made such a lasting impression on pop culture that it is often referenced in numerous different shows and films. Since some people look back on this 30-year-old film less positively than expected, the low Rotten Tomatoes rating can possibly be explained as follows: Forrest Gump Current reviews.

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Why Forrest Gump gets 76% on Rotten Tomatoes

How Rotten Tomatoes works

Forrest Gump The Rotten Tomatoes rating of 76% can be explained by the way Rotten Tomatoes works. The rating aggregation website was founded in 1998 to distinguish whether films and television shows “lazy“ or not. Rotten Tomatoes has two types of ratings, an audience rating based on the reviews of regular people, and the Tomatometer rating based on the reviews of established film critics. Google recently changed which Rotten Tomatoes rating it shows in search results, possibly due to complaints that critics don’t represent the regular audience. Rotten Tomatoes explains how it creates ratings and rankings on its website:

When at least 60% of the reviews for a movie or TV show are positive, a red tomato appears to indicate Fresh status.

If less than 60% of the reviews for a movie or TV show are positive, a green blob will appear to indicate the “spoiled” status.

Although Forrest Gump has a Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes, it is only 16% away from being Rotten. However, with the The Wayback Machine Archive, Forrest Gump actually had a Tomatometer score of 81% in 2004a decade after its release. Recent reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have contributed to the decline in the Tomatometer score, with some reviews Forrest Gump Rotten because its Oscar-baiting and plain sentimentality are the only reasons for its success. Therefore, it seems that although it is a classic film, Forrest Gump has become a bit dated upon re-watch due to cultural changes and attitudes over time.

What critics thought about Forrest Gump when it came out

The reviews were mixed in 1994

When Forrest Gump When the film was first released, it grossed $24 million in the US in its first weekend, barely half of its $55 million budget. However, it grossed $678 million worldwide after receiving critical acclaim. 1994 The Guardian Derek Malcolm wrote that Forrest Gump “is certainly the most ambitious project that Robert Zemeckis – the second most successful film ever after Spielberg – has ever undertaken..“ This was because Forrest Gump contained special effects that were not so common at the time of its releasewhich integrates archival footage of events alongside CGI to incorporate Tom Hanks into clips featuring prominent historical figures.

Another example of the use of CGI was the missing legs of Lieutenant Dan Taylor. Actor Gary Sinise told LA Times in an interview that the special effects were so convincing that he heard someone ask who the legless actor was while attending a screening. Rich Writer Angie Errigo said that Forrest Gump misses its target”because director Robert Zemeckis’ agility with sophisticated special effects sometimes surpasses his narrative judgment.” Some critics praised Tom Hanks’ acting and use of special effects, but claimed that the film was rather superficial in terms of story.because it was obviously Oscar bait.

How Forrest Gump’s popularity changed over the years (and after the Oscar win)

Tom Hanks was skeptical about the success

Over the years Forrest Gump Popularity fluctuates. Although the film has a Tomatometer score of 81% 10 years after its release, it is at 76% in 2024. Obviously Forrest Gump has fallen somewhat out of favor, possibly due to the fact that a non-disabled actor plays a person with an intellectual disabilityalongside other issues such as Jenny and Forrest’s unhealthy relationship. However, the film is considered one of the greatest pop culture references of all time, ranking 11th on IMDb’s Top 250 Movies, so it’s a surprise that Tom Hanks was initially skeptical Forrest Gump:

I say, “Hey Bob, I have a question for you. Is anyone going to be interested in this movie? This guy sitting on a thing in these silly shoes and this crazy costume and he’s got a suitcase full of Curious George books and stuff like that. Are we doing anything here that makes sense to anyone?”

Forrest Gump was also involved in further controversy as it snubbed Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, pulp Fictionwhen he won an Oscar. Fans believed that pulp Fiction would have deserved the Oscar much more than the Tom Hanks classic due to Tarantino’s imaginative narrativesomething that Forrest Gump is missing. Hanks, however, defended Forrest Gump Oscar win several times, saying that it was a “undeniable heartbreaking humanity.” With such a complicated success story and evaluation, it is no wonder that Forrest Gump 2 never happened.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, The Guardian, LA Times, Empire, IMDb.

Forrest Gump

This iconic piece of American film history depicts the Kennedy and Johnson presidencies, the events of the Vietnam War, Watergate, and other historical events from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75.

director

Robert Zemeckis

Release date

July 6, 1994

Sales Partner

Paramount Pictures

Authors

Winston Groom, Eric Roth

budget

55 million US dollars

Duration

142 minutes

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