| Abstract | The impact that movies have made on historical consciousness is a profound one. While they are often regarded as a representation of collective memory, it seems evident that movies and the images they transmit provide an important interpretive pattern for the perception of historical events. In this article, the author uses the commercially successful, history-based tragicomedy Forrest Gump (1994) as a point of departure to explore both the film and its reception. Feature films don’t belong to a collective cultural memory per se; they become part of it only when they significantly encompass a communicative, cultural, and political framework. Thus, film analysis is extended by looking at the context of its public distribution and reception. By drawing on a broad range of indicators – from ongoing academic debate to the film’s enduring popularity on Facebook and YouTube, this article shows why, even fifteen years after its release, Forrest Gump is still a powerful medium for cultural memory.
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