Fans Have A Pick For The Saddest Death In Forrest Gump
Whether you love it or feel that it unrightfully stole the best picture Oscar from "Pulp Fiction," there's no denying the place that "Forrest Gump" holds in pop culture. Released in 1994 and based on the 1986 Winston Groom novel, the Robert Zemeckis-directed film follows the life of the simple-minded but good-natured Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) as he experiences some of the most defining moments of the 20th century, all while yearning for the love of his life, Jenny (Robin Wright).
The film became a box office sensation, earning over $678 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), and dominated that year's Academy Awards, winning six golden statuettes, including best lead actor for Hanks and best picture (via IMDb). While "Forrest Gump" has received its fair share of backlash over the years for some of its perceived underlying themes (via IndieWire), the film nevertheless remains fondly remembered by many, with Hanks' performance and several of its iconic quotes remaining popular to this day.
If anything, "Forrest Gump" remains as emotionally powerful as ever. Along Gump's journey, he meets various colorful characters who endear themselves to us as much as they do the Alabama native, from his wise mother (Sally Field) to the no-nonsense Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise). And when some of those characters leave — for good — it's a painful departure, to say the least. And for fans of the heart-tugging drama, there's one particular death that they have yet to heal from.
Bubba's death still has us ugly crying
While "Forrest Gump" is chock-full of heart wrenching moments, some fans have declared what might just be the film's saddest moment. On a Reddit thread started by u/Iridescent126 asking people what is the saddest fictional character death, u/ChuckZombie answers, "Bubba in 'Forrest Gump.' That whole scene had me wrecked. From Bubba's weak, 'I wanna go home,' to Forrest's narration ... I'm crying just thinking about it." Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue (Mykelti Williamson) is Forrest's shrimp-loving friend he meets while fighting in Vietnam, with the two making plans to open a shrimping company following their time in the war. However, Bubba is killed and dies in Forrest's arms, leaving Forrest to operate the business on his own with eventual help from Lieutenant Dan.
Safe to say, the scene is one that many viewers still find especially crushing. Redditor u/LakeLov3r concurred with the statement, saying, "When Bubba says "Forrest, why did this happen?" I just break down." Similarly, Redditor u/satanyourdarklord shares a more personal connection with the moment, commenting, "I'm in the military. Thank god I haven't had any of my brothers die in my arms that way. But I know people who have. And it's heartbreaking when they open up and talk about it."
The Bubba Gump Shrimp company would eventually become a real line of restaurants that began in 1996, which would also be where "Jurassic World" star Chris Pratt was discovered by a Hollywood executive (via Delish).