Forrest Gump is one of the most quintessential movie classics of the 1990s. The film continues to have a strong resonance with audiences today, some even calling it cheerfully nihilistic. Forrest Gump was one of the rare films that became both a box office sensation and an astounding critical success; in addition to becoming the highest-grossing film of 1994, it took home the Academy Award for Best Picture – where it controversially beat other classics, such as The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction. Tom Hanks’ haplessly endearing performance as the most optimistic man on the planet proved that he could be both delightfully hilarious and completely heartbreaking at the same time. Given the somewhat melancholy ending of the film, many audiences hoped to see a day where Forrest would return to the big screen; strangely enough, he almost did.