Forrest Gump's son, played by Haley Joel Osment, may not be the biological son of Tom Hanks' titular savant - according to one fan theory. A cornerstone of American storytelling, any challenge to the integrity of Forrest Gump can feel like an attack on a family member. This is especially true for ideas concerning Forrest and Jenny, who spend most of the film as star-crossed lovers. 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.
Forrest Gump's sweet relationship with Forrest Jr. is one of the film's most poignant moments since it also accompanies Jenny's passing - but is Forrest Jr. really his son? Similar to other Forrest Gump fan theories, there's plenty of evidence behind this one, including a lack of confirmation that Forrest and Jenny had sex, the sketchy timeline of events, and Jenny's behavior when she and Forrest reunite after much time had passed. At the same time, there's also plenty of reason to believe that Forrest Gump's Jenny was telling the truth about her son's father. Here's the theory broken down, as well as why it might not be true.
Forrest Gump Never Showed Forrest Jr.'s Conception
This final sequence in their relationship calls into question the biological relationship between Forrest Gump's son and the titular character. For one thing, the filmmakers don't explicitly demonstrate that Forrest Gump and Jenny's relationship was ever consummated. 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.
When Forrest Jr. Is Conceived According To The Movie
The timeline of Jenny's meetings with Forrest raises further questions about when Forrest Gump's son would have been conceived. 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 the next steps in a healthy environment, free from judgment.
Jenny was also clearly burdened with the trauma experienced by young Jenny in Forrest Gump's earlier scenes. Soon after, Jenny leaves Forrest - in line with her eternal free spirit, or maybe rather because of the guilt that she feels for having saddled Forrest with this responsibility without his knowing. When she returns again to the well-traveled Forrest Gump, it's possible she was simply setting up the best life for her son in preparation for her imminent passing.
Debunking The Forrest Jr. Theory
The simple fact complicating 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. Curiously, the Forrest Gump novel by Winston Groom ends with Jenny raising her and Forrest Gump's son with a man who is none the wiser, a secret shared between Forrest and Jenny.
Ultimately, this theory is 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 real father (genealogy aside).
The Scrapped Sequel Would Have Explored Forrest Being A Parent
There were initially plans to make Forrest Gump 2 based on Winston Groom's second book, Gump & Co. As well as portraying Forrest's life through major American events of the '80s and '90s, the sequel would have also featured an older version of his son and explored Forrest's journey through parenthood. This would most likely have gone over quite well with audiences given how heartwarming Forrest Jr. and Forrest Gump's ending scene is, and the pair would doubtless have gotten up to some mischief, too.
However, the sequel film never came to pass, as scriptwriter Eric Roth turned in his finished adaptation on September 10, 2001. After the following day's catastrophic events, he, Hanks, and director Robert Zemeckis sat down and agreed that Forrest Gump's story wouldn't feel relevant anymore. As a result, the original Forrest Gump provides the only insight audiences will get into what the beloved character is like as a father.
Forrest Jr's True Father Is One Of Many Forrest Gump Theories
Forrest Gump's son being fathered by someone else - and Jenny hiding it from Forrest - isn't even close to being the wildest theory about Robert Zemeckis' 1994 blockbuster. Perhaps the most notorious of these fan theories is the one positing that Forrest Gump is actually dead. Citing the impossibility of Forrest Gump's historical events and the man's incredible feats, some viewers believe that Forrest's life was only possible because it was dreamed up by a kid with leg braces who was beaten to death by his bullies.
Arguably even darker than the theory that Forrest Gump is dead, another speculates that he is being investigated by the law for nefarious activities, and that he's telling his story to the townspeople in order to curry their favor. Meanwhile, somewhat related to the theory about Forrest Gump's son, another more harmless theory wonders whether Forrest's stories are true or if he just made them up to impress Jenny. Though these theories seem morbid, pessimistic, or even downright offensive to the movie's legacy, they also clearly underscore how Forrest Gump remains one of most influential movies starring Tom Hanks, even though it's been nearly 30 years since it was first released.