Forrest Gump’s Son Isn’t Actually His Child – Theory Explained

Tom Hanks and Haley Joel Osment make an endearing father-son duo at the end of Forrest Gump, but is it possible that Forrest, Jr. isn’t his daddy’s biological child? A fan theory would suggest there’s ample reason to question young Jr.’s parentage, including a lack of confirmation that Forrest and Jenny did the deed, the sketchy timeline of events, and Jenny’s behavior when she and Forrest reunite after such time had passed. Of course, Forrest Gump has developed such a reputation as a cornerstone of American storytelling that any challenge to the integrity of its lead character can feel like an attack on a family member. Still, the theory is worth pursuing, if only as a thought experiment.

Forrest and Jenny grow up as close friends, but the two could not have had more different upbringings. Despite living in a broken and abusive household, Jenny is always able to find a friend who understands her in Forrest, and Forrest takes shelter in that friendship from troubles of his own. They grow apart for the bulk of the film’s second act. Jenny lives a wild and tumultuous life, serving as a cypher for the zeitgeist of the turbulent late-60s and the aimlessness of later decades. Forrest, meanwhile, unwittingly excels at most prototypical American pursuits as a result of his direct and honest work ethic and personality, bolstering Forrest Gump‘s reputation as a tour of American history. In the end, however, Jenny finds her way back to Forrest, and the two rendezvous before separating yet again. It’s only when she returns a second time, a child in tow, that Forrest discovers he has a son, and that he’s going to lose a partner.

Related: Forrest Gump’s Original Casting Plan Would’ve Been Much Worse

This final sequence in their relationship calls into question the authenticity of Forrest being the father of Jenny’s son. For one thing, the filmmakers don’t explicitly demonstrate that he and Jenny consummate their relationship. It’s hardly likely Forrest has even had adequate experience to understand such a process. Not only is he almost certainly a virgin, but he grew up in a region devoid of comprehensive sex education. Though there’s certainly precedent for using cinematic shorthand in lieu of actual sex scenes,  the deed is suggested if not confirmed here. Anyone who’s followed Game of Thrones knows that if something isn’t shown for certain onscreen, there’s every chance it didn’t happen (see: Brienne of Tarth kills The Hound).

Furthermore, the timeline of Jenny’s meetings with Forrest raises further questions. When she originally returns to him, Forrest describes how she sleeps and sleeps for days—possibly indicative of an ongoing pregnancy. Perhaps Jenny, upon discovering she was pregnant, sought refuge from her former lifestyle in the care of a trusted friend, where she could determine next steps in a healthy environment, free from judgment. She leaves him soon thereafter, in line with her eternal free spirit, or maybe rather because of the guilt she feels for having saddled Forrest with this responsibility without his knowing. When she returns again to the well-travelled Forrest, it’s possible she was simply setting up the best life for her son in preparation for her imminent passing.

The simple fact that complicates this theory lies in the child’s name: Forrest, Jr. It’s difficult to imagine she’d have named him after Forrest (especially with the Jr. denotation) if she’d delivered and raised the child with a different father. With the way in which Jenny is portrayed through much of the film’s second act, it’s possible she didn’t know who Jr.’s father was, and therefore decided she’d name him after (and eventually deliver him to) the most responsible, unimpeachable person she knew in her life.

What’s more—this theory is ultimately rendered moot by the simple fact that Forrest accepts Jr. as a son with no questions asked. Much like the rest of his life, Forrest is direct, honest, and unwaveringly kind in handling Jenny’s death and Forrest, Jr.’s upbringing. At the end of the day, Forrest is his son’s father—genealogy aside. The relationship makes for a heartwarming end to one of the most heartwarming stores in the American cinematic canon: Forrest Gump.

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