Forrest, Forrest Gump is a simple man but has nothing but good intentions. He struggles through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His 'mama' teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny.
Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, starts a table tennis craze, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, create the smiley, write bumper stickers and songs, donating to people and meeting the president several times.
However this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny.
The movie was one of the most successful films of the years as it too over $677 million as it topped the box offices around the world.
Hanks received critical acclaim for his central performance and a second consecutive Best Actor gong came his way.
- Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan saw Hanks move into the war movie in 1998 as the actor joins up with Oscar winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg and an all star cast.
James Ryan, who has parachuted into France during the Allied invasion of Europe, has just lost three brothers in combat. Government policy dictates that he should return home lest his family be deprived of all its male offspring.
A team of soldiers, led by Captain John Miller and fresh from the beaches of Normandy, is assembled to find and save Private Ryan.
Saving Private Ryan was one of the best war movies that have graced the big screen in many a year as the film dominated the box office.
There was another Best Actor nomination for Hanks, losing out to Roberto Benigni for Life Is Beautiful, and the movie was also nominated for Best Picture, how it lost out to Shakespeare In Love is anybody's guess.
Other performances from Hanks that you really should check out are Toy Story, Apollo 13, my personal favourite, The Green Mile, Road To Perdition and Cast Away.
Toy Story 3 is out now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw