The work of Norman Rockwell had a very important influence on Robert Zemeckis' 1994 classic Forrset Gump.
I wanted to link an interview with a direct quote to support the claim, but I cannot find a specific an contextualized statement, so take my word for it.
But I think it's pretty evident.
The most overt visual quote is probably this one:
being clearly influenced by the 1953 painting "Outside the Principal's Office"
(it has been admitted by the filmmakers: check out Zemeckis and producer Steve Starkey's audio commentary on Forrest Gump's DVD).
But it does not stop there.
For instance, to me Forrest's very appearance is very reminiscent of Rockwell's beloved "Breaking Home Ties": notice the similar haircut and the subtle use of the U.S. flag colors in both images.
And even when not quoting directly any painting, some scenes have a very rockwellesque feel to them.
I also think that the way the character of Lieutenant Dan (last descendant to a long line of soldiers) is introduced hearkens back to the many paintings of the fighting Gillies, a fictional dynasty of all-american patriots.
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Although admittedly, Zemeckis' take on patriotism is a little more satirical and makes for a funnier visual gag.
https://youtu.be/gh2DzGccvJc?t=2m44s
Rockwell has been criticized both for his sentimentality and for his stubborn dedication to realism. Even when compared to other commercial illustrators working in a realistic style, his work has been dismissed as stale, or lacking grit and vitality.
I do not share those feelings. Even putting aside the sheer draftsmanship he possessed, and uncanny ability to depict human reactions, he was incredibly skilled in the art of STAGING a picture.
He took his job as an ILLUSTRATOR quite seriously, and the way he chose the colors, the lighting, the framing, the props, the faces was meticulously crafted and arranged (and THAT takes skill) with the reader in mind.
He didn't not want you to appriciate the craft, he wanted you to immerse yourself in the scene.
Not surprisingly director Steven Speilberg is both a fan and a collector of rockwell's work and quoted it in several of his movies as well.
Like Rockwell, Spielberg is an absolute virtuoso in his field. The staging an camera work in his movies are among the best in the business, but they are NEVER meant to be noticed. Spielberg does not want you to admire his technical prowess, he wants you to buy in to the story.
Rockwell is also far less cheesy than he's often accused of being. While at a first glance there seems to be a directness to the stories they are telling, there is a surprising amount of ambiguity and "openness" to them.
They could make for some interesting material in a thematic apperception projective test, and the different takes different people may have at many of them could be surprising.
What is unmistakable is Rockwell feeling for the humane and his lack of cynicism.
Rather tellingly, Rockwell collaboration with the Saturday Evening Post coincided with the shooting of president Kennedy in November 1963.
Check out this video where Spielberg and George Lucas explain their fascination with Rockwell:
Other pages worth checking:
https://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/breaking-home-ties-sketch-masterpiece/
https://paintinglifestories.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-two-norman-rockwells.html
I wanted to link an interview with a direct quote to support the claim, but I cannot find a specific an contextualized statement, so take my word for it.
But I think it's pretty evident.
The most overt visual quote is probably this one:
being clearly influenced by the 1953 painting "Outside the Principal's Office"
(it has been admitted by the filmmakers: check out Zemeckis and producer Steve Starkey's audio commentary on Forrest Gump's DVD).
But it does not stop there.
For instance, to me Forrest's very appearance is very reminiscent of Rockwell's beloved "Breaking Home Ties": notice the similar haircut and the subtle use of the U.S. flag colors in both images.
And even when not quoting directly any painting, some scenes have a very rockwellesque feel to them.
I also think that the way the character of Lieutenant Dan (last descendant to a long line of soldiers) is introduced hearkens back to the many paintings of the fighting Gillies, a fictional dynasty of all-american patriots.
Although admittedly, Zemeckis' take on patriotism is a little more satirical and makes for a funnier visual gag.
https://youtu.be/gh2DzGccvJc?t=2m44s
Rockwell has been criticized both for his sentimentality and for his stubborn dedication to realism. Even when compared to other commercial illustrators working in a realistic style, his work has been dismissed as stale, or lacking grit and vitality.
I do not share those feelings. Even putting aside the sheer draftsmanship he possessed, and uncanny ability to depict human reactions, he was incredibly skilled in the art of STAGING a picture.
He took his job as an ILLUSTRATOR quite seriously, and the way he chose the colors, the lighting, the framing, the props, the faces was meticulously crafted and arranged (and THAT takes skill) with the reader in mind.
He didn't not want you to appriciate the craft, he wanted you to immerse yourself in the scene.
Not surprisingly director Steven Speilberg is both a fan and a collector of rockwell's work and quoted it in several of his movies as well.
Like Rockwell, Spielberg is an absolute virtuoso in his field. The staging an camera work in his movies are among the best in the business, but they are NEVER meant to be noticed. Spielberg does not want you to admire his technical prowess, he wants you to buy in to the story.
Rockwell is also far less cheesy than he's often accused of being. While at a first glance there seems to be a directness to the stories they are telling, there is a surprising amount of ambiguity and "openness" to them.
They could make for some interesting material in a thematic apperception projective test, and the different takes different people may have at many of them could be surprising.
What is unmistakable is Rockwell feeling for the humane and his lack of cynicism.
Rather tellingly, Rockwell collaboration with the Saturday Evening Post coincided with the shooting of president Kennedy in November 1963.
Check out this video where Spielberg and George Lucas explain their fascination with Rockwell:
Other pages worth checking:
https://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/breaking-home-ties-sketch-masterpiece/
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