Shoes play an important role in Forrest Gump, from sparking Forrest's first conversation with Jenny to inspiring the line "Run, Forrest, run!" Costumes and hairstyles help show what phase of life characters like Jenny and Lieutenant Dan are in. The cinematography uses techniques like panning and zooming that match the energy of scenes like war or Forrest's running, and it embeds Forrest into real historical footage to personally connect viewers to events.