"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get," goes the most recognisable line from Forrest Gump and oh, how we loved it.
It's hard to believe that it's 24 years old this year and the movie's status as a beloved classic only seems to intensify as time goes on. However, there's one standout issue that fans of the film continue to debate - specifically how Forrest's childhood sweetheart, Jenny Curran, died.
The cause is thought to be HIV/AIDS, prompted by shared needles during Jenny's 'lost years'. Unconvinced? Ok, let's take you back.
Advert
At school, Jenny befriends young Forrest and their bond seems to be a deep one. (Surely no one can forget the 'run, Forrest, run' line in response to her bestie being bullied - it's still heartbreaking every time you watch it.)
The film sees the pair reunite years later in a bar, where Jenny performs naked with a guitar and we learn she was kicked out of school for some raunchy photographs - which Forrest discovers via Playboy magazine.
As Forrest heads off to war in Vietnam, Jenny falls in with a hippie crowd and begins experimenting with drugs - which sets her off on a path that culminates in an abortive suicide attempt, before reassessing her life choices.
Advert
Some years later, Jenny visits Forrest and slips into his bedroom one night and BAM - next thing we know Forrest Gump Jr. is on the scene. Hey, one time is all it takes. Of course, our hero remains unaware his son exists for some years, as Jenny leaves quietly the next morning.
After meeting up yet again, and introducing Forrest to his son, Jenny tells him she is sick with an 'unknown virus' and the three move back to Greenbow, Alabama. The pair finally marry but she dies a year later. Is it dusty in here?
Many believed that she died from HIV/AIDS but according to World Lifestyle, Jenny didn't get HIV/AIDS until after she gave birth to Forrest Jr.
Advert
According to the fan theory, she had a relapse in a moment of weakness and hit the needle again after Forrest Jr. was born - and that's why Forrest and Forrest Jr. are HIV free. Sounds plausible.
Jenny, who was played by Robin Wright, was nominated for both a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe.
Advert
Tom Hanks won an Oscar award for the film after he ad-libbed the line: 'My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump'. This stayed in the film because the director, Robert Zemeckis, loved it so much that he allowed it to be used.
And here's something else that blew our mind - among the kids who greeted Gump with ridicule on the school bus were Tom Hanks' daughter Elizabeth and and Zemeckis' son Alexander. What a great cost-saving idea that is.
Another fun fact - there's a scene where Forrest is in Washington, DC after returning from Vietnam and he's approached by a reporter.
Advert
IMBd found out that this role wasn't played by an actor, but a tourist who was just passing by. The crew liked the look of him and asked him to fill the role - and like most of us would in that position, he said yes. What a LAD.
Finally, it has been reported that Hanks didn't get paid for acting. He only accepted percentage points which in the end earned him $40 million (£30.1m) - well it definitely paid off for him. What a film.
Featured Image Credit: Paramount PicturesTopics: Death, Entertainment, TV and Film, Tom Hanks