Tom Hanks starred in the 1994 comedy-drama film Forrest Gump, which remains one of the most beloved films of the actor. It was a critical and commercial success, earning Hanks a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance as the titular character.
Furthermore, the film went on to win the Best Picture Academy Award, beating one of Quentin Tarantino’s best films in the form of Pulp Fiction. Despite beating the Tarantino film at the prestigious awards, Hanks had nothing but praise for the crime film. Here is what Hanks said about Pulp Fiction while defending Forrest Gump against common criticism.
Tom Hanks Has High Praise for Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump was released in the same year as Quentin Tarantino’s independent crime film Pulp Fiction. The former stars Tom Hanks in the lead role and went on to become a major box office hit, grossing $679 million at the global box office.
Meanwhile, Pulp Fiction was also successful, collecting $213.9 million, and attaining critical acclaim. The two films were considered favorites for the Best Picture Oscar at the 67th Academy Awards. Forrest Gump ended up winning the award while many still believe that Pulp Fiction was robbed.
Despite this, Hanks had nothing but high praise for Tarantino’s work. During an interview with the New York Times in 2022, Hanks shared his thoughts on the crime film.
Every year there’s an article that goes, the movie that should have won Best Picture and it’s always Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece without a doubt.
Hanks made the above statement admitting that it was a close competition between both movies at the Oscars.
On the other hand, Quentin Tarantino was reportedly left slightly annoyed by losing to Forrest Gump for most of the awards season. However, Tarantino might feel better knowing that Hanks appreciated his work on Pulp Fiction and showered the film with praise.
Tom Hanks Defends Forrest Gump Against Common Criticism About the Oscar-Winning Movie
During the same interview, Hanks also defended Forrest Gump against the common criticism that the film was simply a nostalgia-fest and was extremely dull compared to Pulp Fiction. More recently, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan voiced his displeasure with the Hanks-led film, calling it preachy.
However, Hanks defended the movie by stating that while he understood why some viewers feel Pulp Fiction should have won Best Picture, he disagreed with the notion that Forrest Gump was boring. Addressing the criticism Hanks said:
There’s books of the greatest movies of all time, and Forrest Gump doesn’t appear because, oh, it’s this sappy nostalgia fest.
Hanks further added that despite his film being deemed a token of boomer nostalgia, there was something extremely moving about the film.
The actor argued that there was an undeniable heartbreaking humanity in the movie, which helped it rise above a simple nostalgia-fest and truly connect with the audiences. Hence, it is evident that Hanks disagrees with those who feel Forrest Gump did not deserve its Best Picture win.
Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction are available for streaming on Paramount+ and Max respectively.
