Cast Away
Overview
Cast Away is a 2000 survival drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, a FedEx executive who is stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. The film is set in the South Pacific. Chuck is a workaholic, a man who is obsessed with time and efficiency. He is engaged to Kelly (Helen Hunt), a woman who loves him but is frustrated by his constant absences. His plane crashes, and he is the only survivor. He washes up on a remote island. He has no food, no water, and no shelter. He is alone. The film follows Chuck's four years on the island. He learns to survive: he cracks coconuts, he catches fish, he makes fire, and he builds a shelter. He also creates a companion: a Wilson volleyball, which he paints a face on and talks to. Wilson becomes his only friend, his confidant, and his sanity. The film is a meditation on loneliness, survival, and the human spirit. The middle section of the film, which is almost dialogue-free, is a tour de force for Tom Hanks. He loses 50 pounds, and he performs his own stunts. The film ends with Chuck escaping the island on a raft. He is rescued, but he learns that Kelly has married someone else and has a child. He accepts his loss, and he delivers a package that he kept with him on the island. He stands at a crossroads, looking at a map, and he smiles. Cast Away was a critical and commercial success, earning over $429 million worldwide. Tom Hanks was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film is a powerful and moving exploration of what it means to be human.
