I grew up in an area of Chicago called Roseland. My childhood best friend (she lived 2 houses away) was a girl with the last name of Vrtis (our families still keep in touch).
Anyhooo.......the director of Forrest Gump and The Polar Express (Robert Zemekis) was one of the older Vrtis boys good friends. He grew up in this house only a block or so away from my grandmother's house. I probably met him when I was a kid.
Anyhooo......Does anyone know which Nic movie Zemekis ended up producing??