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 ???? about shrimpin'
boats?

FORREST

I gotta buy me one of them shrimpin' boats as soon
as I have some money. I make 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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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)

9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...

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 ?????

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 ????!

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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 uni????.

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

... 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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

So I went to church every Sunday...

Lt. Dan is sitting in his chair at the back of the church. He takes swings from a liquor bottle.

FORREST
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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-????! 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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

Momma always had a way of explaining things so I
could understand them.

MRS. GUMP

I will miss you, Forrest.

FORREST
(voice-over)

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
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
(voice-over)

So, I never went back to work for Lieutenant Dan.

EXT. GUMP HOUSE MAILBOXES

Forrest takes out a letter and opens it.

FORREST
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

... 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
(voice-over)

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
(voice-over)

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...