Finding Forrest Gump’s House: A Search for the Real Story Behind the Story
A Road Trip to Alabama
It was a cloudy afternoon when I decided to take a road trip to Alabama. As a big fan of the movie Forrest Gump, visiting his house was a must-do for me. The address was not so hard to find, just a few minutes away from the small town of Monroeville. Forrest’s house, on the other hand, was something hard to find.
Fiction or Reality?
According to the movie, Forrest Gump was born and raised in a green and white-porch house in Greenbow, Alabama. However, the movie was filmed in different locations, including Savannah, Georgia, and South Carolina. Therefore, it’s hard to determine whether Forrest Gump’s house was fictional or based on a real location.
The Real Story Behind the Story
As I arrived at Monroeville, I approached a local and asked for directions to Forrest’s house. The man gave me a skeptical look and smiled. “You’re not the first one looking for it,” he said. “Sorry to break it to you, but there’s no such place.”
The man explained that the house from the movie was only a prop and did not exist in reality. However, it doesn’t mean that the story was entirely fabricated. The book and the movie were inspired by real locations and events that the author, Winston Groom, experienced or heard about.
Monroeville, for instance, is the hometown of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee, who wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The book is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, based on Monroeville.
Also, the characters in the book and the movie were influenced by real-life people. Forrest Gump’s name was inspired by a real-life personality, a lawyer from Mobile, Alabama, who represented the writer Groom in a lawsuit.
Tom Hanks’s portrayal of Forrest Gump was based on a character from a different movie, Being There, and the way he talked was inspired by a child actor that the director Robert Zemeckis had once worked with.
Therefore, even though Forrest’s house doesn’t exist in reality, the story and the characters were inspired by real-life locations and people. The movie was not entirely fictional but rather a collection of real-life stories, myths, and anecdotes.
The Search Continues
As I drove away from Monroeville, I couldn’t help but wonder if the man’s statement was entirely accurate. Perhaps Forrest Gump’s house didn’t exist in Greenbow, but maybe it existed in Savannah or South Carolina, where the movie was filmed.
The next day, I decided to explore the areas where the movie was filmed. As I drove through the small towns, I didn’t see a house that resembled the one from the movie. I asked local residents if they knew of any place like Forrest’s house, but they all gave me confused looks.
As I was about to give up my search, I saw a sign that read “Chippewa Square.” This was the place where Forrest Gump sat on a bench and told his life story to the strangers sitting beside him.
The Real Forrest Gump’s House?
I parked my car and walked around the square, trying to find the bench. Finally, I saw a monument dedicated to the movie, with a picture of Tom Hanks and the feather that symbolized the movie’s theme of fate and destiny.
I turned around and saw the bench, surrounded by tourists taking pictures and selfies. I sat on the bench and looked around, trying to imagine the scene from the movie.
As I was about to leave, I heard a group of young people talking about Forrest Gump’s house. “I heard that it’s in Beaufort, South Carolina,” one of them said. “I also heard that it’s a private property, so you can’t go there.”
I thanked them for the information and decided to check it out. I drove to Beaufort, a small town near the coast, known for its antebellum architecture and historical landmarks.
I asked a local resident if he knew of any house that resembled Forrest Gump’s house. The man nodded and gave me a detailed description of the house’s location.
As I drove towards the house, I saw a sign that read “Private Property – No Trespassing.” I parked my car and walked towards the gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of the house.
Suddenly, I heard a voice, “Hey, what are you doing here?” I turned around and saw a man in his fifties, with a serious expression on his face.
I explained to him that I was a fan of the movie and was looking for Forrest Gump’s house. The man smiled and said, “Well, you’re in luck. This is it.”
He told me that the house had been built in 1853 and had been used as a location for several movies, including Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and The Prince of Tides.
The house was not identical to the one from the movie, but it had some resemblance, especially the green-and-white porch and the swing. The inside of the house, however, was vastly different.
The man showed me around the house, pointing out the different rooms and describing the history and architecture. He also showed me some props and memorabilia from the movies that had been filmed there.
The End of the Road
As I left the house, I felt a mix of disappointment and excitement. The house was not identical to the one from the movie, and it was a private property, so I couldn’t spend much time there.
However, I felt lucky to have found it and to have met the man who had given me a glimpse into its history.
In conclusion, Forrest Gump’s house is a subject of debate, whether it exists or not. The house from the movie was only a prop, and it doesn’t exist in reality. However, the story and the characters were based on real-life locations and people, and the house from the movie was inspired by real architecture and design.
Whether the house in Beaufort, South Carolina, is the real Forrest Gump’s house or not, one thing is certain: Forrest Gump’s story has touched the hearts of millions of people worldwide, and it will continue to inspire and entertain generations to come.