Context

This famous line is spoken by Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump (directed by Robert Zemeckis, 1994).

Hopefully you've never had to sit next to Forrest Gump on a bench: he'll talk your ear off for a good three hours, you'll miss your bus, and he'll offer you chocolates even though you have no idea where they came from. 

Kids, don't take candy from strangers.

Also, Forrest doesn't even get his mama's quote exactly right. Mama (played by Sally Field) uses a metaphor, saying "Life is a box of chocolates." Forrest turns it into a simile by adding "like." 

Looks like grammar is a box of chocolates with these two. You never know what figure of speech you're gonna get.

Where you've heard it

You hear this quote any time someone feels like dispensing fortune-cookie wisdom about the uncertainties of life, without any regard for the effect these chocolates are having on your teeth. Five out of five dentists disapprove of this quote.

We also think Pam's terrible impersonation of Forrest Gump on The Office is pretty funny.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

It's not pretentious, but it's just plain wrong. Seriously, what kind of chocolates are Forrest and his mama buying if they don't know what's in them? Don't they know you can flip over the lid and see what's inside each one?