Running
Forrest runs a lot in the movie. Jenny is also seen running more than a few times. The most striking image of running occurs in the beginning, when Forrest and Jenny are interrupted by some school bullies, who chase Forrest on their bicycles. As he runs, Forrest's leg braces fall off and he picks up speed. It is an exciting image of a boy escaping his tormentors and feeling empowered.
Jenny and Forrest Praying
When Forrest goes to Jenny's house to see why she wasn't in school, she pulls him into the nearby cornfield and tells him to pray with her. Far away, Jenny's abusive father calls to her, while the two children kneel in the corn praying to be delivered from the harshness of the world. The camera zooms out from them, revealing the large field of corn in which they are sitting, two innocent souls in a big and complicated world.
Shrimp Boat
When Forrest sees Lieutenant Dan on the dock in the bayou, he is so excited to see his old friend that he jumps off the shrimp boat he captains and swims to shore, leaving the boat unattended. In the middle of Forrest's conversation with Dan, we see the boat in the background of the shot, crashing into a deck, a comic image to represent Forrest's absentmindedness.
Floating Feathers
The film opens with its most iconic image: the single feather floating through the air before landing between Forrest’s feet at which point he picks it up. The film ends with a feather between Forrest’s feet being picked up in the swirl of the wind and carried off into the air.
