For years, Robin Wright's character Jenny from Forrest Gump has been branded as "anti-feminist" for her role as a woman who has had a history of child abuse which contributed to her drug use, sex work and eventually led to her death.
In a new interview with The New York Times during her promotions for Here where the Forrest Gump duo had reunited for, Wright was asked whether Jenny was “punished for her choices” and if the role is “anti-feminist.”
"No! It’s not about that," Wright said. "People have said she’s a Voldemort to Forrest. I wouldn’t choose that as a reference, but she was kind of selfish. I don’t think it’s a punishment that she gets AIDS. She was so promiscuous — that was the selfishness that she did to Forrest."
She added, "He was in love with her from Day 1. And she was just flighty and running and doing coke and hooking up with a Black Panther. And then she gets sick and says, ‘This is your child. But I’m dying.’ And he still takes her: ‘I’ll take care of you at Mama’s house.’ I mean, it’s the sweetest love story."
Tom Hanks, who starred as Forrest, also joined the discussion, expressing relief that a Forrest Gump sequel was never attempted. “It is this extraordinary amalgam that stands completely on its own,” he stated, appreciating the timeless quality of the film’s legacy. According to Hanks, revisiting the characters or storyline would have risked diminishing the original’s unique impact.
Three decades after Forrest Gump, Wright and Hanks had starred together in Here which has them playing a married couple. It is a sweeping drama, based on the graphic novel by Richard McGuire that explores the lives of multiple families over generations, encapsulating the essence of human experiences. The film has used AI to face-swap and de-age the actors in real time. The film received mixed reviews upon release.