What Lawn Mower Did Forrest Gump Use In The Movie?

Though opinions can vary dramatically on such matters, many a cinephile still views 1995 Best Picture winner "Forrest Gump" stands as one of the best American films ever produced. Opinions aside, it was undeniably one of the biggest hits of the 1990s, and it earned Tom Hanks a spot among the pre-imminent dramatic actors of the day.

Hanks won his second consecutive Best Actor statue — after 1993's "Philadelphia" — for his work in the title role, portraying the simple-minded but stout-hearted Forrest with an almost nonchalant earnestness. The role, of course, required Hanks to perform several on-screen tasks himself, and as his shrimping-magnate was a fan of a clean-cult lawn, and helped maintain the grass covering Greenbaugh, Alabama's municipal landscapes, Hanks was seen piloting an old-school riding lawn mower in several scenes throughout "Forrest Gump."  

If you recall, Gump cut those lawns, as well as his own, astride a Snapper Rear Engine Rider. That is not merely a clever case of product placement by the film's producers. Nor is it a coincidence, as Snapper was one of the biggest brands in the lawn mower market when Forrest undertook his lawn care duties, and the rear-engine rider — a welcome alternative to the larger and more expensive lawn tractor — would've been considered a state of the art machine for that era. The detail stands as one of many that helped make "Forrest Gump" feel authentic even in its many flights of historical fancy. 

If you were alive and aware of the lawn mower market in the 1960s through the 1980s, it's likely you may have used a Snapper of some sort to mow your own lawn. If, however, you've never heard of Snapper lawn mowers, it may be because the company fell on hard times in the 1990s, in no small part due to the rise in cheaper market competitors.

Prior to its downfall, however, Snapper was a legit force of innovation in the lawn mower arena, with its aptly-titled "Snapping Turtle" model becoming one of the first self-propelled lawn mowers manufactured for residential use. That mower was Snapper's first, and it hit the market in 1951. Eleven years later, Snapper changed the game again with the Rear Riding Mower. After decades of success, Snapper was acquired by legendary small engine maker Briggs & Stratton in 2004, with B&S keeping Snapper in the lawn care game for almost two more decades.

By the end of the 2010s, Briggs & Stratton had run into its own financial issues and was plotting to sell Snapper itself. It never got the chance, filing for Chapter 11 in 2020. In 2023, B&S announced it was ending production of the Snapper brand in North America. Less than two years later, however, the brand made its market return via Briggs & Stratton's licensing deal with Daye North America. These days, Snapper mowers are again being sold by major retailers throughout the market, and are once-again ranked among the best brands in the business.