I almost walked out of the theater when I saw this movie. I usually love Tom Hanks, but his acting was wooden and his character was unbelievable. I was very disappointed when it received an academy award. The movie was supposed to be inspiring, but it's hard for me to be inspired when there's so little that's recognizable about a character. I think the reason the box of chocolates line was quoted so much was that that was all that was memorable about the movie. One "effect" that I especially disliked was the technique whereby Forrest Gump was included in old footage. In addition, I found myself worrying about Sally Field's career. There was a period in her career when she was in some excellent movies and this role as a pitiful mother definitely seemed like a step down.