Cast Away (2000)

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Director: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Tom Hanks (Chuck), Helen Hunt (Kelly)

I decided to stick on a film, one that would satisfy my urge to be intrigued, to laugh and to cry. I chose a film I had seen previously because I know what I am getting myself into - Cast Away.

For starters, what other actor can you sit and watch for the majority of a film, alone on an island? Ninety percent of the film is of Tom Hanks himself and boy, does he know how to hold a film. He makes me laugh when he is discovering how to survive on the island and can make me cry when expressing his loss of his ex-lover Kelly for the second time.

The film itself touches upon human behaviour, survival instinct, love, determination and adaptability. It has so many factors it is hard to find a flaw in this film.

Photo Credit

My favourite aspect of the film is Chuck's yearning for a companion when he is stranded on the island. The fact is, it is human nature to set up home, a comfortable setting that puts you at ease and it is that same nature that requires us to stay sane by finding a way to communicate, even on an inhabitable island. Wilson (the ball with the blood hand-print for a face) is Chuck's sanity and companionship. It is his reason for surviving four years and his escape from the island. Wilson is his best friend.

The scene where Chuck has to choose between his raft and Wilson is painstaking as you feel his anguish in making this decision. Wilson helped him in so many ways but he knew what he had to do to ensure his survival.

Another great scene from the film is when Kelly runs back to Chuck and tells him he is the love of her life. However she chooses her husband and child over Chuck. This scene makes me cry so much because Chuck waited four years to see Kelly and in that time he used her as a reason to carry on living and breathing. She was his hope mechanism that ensured his survival (along with the enigmatic Wilson). She had moved on and he had lost her all over again.

You really want her to just ditch her new life and run away with Chuck but as an adult she made a painful but mature decision. I am a romantic and would say 'screw that' and take my child and run but hey, that's just me! I like to follow my heart and hate smart decisions!

''I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly. But I'm so grateful that she was with me on that island. And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?''

Beautiful film with everything you could want. I can watch this film hundreds of times and still feel the same about it. Tom Hanks is a truly great actor and worthy of my Top 10 Actors of all time, especially thanks to this film. He dedicated himself to the role by gaining weight to film the first half of the film and then taking a year to grow his hair and beard and lose weight to add authenticity to the role. He went back to looking like a young Tom Hanks in Big (1988). 

This film will always get a thumbs up from me and although this is not a new release I will rate it an 9/10. Great viewing, over and over again!