Cast Away (2000)
Adventure | Drama

Tagline: At the edge of the world, his journey begins.

Tom Hanks "gives one of the towering screen performances of all time" (New York Post) in this inspiring tale about survival of the human spirit. Tom Hanks stars as Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ends when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck struggles to meet the basic needs of survival, he discovers that his true personal journey, has only just begun…

User Comment: Gazzer-2 USA • A globetrotting Fed-Ex employee named Chuck (Tom Hanks), after kissing his sweetheart Kelly (Helen Hunt) goodbye at the airport, hops onto a Fed-Ex plane that eventually runs into major trouble during a fierce storm, and plummets into the sea. The plane's crew all perish, but Chuck is miraculously washed ashore on a deserted island, where he must fend for himself, using only the island's elements at his disposal, as well as some Fed-Ex packages that wash ashore from the plane wreckage....

Remember the great sci-fi cult classic from the early 60's, "Robinson Crusoe On Mars," about a U.S. astronaut stranded all alone on the red planet? "Cast Away" seems to borrow somewhat from this film, with a few changes. Instead of futuristic gadgets to work with, our hero has Fed-Ex packages. Instead of an adorable wooly monkey & an alien slave for company, our stranded protagonist has a volleyball that he draws a face on, names it Wilson (get it?), and talks to it. Personally, I prefer "Robinson Crusoe On Mars"---it's more interesting & fun, and has a stronger story. But I'll give "Cast Away" credit where credit is due: despite being a disjointed film, it is Tom Hanks' terrific performance as Chuck that makes "Cast Away" the absorbing film that it is.

For the big middle section of "Cast Away," the movie is basically The Tom Hanks Show: he's all that we see for the large second act of the film (which spans four years). There's lots of quiet time in this part of the film, too---Hanks doesn't speak very much (at least, not at first) as he struggles to survive on the island. And yet, as he goes from being washed ashore, to scouting out the island, to collecting the packages that wash up on the beach, to figuring out how to make fire and get food, to talking to his volleyball chum Wilson, etc., Hanks remains very compelling in the role of Chuck throughout. With any other actor in the role, this film could've been a major snoozefest. But with Hanks at it's center, you remain absorbed in his adventure (and needless to say, Hanks has got another well-deserved Oscar nomination headed his way with this one). And kudos to director Robert Zemeckis for his skillful direction of his star, as well as his incredible photography.

If "Cast Away" has any faults, it's that the film is a bit disjointed in it's storytelling, and the final portion of the film goes on a little too long. Unfortunately, I can't go into any of this without heading into spoiler territory. But in the end, what it all comes down to is this: your enjoyment of "Cast Away" primarily depends on whether or not you care about Tom Hanks' Fed-Ex man and what happens to him. Me? I DID care about this guy and what happens to him. Therefore, despite being imperfect, "Cast Away" still gets a solid recommendation from me. It's Tom's show all the way, and it's a good one.

Summary: Live, From A Deserted Island, It's The Tom Hanks Show!

--- JOYA ---

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