Life has a funny way of serving up unexpected collaborations, and 2024’s latest offering feels like it was cooked up in Hollywood’s most whimsical writers’ room. Tom Hanks — yes, that Tom Hanks — has stepped back into the world of Forrest Gump, this time sharing a bench with his son Chet in what might be the year’s most delightfully meta music video.
The younger Hanks, who’s been steadily carving his own path in Nashville’s country music scene as part of Something Out West, didn’t just dip his toe into the nostalgia pool — he dove right in. “You Better Run” (see what they did there?) serves up more Gump references than you can shake a box of chocolates at.
Picture this: Chet, decked out in that instantly recognizable gray suit and blue gingham combo his father wore nearly three decades ago, perched on that famous bench. The attention to detail is almost uncanny, down to the way he clutches that chocolate box like it holds all of life’s answers. But it’s what happens around the two-minute mark that really gets people talking.
That’s when Tom himself shows up, sporting shades and that unmistakable Hanks presence. The father-son bench session might be brief, but it speaks volumes about their relationship — both on and off camera. It’s touching without being saccharine, clever without trying too hard.
Something Out West, formed when Chet met Drew Arthur during their respective sobriety journeys, doesn’t stop at mere bench-sitting homages. Their video is packed with Easter eggs that’ll have Gump aficionados hitting pause repeatedly. There’s a boat christened Jenny (Robin Wright would be proud), recreated running sequences, and yes — random chocolate offerings to strangers. It’s simultaneously a music video and a cinematic love letter.
Rita Wilson — Chet’s mom and Tom’s better half — seems to have given the project her stamp of approval, dropping fire emojis on the video’s Instagram debut like a proud mama bear. Fan reaction has been equally enthusiastic, with comments ranging from the predictable “Run Forrest run!!!” to more thoughtful observations about the creative torch-passing at play.
The timing couldn’t be better for Something Out West, who recently inked a deal with Big Machine Records and dropped their debut single “Leaving Hollywood” earlier this year. This Gump-inspired follow-up suggests they’re savvy enough to leverage their Hollywood connections while blazing their own musical trail.
For Chet — currently appearing in Netflix’s Running Point and with credits in shows like Shameless and Empire — this musical venture adds another chapter to his creative story, following somewhat in the footsteps of his mother, who’s got her own country music credentials.
In an era where nepo baby discourse dominates entertainment headlines, there’s something refreshingly straightforward about this particular father-son collaboration. Rather than running from his father’s legacy, Chet Hanks has chosen to embrace it — with a knowing wink, a catchy tune, and his old man’s blessing. Sometimes life really is like that box of chocolates — you never know what you’re gonna get, but occasionally it turns out pretty sweet.
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