10 Greatest Ever Tom Hanks Movie Performances

Forrest Gump has earned a polarising reaction since its release in 1994. On the one hand there are those who believe that this film is a tender and entertaining tale of a man stumbling through life just trying to be with the girl he loves. The other group see it as a sickeningly sweet slice of nostalgia which also wrongly beat both Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption to Best Picture at the Oscars.

However, no matter which way you fall, it is undeniable that Tom Hanks delivers a beautiful performance as the simple minded yet never cruel Forrest Gump. Given to any other actor this could have been an offensive or even forgettable role but Hanks approaches it with the right amount of charm and emotion. Despite the rapidly shifting pace of the film, from Vietnam to ping pong to Bubba Gump Shrimp, the one constant we have is Hanks' Forrest who we are more than happy to follow on his bizarre journey.

The role also allows Hanks to display his perfect balance of comedy and drama. While the comedy is more prevalent throughout, there are moments where we are able to witness Forrest's emotional state such as when he cradles a dying Bubba in his arms and saying a final farewell to his mother in hospital. The most moving moment is the death of the woman he wanted to spend his life with: Jenny. As he finally breaks down at her grave, the emotional climax of the film, it would be hard to argue that his Oscar for this performance was not deserved.