‘Forrest Gump’ to get Imax theatrical re-release for 20th anniversary

“Forrest Gump” is headed back to the big screen for its 20th anniversary — or, rather, the bigger screen. The weeklong September re-release will screen exclusively in Imax, with digitally remastered images and sound.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film, of course, stars Tom Hanks as the dimwitted but full-lived everyman Forrest Gump, a Southerner who somehow keeps ending up in a front-row seat for many of the most significant events in U.S. history from the 1950s through the 1980s: the civil rights movement, the assassinations of JFK and RFK, the moon landing, the Vietnam War, etc.

Originally released July 6, 1994, “Gump” was a huge hit, winning six Academy Awards — including best picture, actor and director — and grossing more than $675 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing film ever at the time.

For all its success and pop-culture endurance — we all know why life is like a box of chocolates, after all — “Gump” remains a surprisingly polarizing movie 20 years on. Where many see a heartwarming modern classic full of good old American values, others see a mawkish, manipulative baby-boomer fairy tale.

Moviegoers will have a chance to reevaluate when “Forrest Gump” returns to theaters Sept. 5.

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