What's Up With the Title?

What's Up With the Title?

The title of Forrest Gump is pretty self-explanatory since it takes its name from the movie's main character, but let's look a little closer at the two words.

So, a "gump" is "a foolish or stupid person," which sounds about right, albeit a bit harsh. And "Forrest" apparently comes from Nathan Bedford Forrest, the guy who founded the Ku Klux Klan.

Now, you might think that a kid in Alabama getting his name from this guy would show his momma was a racist. But, as Forrest explains in the movie, "Momma said the Forrest part was to remind me that sometimes we all do things that, well, just don't make no sense."

Does that seem like a nonsensical explanation? Well, that's kind of the point.