“GUMP! What’s your sole purpose in this army?”
“To do whatever you tell me, drill sergeant!”
“Goddamn it, Gump! You’re a goddamn genius! This is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard. You must have a goddamn I.Q. of 160. You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump.”
To most people, the scene between the Army drill instructor and recruit Forrest Gump in the eponymous movie is just another in a series of amusing incidents in which Gump finds himself.
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But it’s also one of many signs scattered through the movie that the character might be autistic.
Neither author Winston Groom nor star Tom Hanks or director Robert Zemeckis have ever commented on their view of whether or not Forrest was intended to be portrayed as autistic. Indeed, at the time Groom published the novel, in 1986, autism was still poorly understood and not widely recognized by most people. It would have been extraordinary if Groom had created the character with autism in mind and all evidence points to the idea that he simply intended Forrest to be a low-IQ individual stumbling through some of recent history’s most historic events.
But one thing about art and literature is that it is constantly up for reappraisal and interpretation by audience and critics. For many families and professionals (such as applied behavior analysts) who regularly work with individuals on the autism spectrum, Gump’s behaviors strike a chord of recognition.
In fact, two Japanese doctors have started down that path, perhaps tongue in cheek, and made an official diagnosis of Gump according to the DSM-IV autistic disorder criteria, ruling out possible alternative diagnoses such as Rett’s disorder or childhood disintegrative disorder according to observational evidence provided in the novel.
Genius Is As Genius Does
Gump goes through life as a bit of an inept bumbler, oblivious to social signals and norms, but possessed of an ability to focus in on technical details and follow clear instructions with laser-like precision. Watching him field strip and reassemble an M-14 battle rifle in the barracks is a lot like watching an autistic savant construct castles out of Legos—precision and speed flowing from pure dedication to the task.
And folks with a military background and a sharp eye who noticed the decorations on Gump’s Class A uniform later in the film would note that he’d taken that dedication even further: he wears an Expert Rifleman Qualification Badge, the highest marksmanship badge available in the Army.
So it’s not altogether clear that Gump is stupid; as his mother is fond of telling him, stupid is as stupid does, and Gump manages to do plenty of things that aren’t so stupid, just focused and intense. His focus on running his shrimp boat shows commitment and perseverance, but though others interpret it as sheer stupidity, his method pays off in the end.
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Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates
Placed in an environment with clear-cut rules and systems, Gump excels. When told that the key to success in playing ping pong is to never take his eye off the ball, there is not a second of playing time where he does so. Moreover, his practicing is obsessive, both with other players and on his own, for hours and hours… enough to eventually take him to China to compete for the United States in ping-pong diplomacy.
Applied behavior analysts (ABAs) who work with autistic patients have seen this sort of focus before and they may well have made the same use of it as Gump’s drill instructor and ping pong teachers did.
They’ve also seen plenty of ASD patients who have a kind of nervous energy, a kind of hyperactivity and repetitive motor movements that ABAs try to redirect into healthier behaviors… running, for instance, just as Forrest famously does.
The ability to channel the obsessive behaviors into positive actions is something that Forrest’s mother has in common with ABAs. Her lesson to Forrest, urging him to embrace life and accept that “you never know what you’re gonna get” is a good one for all providers working with ASD patients to remember.
FAQs
It would have been extraordinary if Groom had created the character with autism in mind and all evidence points to the idea that he simply intended Forrest to be a low-IQ individual stumbling through some of recent history's most historic events.
Is Forrest Gump an ableist? ›
Not only is this unrealistic, but it is also ableist. Forrest shouldn't have had to lose his disability in order to succeed, but in the movie he does. It sets him up as the hero of the film, insinuating that the protagonist couldn't have a visible disability for the audience to root for him.
What was Forrest Gump's IQ? ›
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump: At an early age, Forrest is deemed to have a below-average IQ of 75. He has an endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties, character traits that bring him into many life-changing situations.
Was Forrest really the father? ›
Much like the rest of his life, Forrest is direct, honest, and unwaveringly kind in handling Jenny's death and Forrest Jr.'s upbringing. At the end of the day, Forrest is his son's real father (genealogy aside).
Is Forrest Gump autistic? ›
It would have been extraordinary if Groom had created the character with autism in mind and all evidence points to the idea that he simply intended Forrest to be a low-IQ individual stumbling through some of recent history's most historic events.
What disorder did Jenny have in Forrest Gump? ›
That said, what's clear is that Jenny dies of Hepatitis C in the second book, while she dies of AIDS in the movies, even though it was only implied. Notably, Hepatitis C was discovered in 1989, which is why the doctors could do little for Jenny in the '80s.
What is Elon Musk's IQ? ›
IQ tests provide insight into an individual's cognitive ability. As mentioned earlier, Elon Musk's IQ score is believed to be between 155 and 160. Above-average IQ scores within this range are only reserved for the "Highly Gifted" IQ classification.
What actor has 180 IQ? ›
James Woods James Woods, an accomplished actor with roles in films like Casino and Once Upon a Time in America, is also known for his exceptional intelligence. With an estimated Iq of 180, Woods attended MIT on a full scholarship, studying political science before dropping out to pursue acting.
Did Bubba have a disability? ›
Bubba, a Southern Black man with Autism-spectrum disorder, appears in the most substantially fleshed out historical event in Forrest Gump: the Vietnam War.
What disease did Jenny have? ›
In the book that's the sequel to Forrest Gump, Gump and Co., author Winston Groom reveals that Jenny died of hepatitis C, a bloodborne illness which would probably have been the result of her intravenous drug use during her hippie years.
Why did Jenny leave Forrest before he went on the long run? She recognised the innocence and purity of Forrest and all his actions and due to her childhood trauma that had caused her to have a tough life she did not want to burden Forrest with the same suffering.
How old was Jenny when she died in Forrest Gump? ›
Forrest asks Jenny and Forrest Jr. to live with him, and Jenny proposes to Forrest. The two marry in the backyard. After some time of living together as a family, Jenny dies at age 32. Her illness is never explicitly stated, though screenwriter Eric Roth confirmed in a 2019 interview that she died of AIDS.
Why is Forrest Gump criticized? ›
In 1994, when Robert Zemekis' cinematic sensation Forrest Gump topped the box office and waltzed away with six Oscar nominations, the critics were firmly in two camps: either the film was unworthy escapism, or it was an ultraconservative conspiracy to communicate an outdated message of traditional values such as ...
Does Forrest Gump have inappropriate? ›
A great movie but not for young teens, skip the sex scenes, drug scenes, and prostitute scenes.
Is Forrest Gump a controversial movie? ›
Robert Zemeckis's Forrest Gump could well be one of the most problematic films ever made – and certainly one of the most to have won Best Picture.
Is Forrest Gump a conservative film? ›
Zemeckis argued that he was playing to both sides of the aisle. “My film is a party to which everyone can bring a bottle,” he said. And when producer Steve Tish accepted his Oscar for Best Picture, he took it to the masses: “'Forrest Gump' isn't about politics or conservative values.
“GUMP! What’s your sole purpose in this army?”
