Movies Filmed in South Carolina – Forrest Gump

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Overview

• Director – Robert Zemeckis
  
  
• Cast – Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise
  
  
• Genre – Comedy, Drama, Romance
  
  
• Plot – A low-IQ Forrest Gump accidentally takes part in some of the most important historical events of the 50s through the 70s, while his true love, Jenny, still eludes him.
  

SC Locations

• The Bayou Le Batre Hospital, which Forrest endows and is renamed the Gump Medical Center, is actually the front exterior of the USC Beaufort Performing Arts Center, located at 801 Carteret Street in downtown Beaufort.
  
  
• When Forrest goes on his cross-country run, the Woods Memorial Bridge, in downtown Beaufort and the Chowan Creek Bridge between Lady's Island and St. Helena Island both appear in the scenes. In fact, during the shooting, the Chowan Creek Bridge had a sign on it that read: "Welcome to Mississippi."
  
  
• The Gump boarding house run by Forrest's mother was actually built from scratch on private property in Colleton County and was fully functional. However, since it was built hastily and not to code, it had to be torn down after the shooting.
  
  
• Bubba's mother's house was actually an existing private residence on Alston Road, near Lucy Point Creek, which is on Lady's Island at the end of Sams Point Road (also SC 802).
  
  
• The shrimp boat hurricane scene was shot at the Port Royal SC Ports Authority Terminal and used a jet engine to simulate the wind.
  
  
• The scene where Forrest goes to the principal's office was filmed at Walterboro's Hampton Street Elementary School.
  
  
• Ocean Creek Golf Course on Fripp Island served as a backdrop for some of the Vietnam war scenes. Others were shot around the area on Hunting Island near the marshwalk.
  
  
• The majestic live oak featured in the movie is located at the entrance to the Carolina Shores subdivision, near the end of Carolina Avenue. To get there, you first have to take Bruce K. Smalls Drive, which intersects with US 21 just shy of the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station.
  
  
• Some scenes were shot at Bluff Plantation, which is located at 3547 Combahee Road near Yemassee.
  
  
• The majority of water shots involving the shrimp boat were shot on Lucy Point Creek, between Coosaw Island and Lady's Island, near Beaufort.
  
  
• The grate that young Forrest caught his foot in was located in Varnville. Other scenes shot there include the barber shop scenes, the scene with train going through the city, and Forrest's run down Main Street. (This info was contributed by Frank McClure of Varnville. Thanks, Frank!)
  
  
• Some scenes in the movie used the Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Church in McPhersonville in Hampton County as a backdrop.

Fun Facts

• Forrest's shrimp boat, which he affectionately calls "Jenny," once belonged to local Beaufort shrimper Jimmy Stanley. The boat is now on display at the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Downtown Disney, part of Disneyworld in Orlando.
  
  
• Bubba's mother was played by Marleena Smalls of Beaufort. Marleena's choir group "The Hallelujah Singers" was also featured in the movie.
  
  
• Deborah McTeer of Varnville took part in the filming of Forrest Gump. She describes her experience: "As a result of an audition in Charleston, I was chosen for the role of one of the 'bench-sitters' (the one with the small child) to whom Forrest tells his story in Forrest Gump. I was in Savannah, Georgia for a week filming the scenes at the bus stop. Before filming began, however, we met the director, the producers and Tom Hanks. I was struck by how genuinely friendly Hanks was. He consecutively shook hands with everyone and said 'Hi, I'm Tom Hanks,' to each of us in turn, even though we all knew perfectly well who he was."
  

More Resources

• Watch the trailer
  
  
• Photos of some of the shrimp boat scenes
  
  
• Shrimp Bites Hollywood - Forrest Gump and shrimp fishing and farming
  
  
• Forrest Gump information - Beaufort County Library
  
  
• Finding the locations for Forrest Gump
  

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