Posted on 09/17/2020 2:52:08 PM PDT by Borges
Winston Groom, the writer, historian and University of Alabama graduate whose novel "Forrest Gump" became a pop-culture phenomenon, selling 1.7 million copies on the strength of its adaptation into an iconic, six-Oscar-winning 1994 movie, died Thursday at the age of 77. A representative of the mayor's office in Fairhope, where he had been living with his wife Susan, confirmed his passing.
As a proud Alabama alumnus, Groom also compiled and wrote the massive 2002 University of Alabama Press book "The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at the University of Alabama" and an updated 2010 second version, "The Crimson Tide: The Official Illustrated History of Alabama Football, National Championship Edition."
Groom's other novels include "Better Times Than These," "As Summers Die," "Only," "Gone the Sun," "Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl" and the 2016 "El Paso," along with numerous nonfiction books largely based around military history.
Though scripts went through many iterations before finally going to camera, one facet of Groom's book director Robert Zemeckis kept was the framework of Gump narrating, looking back on his life.
Groom drew the idea for the book from a story his father told him about a neighbor's child who, despite mental challenges, displayed savant behavior. Inspired, Groom pushed aside another project and wrote "Forrest Gump" in a six-week burst of energy.
Born March 23, 1944, in Washington, D.C., and raised in Mobile County, Groom originally intended to follow his father into law but turned toward writing in college while penning humor and editing for the Alabama publication Mahout.
After graduation from Alabama with an English degree in 1965 and a tour of duty in Vietnam, Groom worked as a reporter for the Washington Star but retired from daily journalism to write fiction. After moving to New York City, he completed his first novel, "Better Times Than These," set in the Vietnam War, published in 1978. Following those were novels "As Summers Die" in 1980, and "Only" in 1984. With Duncan Spencer, he co-wrote 1983's "Conversations with the Enemy: The Story of PFC Robert Garwood," a work of creative nonfiction which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. "As Summers Die" also drew some attention from Hollywood, being adapted as a 1986 TV movie starring Scott Glenn, Jamie Lee Curtis and Bette Davis.
When Groom received the 2011 Harper Lee Award, Jeanie Thompson, executive director of the Alabama Writers Forum, first-hand saw his graciousness as he engaged with readers at a signing after the awards ceremony.
"If they wanted to tell him a story about why somebody liked 'Forrest Gump,' or why somebody loved his football book, he would always stop and listen," Thompson said. "That doesn't always happen with famous writers."
He died on a Thursday.
I read something of his. A Storm in Flanders. About Ypres in WWI.
“Worst movie”?
You two must not have seen many movies.
Barbarella, for instance?
Back in the 90’s I had a few conversations with Winston Groom while he was staying at High Hampton in Cashiers, NC. Her and I were ‘grunts’ in Vietnam at about the same time. When I learned (after our first conversation) who he was, I confessed that I had neither read his book nor seen the movie and asked him which should be first. He thought a bit, then replied, “ See the movie first. “
My wife & I just finished listening to the audio book copy of his “The Aviators”, a great biography of Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Dolittle and Charles Lindberg. Excellent!
We are now listening to “The Generals” about MacArthur, Patton and George C. Marshall. Again, a well researched, enjoyable book.
It’s one of my top five favorite movies. The characters were composites of people I met in life, even Jenny and Bubba. The music added power to many scenes. It was also hilarious in parts. I watch it Every time it comes on.
I saw Forrest Gump in the theater without knowing anything about it.
It is one of only a few movies that I didn’t want to end.
RIP.
I enjoyed the movie very much. I’m not a psychiatrist (nor do I play one on tv) but I think that those who hate the movie have a phobia being around mentally challenged people. When my wife taught school (substitute), she loved the resource room for special kids while others shunned it like a leper colony.
Thank you so much for the ping!
t
Way too long and rambling. I did like Lt Dan. I really disliked the girlfriend angle. She spurns Forrest and then screws around the world and when all that tumbles down she comes back to him. Just really rubbed me the wrong way. I am a woman and have seen other women do this more than once.
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