Forrest Gump
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$276 – 337MM V $330MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
25.21 – 30.81%
Script Score
0.88
Forrest Gump is a 1994 movie inspired from a novel by Winston Groom. In the movie, Eric Roth explores basic human desires of Acceptance, Accumulation, and Status to build on an idea of a man with low IQ influencing several decades of American history.
1. The invisible plot structure of Forrest Gump
1A. The script of Forrest Gump borrows 99% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Forrest’s quest is driven by the desire to be accepted by a loved one and mirrors the tale of Theseus from Greek mythology. Just as Theseus wants King Aegeus to accept him as his son, Forrest wants Jenny to marry him.
Jenny’s quest is driven by the desire to collect & own and mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Jenny sacrifice even their loved ones to further their ambition.
Lt Dan’s quest is driven by the desire for respect and mirrors the tale of Joseph from Abrahamic mythology. Both Joseph & Lt Dan achieve success after being victims of misfortune.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 1,109
Tales interweaved
Theseus, Valmiki & Joseph
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Forrest Gump's plot structure: $276 – 337MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Forrest Gump
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Forrest Gump uses 3 universal quests of Acceptance, Accumulation, and Status.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Forrest mirrors the quest of Acceptance. Jenny mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Lt Dan mirrors the quest of Status.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Forrest borrows 40% events from the quest for Acceptance. Jenny borrows 56% from the quest for Accumulation. Lt Dan borrows 36% events from the quest for Status.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Forrest Gump’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Forrest & Jenny:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Forrest Gump
The depth of Jenny’s quest sets her apart, making her the most unforgettable character.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.88
Audience appeal
25.21 – 30.81%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Forrest Gump
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Forrest mirrors the universal quest for Acceptance
Forrest’s desire for Acceptance stems from the need to seeks approval of a loved one. The tale of Theseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Acceptance.
Quest 2: Jenny mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Jenny’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 3: Lt Dan mirrors the universal quest for Status
Lt Dan’s desire for Status stems from the need for social standing and respect. The tale of Joseph from Abrahamic mythology is the universal quest for Status.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
A powerful plot structure with no gaps.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Forrest Gump is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 1,109. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Theseus, Valmiki & Joseph.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 1,109.
Tags: Theseus, Joseph, Valmiki, Acceptance, Status, Accumulation, Eric Roth, Robert Zemeckis, The Tisch Company, Paramount Pictures, 1994