Netflix Just Removed ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘You’ve Got Mail’

Netflix dropped two of Tom Hanks’ most popular movies this past week — Forrest Gump and You’ve Got Mail. Both movies were scheduled to leave the streaming service on Sunday, July 31, and sure enough, they are gone now.

Netflix publishes a bittersweet list every month advertising which movies and TV shows are joining the catalog while warning of which ones are leaving as well. Sadly, that included these two classics in July. You can still find You’ve Got Mail on HBO Max at the time of this writing and Forrest Gump on Paramount+. Other than that, you’ll need to find a hard copy or rent or purchase these movies from a digital storefront.

For many fans, Forrest Gump is probably Hanks’ most iconic role as an actor. He plays a man who has an unspecified mental disability — the closest the film comes to diagnosing Forrest is to say that he has a “low I.Q.” This makes it an interesting movie to rewatch, as some viewers find the depiction of disability offensive because of its ambiguity these days. Many also feel that Hanks should not have been the one to take this role and that an actor with authentic disabilities of some kind could have done just as well.

Regardless, Forrest Gump remains iconic for its depiction of contemporary American history and its straightforward approach to sad story topics. The movie has an all-star cast including Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field and Haley Joel Osment, among others.

Meanwhile, You’ve Got Mail is a rom-com starring Hanks and Meg Ryan as rival bookstore owners in New York City unaware that they are corresponding anonymously on the burgeoning internet. Despite being at odds in their careers they gradually fall for one another. This movie is famous for holding up in spite of its dated technological references, and perhaps the hyper-specific nostalgia it inspires is a part of its longevity.