I knew two things walking into this movie, that it had great Oscar buzz, and that Tom Hanks had to physically prepare to make this movie. That to me made Cast Away a must see for me. I remember seeing Tom on various television talk shows in the past where he had been growing a beard. This was in preparation for shooting this movie. They said that they time to make his beard artificially would take too long so Tom decided to grow a natural beard out of his own hair. He must have really believed in this movie to do such a daring thing like that. His hard worked paid off as I witnessed last night, a movie that went out on a limb and grabbed the audience’s hearts and their feelings. This was a movie like none other.
Cast Away
From the trailer, I got the impression that when Tom gets back home from the island and meets with Helen Hunt that the movie would be over with. In fact, this is not what happened. Don’t worry; I did not give away any crucial parts of the movie because it was in the trailer. His time on the island was long and full of vigorous work in order to survive.
The Story
The movie starts out with a Fed-Ex delivery to a rural area in the country. The movie does not specify where this place is. Anyway, they pick-up a package that has angel wings on it. This package was sent to the shipping department in Russia. Tom Hanks was sent there to do some work at that department. He returns home to his Fiancé Helen Hunt. After a Christmas dinner with her family, Tom gets a beep saying that he has to do some business and must leave immediately. Before he leaves, he gives her an engagement ring. She gives him an old railroad watch with her picture in it. He then leaves for his plane.
While on the plane, turbulence occurs and awakes him. He checks to see what’s wrong and learns that the storm that they were currently traveling in was disrupting their radio contact with the air traffic controllers. He buckles up for a crash-landing over treacherous waters. His inflatable lifeboat eventually washes him ashore to an island that is inhabitable. That’s right, there is no one to talk to. So how did Tom Hanks keep this movie going with no one to talk to? Well, when cutting his hand, he hit a volleyball that he opened from a Fed-Ex package and he noticed that a face pattern was imprinted on it from his blood.
Since he has no one to talk to, he names the ball Wilson after the sporting good company “Wilson”. These scenes with him talking to Wilson are hilarious and make the movie move. At the same time you are laughing, you feel bad for him because this is the only source of communication that he has.
He figures out what day it is and where he is on a map so he can save himself. He figures out that in about a month and a half, that the tide would be high and therefore, he would be pulled out into the ocean leaving him better odds to getting to salvation. On the trip there on the raft, Wilson falls off of the raft. This is a very dramatic moment in the movie. This was his only friend for four years. He has gone a little crazy and starts to cry after several attempts of going him for him. I felt so bad for him.
A huge ship sails past his raft and eventually picks him up. He returns home to a big celebration in his honor of surviving. He finds out that his wife has married someone else. He is heartbroken and confronts her about it later that night. They are both scared and happy at the same time. After some mushy lines that are about romance and their relationship and what it could have been, they realize that it couldn’t work if they tried. She had a kid and a husband. They decide not to leave with each other.
He goes back to that house that we first saw in the beginning of the movie. With him was the box with the angel wings on it. He keeps this box with him at all times when he was on the island and when he was being rescued. He claims that that very box saved his life. He returns it to her only to find his self at an intersection in the road. Which way should he go? The wind gave a gust and he was on his way.
I’m sorry if I gave the whole movie away, but I fairly warned you when I said that this movie revealed everything about it. So how good was this movie? Lets see how Cast Away stacks up. Ratings are from one to five stars.
Here’s The Breakdown
Story ****
At first I would say that the movie was a good cure for insomnia and throughout the movie there were some uneventful holes that made the movie boring. It’s a good thing that some of the scenes stole the show. There was nothing better than those scenes when he was talking to Wilson. It was a great story but the way that they first presented it could have been better.
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Acting *****
I’m serious, Wilson should win best supporting actor for his great silent acting as the volleyball. On a more serious note, I would say that Tom Hanks is Oscar worthy for this movie. His silent scenes were pulled off nicely. The scene when he makes fire was great! And I thought that this movie might not be good because of the lack of dialogue. If anyone could have pulled a project like this off, it is Tom Hanks.
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Overall ****
Oh man, this was a strong four stars. I have very little complaints about this movie other than it was sometimes slow especially in the beginning. Please don’t let this turn you off to this movie though. It was at times funny, compelling, suspenseful and deep. This movie does not compel me to see it again like I have done with so many other movies although I might rent it when it comes out on video. Nevertheless, see this movie. Any fan of a good movie will be glad they did.
Bottom Line: See this movie. Best Actor: Tom Hanks
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-SParkfan77
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