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Tom Hanks does a superb job of carrying "Cast Away" all by himself for about two-thirds of its running time, but isn't much helped by additional characters in the opening and closing sequences. Here is a strong and simple story surrounded by needless complications, and flawed by a last act that first disappoints us and then ends on a note of forced whimsy.

Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a time-obsessed Federal Express executive who troubleshoots all over the world, arranging hurry-up package transfers in Moscow before flying off to solve problems in Asia. Helen Hunt plays his fiancee, Kelly Frears, who tries her best to accept a man ruled by a beeper. She comes from clock-watching stock, and for Christmas gives Chuck her grandfather's railroad watch.

Noland hitches a ride on a FedEx flight across the Pacific, which is blown off course before crashing after an onboard explosion. That seems like two catastrophes when one would have done, but director Bob Zemeckis uses the storm for scenes of in-flight fear, wisely following Alfred Hitchcock's observation that from a suspense point of view, an explosion is over before you get your money's worth.

Spoiler alert: If you have not seen ads for the movie, read no further.

Noland survives the crash, and floats in a life raft to a deserted island. And . . . am I telling too much of the story? I doubt it, since the trailers and commercials for this movie single-mindedly reveal as much of the plot as they can, spoiling any possible suspense. Not only do they tell you he gets off the island, they tell you what happens then. What am I to do? Pretend you haven't seen the ad, or discuss what we all know happens? The early scenes are essentially busy work. Exotic locales like Moscow add a little interest to details about Noland's job. An airport farewell to the fiancee is obligatory, including the inevitable reassurances about how Chuck will be right back and they'll have a wonderful New Year's Eve. Then the crash.

The movie's power and effect center on the island. Chuck, the time-and-motion man, finds himself in a world without clocks, schedules, or much of a future. There's something wonderfully pathetic about the way he shouts "Hello? Anybody?" at the sand and trees. Those are his last words for a time, as he tries to remember childhood lessons about firemaking and shelter construction. Then there's a four-year flash-forward and we see the formerly plump Chuck as a gaunt, skinny survivor. (Zemeckis shut down the movie while Hanks lost weight.) I find it fascinating when a movie just watches somebody doing something. Actual work is more interesting than most plots. Chuck splits coconuts, traps fish, builds fires, and makes use of the contents of several FedEx boxes that washed up with him (too bad nobody was mailing K-rations). And he paints a face on a volleyball and names it Wilson--a device which, not incidentally, gives him an excuse for talking out loud.

Hanks proves here again what an effective actor he is, never straining for an effect, always persuasive even in this unlikely situation, winning our sympathy with his eyes and his body language when there's no one else on the screen.

I liked every scene on the island and wanted more of them. There's a lovely moment when he squats on the ground, contemplating a crate that has washed up, and the shot is composed as homage to " 2001: A Space Odyssey ," Hanks' favorite film. I also liked the details of his escape. A shot of the giant bow of an ocean tanker, looming over his raft, could have been the setup for the movie to end. But no. As the trailers incredibly reveal, he returns home, where. . . .

Well, I can't bring myself to say, just on the chance you're still reading and don't know. Let's say that the resolution of an earlier story strand is meant to be poignant and touching, but comes across flat and anticlimactic. And that the smile at the end of the film seems a little forced.

I would have preferred knowing much less about "Cast Away" on my way into the theater. Noland's survival should be an open question as far as the audience is concerned. You might assume that the 20th Century Fox marketing department gave away the secrets over the dead body of director Zemeckis, but no: Zemeckis apparently prefers to reveal his surprises in the trailers. He got a lot of flak earlier this year when the ads for his previous film, " What Lies Beneath ," let you know Harrison Ford was the bad guy, there was a ghost, etc. At that time he was quoted in David Poland's Web column: "We know from studying the marketing of movies, people really want to know exactly every thing that they are going to see before they go see the movie. It's just one of those things. To me, being a movie lover and film student and a film scholar and a director, I don't. What I relate it to is McDonald's. The reason McDonald's is a tremendous success is that you don't have any surprises. You know exactly what it is going to taste like. Everybody knows the menu." A strange statement, implying as it does that Zemeckis is a movie lover, student and scholar but that he doesn't market his movies for people like himself. This is all the more depressing since he usually makes good ones.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Cast Away (2000)

Rated PG-13 For Intense Action Sequences and Some Disturbing Images

140 minutes

Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears

Nick Searcy as Stan

Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland

Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett

Directed by

• Robert Zemeckis
• William Broyles Jr

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‘cast away’: thr’s 2000 review.

On Dec. 22, 2000, Robert Zemeckis' 142-minute survival tale hit theaters.

By Kirk Honeycutt

Kirk Honeycutt

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On Dec. 22, 2000, Robert Zemeckis’ 142-minute survival tale Cast Away hit theaters. The film went on to earn two Oscar nominations at the 73rd Academy Awards, including a mention in the best actor category for Tom Hanks. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below.

Cast Away , an epic tale of survival on an isolated island, clearly wants to be seen as a metaphor for discovering what’s truly important in life. But the adventure story is only intermittently successful. And while the filmmakers come tantalizingly close, the Big Theme eludes their grasp.

Thanks to Tom Hanks’ tour de force performance and director Robert Zemeckis’ compelling visual design — as well as Helen Hunt in a small but pivotal role — the film possesses plenty of box office clout. A strong opening and critical acclaim, followed by possible Oscar nominations, could lead to an extended theatrical life. But audiences might have a tough time warming to a movie in which loneliness, frustration and despair occupy so much screen time.

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Of course, this is an oft-told tale, going back to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and encompassing The Swiss Family Robinson , Lord of the Flies and The Blue Lagoon . Such tales of island castaways ask one to rethink the basics of life: water, food, heat and shelter. But invariably one is also asked to ponder the difference between mere survival and living — and to question what it means to be human in the absence of human society.

William Broyles Jr.’s screenplay follows this well-trod path, but then it pushes into the less-examined territory of coming to terms with a successful survival. Having endured physical and psychological torments in isolation, the hero finds his return to civilization is as fraught with peril as his island existence was. And it is here that the film fails to take full advantage of its theme.

The film begins in a rush. Chuck Noland (Hanks) is a FedEx systems engineer, jetting off at a moments notice to far-flung corners of the globe to fix problems. He is a man who lives by the clock and who preaches to employees to “never lose track of time.”

Zemeckis films the early scenes in Moscow, in Chuck’s hometown of Memphis, Tenn., and in airports and airplanes with busy camerawork and actors in motion. Time rules.

Then, while on a trip to Tahiti, an explosion aboard Chuck’s plane causes it to crash into turbulent seas. The film never loses Chuck’s point of view during this truly frightening nighttime sequence. In the distressed aircraft and then in rolling seas as he clings to an inflated raft, flashes of lightning reveal to him — and us — a terrifying scene in which survival can only be a fluke.

But the fluke happens. He washes ashore on an uninhabited volcanic island in the middle of nowhere. As days go by and the possibility of rescue grows remote, he turns his attention to eking out an existence on the picturesque but inhospitable isle.

The film laboriously tracks the castaway’s methodical problem solving. FedEx packages from the ill-fated flight wash ashore, each containing seemingly impractical items such as video tapes and ice skates. But each turns out to be a solution to one of his difficulties.

Chuck solves his companionship problem by initiating a friendship with a volleyball he calls “Wilson,” which comes from one of those stranded packages. Wilson serves not only as a device to let us know what’s going on in Chuck’s head but also his means of mental survival.

Then comes the abrupt tile card: “Four Years Later.” As has been well publicized, Hanks accomplished the transformation from slightly pudgy bumbler to weather-beaten hardbody by taking a year’s hiatus from the production schedule. But Hanks the actor manages an even subtler transformation from a desperate man to one who has given up all hope. He becomes a person who has realized that to survive is not the same thing as to live.

Eventually, Chuck hits upon a way of getting off the island. After a perilous sea journey in a makeshift raft, he gets rescued. Clean-shaven and much slimmer, Chuck is whisked back to Memphis. Only the movie is now winding down at exactly the point when things get the most interesting.

What culture shock must Chuck endure? How does he resume his life when family and friends have died, married or moved on? How can he reconnect emotionally with a woman who has believed him dead for four years? And why did Cast Away squander so much time on the island, watching Chuck learn to catch and cook crabs, when the heart of the matter lies in these all-too-brief passages?

Broyles’ finest writing is contained in the Memphis scenes, and Hanks and Hunt play them for all their worth. But the film only scratches the surface of the emotional undercurrents at work in these disappointingly brief scenes.

Zemeckis does an excellent job of finding visual means to express Chuck’s isolation and thought process. Technically, the film is a marvel — from Don Burgess’ inventive camerawork and Alan Silvestri’s unobtrusive score to Rick Carter’s production design that drives home the helplessness of the castaway’s plight. — Kirk Honeycutt, originally published in the Dec. 8-10, 2000 issue of THR. 

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Cast Away Reviews

Hanks earned a well-deserved best actor Oscar nomination, carrying much of the action without talking to anyone but himself for a Wilson volleyball he finds in a washed-ashore Fed-X box.

Full Review | Aug 11, 2021

Tom Hanks is the perfect actor for the role.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 22, 2020

"Cast Away" is an exceptionally well-crafted exploration of the survival of the human spirit. It's a movie unafraid to consider the full complexity of life.

Full Review | May 30, 2019

one-man show

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | May 16, 2012

Tom Hanks' powerful, brutal and mature story.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 22, 2010

As melancholy as it is affirming, "Cast Away" tells a darkly comic, occasionally punishing parable about what happens when humans lose sight of humility in life's grand scheme - an interesting thematic twin to Tom Hanks' own "Joe vs. the Volcano."

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Sep 25, 2010

Remains one of the more vividly transporting films I've come into contact with. It's heartbreaking, darkly comedic, bravely observational, and ultimately, pure emotional poetry.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Dec 7, 2009

A gripping survival drama and one of my favorites of 2000.

Full Review | Apr 29, 2009

The beginning and ending of the film are a bit underdeveloped, but that's just quibbling.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 7, 2008

Zemeckis' tranquil control never wavers.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Feb 3, 2008

I wish that all of the film's 144 minutes were spent alone with Hanks.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 8, 2007

This is Mr. Zemeckis' most confident directing to date. If he only had as much faith in his audience.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 14, 2007

Thoroughly entertaining and skillfully rendered.

Full Review | Jan 5, 2007

Though Hanks comes across as blandly as ever, at least his solid performance shows he's up to carrying half a movie on his own, and Zemeckis' direction is at first as busily efficient as the protagonist.

Full Review | Jun 24, 2006

It's really kind of ironic. The old Chuck's life is ruled by the clock. Once he's learned better, we don't get enough time with him because the author's decided it was time to go. Oh, well.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Dec 6, 2005

While his philosophical ventures seem stuck in the shallow end of the pool, Zemeckis takes an important step forward as a filmmaker.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Dec 6, 2004

This isn't a first time a long-awaited movie has turned out to be a crushing disappointment and it won't be the last, but the loss is made even more wrenching when one considers how little it would have taken to make Cast Away a great movie.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jan 9, 2004

It's a risky venture, and a fascinating, straightforward glimpse into the soul of a man.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 14, 2003

When I prayed to the film divinities that I wanted less Tom Hanks at the movies, I didn't just mean that I wanted him to be thinner.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Mar 19, 2003

If all of Cast Away were as gripping as its long midsection, it would be overwhelming; still, even with its flaws, it marks another milestone performance for Tom Hanks as well as for Robert Zemeckis.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Feb 8, 2003

Director Robert Zemeckis and star Tom Hanks take tremendous risks -- both dramatic and commercial -- and for the most part succeed, in "Cast Away." In this bold and unique story about a single character stranded on an island, a top-notch Hanks holds the picture on his shoulders with a bravura perf.

By Emanuel Levy

Emanuel Levy

• Enduring icon’s unforgettable roles 23 years ago
• Finding Forrester 23 years ago
• Cast Away 24 years ago

Director Robert Zemeckis and star Tom Hanks take tremendous risks — both dramatic and commercial — and for the most part succeed, in “Cast Away.” In this bold and unique story about a single character stranded on an island, a top-notch Hanks holds the picture on his shoulders with a bravura perf. Meticulous, sumptuous production design, and striking visuals compensate for the lack of dramatic momentum in a film that arguably stretches narrative form to its limits. Strong critical support should help position this adventure saga as an “event movie” both in the U.S. (where Fox is distribbing) and overseas (where DreamWorks will release it). The PG-13 rating is a major plus; young viewers will relate to the story as a contempo Robinson Crusoe, while the philosophical elements are likely to appeal to more mature auds.

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“Cast Away” bears thematic resemblance to “Forrest Gump,” the earlier Zemeckis-Hanks teaming, in its focus on the personal journey of an Everyman. But the 1994 Oscar winner spanned decades and numerous locales, with its hero the only constant; however, the bulk of the new pic is confined to one setting and a much tighter time frame, depicting in detail the moral odyssey of one man.

Hanks, who serves as a producer, plays an ambitious FedEx system engineer whose life, run with the precision of a Swiss watch, is shattered when his plane crashes, leaving him alone on a remote island.

The narrative is divided into four asymmetrical parts. Set in 1995, the first segment establishes Chuck’s manic personal and professional lives. His fast-paced career takes him, often on a moment’s notice, to far-flung cities such as Moscow, away from his loving g.f., Kelly (a splendidly understated Helen Hunt). Returning home on a FedEx plane, Chuck can’t wait to spend Christmas Eve with Kelly. But a mechanical problem on the plane causes a terrifying crash, filmed with unprecedented, gritty realism. In the second segment, Chuck is forced to deal with the most basic biological needs. Film plays up well the irony of a career-driven man, used to solving problems, faced with the most urgent problem of all: sheer survival.

Cut to four years later. Tale now finds Chuck trim and muscular, sporting long blond hair and a bushy beard and stripped to a Tarzan-like outfit. Having mastered the four basic needs — food, water, shelter and fire — he begins to deal with his need for companionship.

While his memories of Kelly are essential to Chuck’s survival, he also establishes an unusual relationship with “Wilson,” a volleyball washed ashore inside a FedEx package from the doomed flight. Playing a crucial role, Wilson rescues Chuck from solitude as well as depression. This fellowship also allows Chuck to speak — after an hour’s worth of mostly silence.

Driven forward by the strength and struggles of its hero, “Cast Away” takes admirable risks while avoiding pitfalls. Story stays close to the ground, literally, maintaining a coherent p.o.v., with Chuck the center of attention; there are no cuts to society’s or Kelly’s reaction to Chuck’s disaster.

Fate gives Chuck a chance to fight his way back to civilization in a daring escape, only to face an unexpected emotional challenge that, in many ways, is more demanding than the physical ones he survived. Though there’s closure, the last segment deviates refreshingly from a conventional Hollywood ending.

Building a script, based on journals of shipwreck victims, William Broyles Jr. creates a skillful work in which events and emotions are brought to life with sparse dialogue and little music; the first melodic sound is heard 90 minutes into the story.

Pic is replete with ironies and subtle humor. As a FedEx exec, Chuck is dedicated to connecting people all over the world, but the yarn throws him into a situation in which he is disconnected from everything. Moreover, the island’s pristine beauty and serenity stand in contrast to Chuck’s civilized life. The irony is that for most people the Fiji islands rep tropical paradise, whereas for Chuck they become a prison.

And Zemeckis gives the film heart, depicting Chuck’s efforts to get water, make a knife out of stone, and (in one of the film’s most humorous scenes) crack a coconut.

The film revolves around a key question: Once you have learned to survive physically, how do you survive emotionally and spiritually? While Chuck opens the FedEx packages that have washed ashore, he decides not to open one that’s adorned with angel wings, which becomes a symbol of hope — one he holds onto even after his return.

More problematic is the suggestion that if Chuck hadn’t lost everything, he would never have come to understand what’s truly important. It’s here that the film gets excessively academic and metaphysical. Ultimately, “Cast Away” is about realizing the true meaning of belonging, of finding home, casting away the clutter that complicates life in an effort to rediscover what matters.

This issue comes into focus in the last reel. The helmer shows again his mastery of mise-en-scene: Chuck’s return to civilization is so brilliantly staged that it almost makes up for the unexciting spots at the center.

It’s hard to imagine this film without the captivating perf of Hanks, who reaches another height in an already impressive career. Filmed in sequential order, “Cast Away” may be the only pic shot in two parts over 16 months, with a one-year hiatus to allow for Hanks’ physical transformation.

Don Burgess’ unglamorous lensing contributes to the saga’s modulated look, with the Russian sequences (a glimpse of Red Square) shot with a restlessly mobile camera to convey Chuck’s frantic pace. In contrast, the island and its rugged, distinctive geography is shot in a static manner to depict Chuck’s quiet desperation.

• Production: A 20th Century Fox release of a DreamWorks presentation of an ImageMovers/Playtone production. Produced by Steve Starkey, Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke. Executive producer, Joan Bradshaw. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Screenplay, William Broyles Jr.
• Crew: Camera (Deluxe color), Don Burgess; editor, Arthur Schmidt; music, Alan Silvestri; production designer, Rick Carter; art directors, Jim Teegarden, Stefan Dechant, Elizabeth Lapp; set decorators, Rosemary Brandenburg, Karen O'Hara; costume designer, Joanna Johnston; sound (Dolby/SDDS), William B. Kaplan; sound designer, Randy Thom; visual effects supervisor, Ken Ralston; associate producer, Steven Boyd; assistant directors, Alan B. Curtiss, Josh McLaglen; casting, Victoria Burrows. Reviewed at 20th Century Fox studios, L.A., Dec. 2, 2000. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 143 MIN.
• With: Chuck Noland - Tom Hanks Kelly Frears - Helen Hunt Stan - Nick Searcy Bettina Peterson - Lari White Pilot Jack - Michael Forest Pilot Gwen - Viveka Davis

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• DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland; Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears; Nick Searcy as Stan; Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett; Lari White as Bettina Peterson

Home Release Date

• Robert Zemeckis

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

Chuck Noland is a FedEx systems engineer whose personal and professional life are ruled by the clock. His fast-paced career takes him, often at a moment’s notice, to far-flung locales and away from his girlfriend, Kelly. On one such trip, Chuck’s manic existence abruptly halts when his plane goes down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and he becomes stranded on a remote, uninhabited island. He is the only survivor. With no one there to vote him off the island, Chuck makes the best of it. First, he must find a way to meet basic human needs (food, water and shelter), which he accomplishes with the help of various FedEx packages that have washed ashore with him. There is one package with an angel wing logo on it that he does not open. Along with a picture of Kelly, it becomes a symbol of hope and a reason to endure.

Once Chuck’s physical needs are met, his biggest struggle involves his emotional and psychological health. He must resist desperation and not reach the point of cracking up. Daniel Defoe’s 18th Century literary hero, Robinson Crusoe, turned to a Bible and found God in the midst of nothingness. Chuck Noland befriends a volleyball. Fate finally offers Chuck a chance to escape the island on a raft. After a heroic struggle, he is saved and brought home. It’s an ironic twist that Chuck’s problem-solving background helps him survive being a castaway while the skills learned as a castaway help him adapt to a new life in civilization.

positive elements: In the throes of a desperate situation with no end in sight, Chuck manages to maintain a sense of hope during his four years on the island. He shows amazing perseverance, whether trying to open coconuts or start a fire with sticks. One of the crewmen on the doomed jet puts himself at risk by heroically assisting Chuck as the plane is going down. Chuck comes to understand that his former outlook on life has cost him the things that are most important (“I should have never gotten on that plane” he tells Kelly). A sense of personal and professional responsibility is evident in Chuck, even after he’s marooned (he sorts and respects the beached parcels for days before opening any). In a touching scene, he looks at the ID of one of the dead crewmen who washed ashore just prior to burying him and realizes that he didn’t even know his friend’s real name—a testimony to the tyranny of the urgent and how busyness can distract us from relating to the people close to us at a deeper level.

Upon returning home from his ordeal, Chuck apologizes to others for not being there for them during their own recent trials. He is also very empathetic to a co-worker who has since lost his wife to cancer (in contrast to being awkwardly supportive years before). In the end, Chuck and Kelly both make moral, honorable decisions about their future relationship. Reflecting on “fate’s” provision, Chuck concludes that we must always maintain hope because we never know what the tide might bring in next. What humor exists is witty and clean.

spiritual content: Not much. The symbol of angel’s wings on a package come to give him hope, but the story never suggests that it has anything to do with God. Chuck also refers to a feeling “like a warm blanket” that came over him in a moment of ultimate despair that he credits with giving him the strength to carry on. Conspicuous by its absence is any prayer or religious reflection by Chuck when laying his dead colleague to rest.

sexual content: It is implied that the unmarried Chuck and Kelly live together. There’s also a brief indication that a man and woman we learn very little about are having an adulterous relationship.

violent content: The plane crash is rather intense. The handful of men onboard the cargo plane are tossed about violently as it plummets into the ocean. One is badly bloodied during the descent. While marooned, Chuck is battered and bloodied as well, including cuts on his feet, a deep gash in his leg and a penetrating wound to his hand.

crude or profane language: Several exclamatory uses of God’s name, a few mild profanities and one s-word.

drug and alcohol content: Champagne is consumed at a party. Wine is served at dinner and prior to a flight.

other negative elements: Having been marooned on an island for four years, Hank’s character runs out of clothes, forcing him into a loincloth (audiences see a little more of him than they might like, but his exposure isn’t indecent or sexualized). It is implied that Chuck attempted suicide once during his long isolation. Chuck discovers and attempts to bury a pale, bloated corpse, which could be disturbing to some viewers. Although not graphic or gratuitous, the filmmakers show Chuck relieving himself (twice) on the island.

conclusion: The combination of Tom Hank’s popularity and the phenomenal success of the TV series Survivor makes Cast Away a sure winner at the box office. It is likely that families will be tempted to take it in. Discerning, pro-active parents can turn this to their advantage.

First, the core message of this film is redeeming: Never give up hope. We know from scripture and from experience that many circumstances that seem hopeless today are the very things that empower us to succeed later on. There are many levels of opportunity for family discussion about the value of hope and looking to the future with anticipation of the great adventure God has planned for us.

Second, the story suggests that Chuck’s near death and isolated struggle leads him to an epiphany of what is truly important. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t reveal what those important things are. Did he immediately go and reconcile himself with his family, friends or even enemies? Did he become a philanthropist working in a Dominican Republic orphanage? No, rather he goes on an existential search for self that remains ambiguous within the context of the film. It does, however, offer families an opportunity to discuss what they might have done in his place (“Chuck got a second chance, what does he do with it?”).

Finally, although the movie does not acknowledge God’s hand in our lives, we know that “fate” is in fact ordained of God. If you believe God exists and cares about us, the struggles of loneliness, heartbreak, desperation, isolation and despair serve a purpose.

Here are some questions to consider should you choose to see Cast Away with your teens. [SPOILER WARNING: These discussion points necessitate revealing key plot twists in this story.] What was the nature of Chuck and Kelly’s relationship during the first part of the story? How does that compare to the biblical principle of love and marriage? What was preventing them from making a lifetime marital commitment to one another? What does that suggest about the nature of transient relationships and divorce? What were Chuck’s personal priorities before being a castaway? How did those priorities change? Chuck and Kelly finally meet after his return; they express their love for one another, but go their separate ways. Did they make the right decision? How might that relate to your future relationships? What does the scene at the Texas crossroads suggest about Chuck’s future? Is it possible that “fate” was steering him clear of marriage to Kelly? Might similar intervention be happening in your life? How do/will you know? Chuck would have never chosen to take on his ordeal, yet the resulting changes in his character suggest that it was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to him. Does that concept relate to your personal life in any way?

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Release details.

• Duration: 144 mins

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• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Screenwriter: William Broyles Jr
• Jennifer Lewis
• Nick Searcy
• Geoffrey Blake
• Peter Von Berg

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• Parents say (15)
• Kids say (49)

Based on 15 parent reviews

Way too much for 11 year old

This title has:

• Great role models
• Too much violence

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Definitely not for kids, excellent film about the human spirit.

• Great messages

Make sure to let your baby watch this

• Educational value

NOT FOR KIDS.

• Too much sex

Tom hanks Oscar nod was worth it.

If you love survival movies, this is for you.

Cast Away (United States, 2000)

I'm sure there will be wags who will glibly compare Cast Away to the likes of "Gilligan's Island" and "Survivor", but, in tone, approach, and overall accomplishment, this atypical Robinson Crusoe tale bears a strong resemblance to one of director Robert Zemeckis' earlier efforts, Contact . No, Cast Away isn't about space or messages from another planet, but, at its core, neither was Contact . Both films ask the same crucial existential question, one that Shakespeare pondered for years: taking all things into account, what does it mean to be human? How do we cope with loss, hopelessness, and isolation, and still find the courage to face the next day? The love and dream of a dead father sustained Jodie Foster's character in Contact . For Tom Hanks' Chuck Noland in Cast Away , it is the promise offered by the smile of his equally absent - and equally beloved - wife-to-be.

The last time Zemeckis and Hanks teamed up, a legend was born - the idiot savant Forrest Gump. A brilliantly conceived trip through the latter half of the 20th century, Forrest Gump was part folksy feel-good drama and part well-concealed satire. The 1994 blockbuster offers much more than its detractors, and even some of its supports, acknowledge. Those expecting Zemeckis and Hanks to re-examine the same territory in Cast Away will be surprised - aside from the films' Oscar potential, there's little synergy. Cast Away will not be the crowd-pleaser that Forrest Gump was, but it's a deeper, more rewarding experience. And, just when you think it's over, it defies expectations and metamorphoses into something different and more compelling.

The year is 1995. Chuck Noland is an overworked Federal Express exec who zips from country to country troubleshooting problems and streamlining operations. His mantra is to do anything necessary to get a package to its destination on time. In his younger days, he was known for having stolen a kid's bicycle to make a delivery after his truck broke down. Fresh from a trip to Russia, Chuck is enjoying Christmas dinner with his girlfriend, Kelly (Helen Hunt), and his family, when a call comes in: he's needed in Malaysia. A short time later, he's airborne, flying through stormy skies over the South Pacific. Suddenly, the plane is off course, there's an explosion, and Chuck finds himself underwater in the belly of a crashed plane. An inflatable life raft carries him to the surface and bears him to a deserted tropical island, where he learns that survival without the trappings of civilization is far more difficult than it's made out to be in books, on television, and in the movies. There may not be any humans on the island, but something is making noise in the jungle at night. And how is he to obtain food and fresh water? Without proper tools, simple tasks like opening a coconut or making a fire become herculean efforts.

Cast Away is divided into three clearly-defined acts: the setup, the main story, and the aftermath. Although the movie's centerpiece is the 75-minute portion detailing Chuck's experiences while marooned, it's the third act, which offers no easy solutions for difficult situations, that elevates the film from the level of a stirring, innovative adventure to an fully satisfying drama. This is the film Red Planet could have been if it had possessed the guts to challenge viewers rather than saddle them with a worn-out, regurgitated plot.

The plane crash which occurs during the first half-hour is handled differently from almost any aerial disaster I have seen in a motion picture. Zemeckis employs digital effects, but not to show the crash (he uses them primarily afterwards, to generate Perfect Storm -style waves). We see events unfold from inside the plane, amidst the wind and darkness, and it results in an eerie and genuinely unsettling situation. Then, once Chuck is in the water, the sense of danger is palpable - especially during one unforgettable moment when the plane's spinning propeller is bearing down upon his small life raft.

The scenes on the island are presented with uncommon intelligence (unlike similar events chronicled in the lame Six Days, Seven Nights , which used similar circumstances). We follow Chuck on his step-by-step journey of survival, where even the smallest things, like getting a drink of coconut milk or using MacGyver-like ingenuity to devise a tool, become significant accomplishments. Zemeckis' approach to this segment of the film is flawless. He never cuts away from Chuck - there are no "back in Memphis" scenes that would have broken the mood, nor is there any incidental music. For more than an hour, the only sounds heard are the island's natural noises (and a little dialogue as Chuck starts talking to a volley ball that becomes his lone "companion"). Also, the script doesn't cook up any hard-to-swallow, melodramatic situations or artificial conflicts. In fact, those expecting a routine adventure film may be disappointed. Cast Away is always interesting, but not necessarily in a traditional manner.

By the time the 30-minute epilogue arrives, we are already deeply attached to Chuck's character - a fact that makes the final dilemma harder to cope with. Once again, Zemeckis and screenwriter William Broyles Jr avoid the melodramatic, manipulative clichés that could have reduced Cast Away to a lesser film. They remain true to the characters and situations until the end, which involves literal and figurative crossroads. There is a catharsis of sorts, but it will not be definitive enough to satisfy all viewers.

For the level of his work in Cast Away , it wouldn't surprise me if Hanks earned another Oscar nomination. The movie's success rests with him, since he is on screen by himself for more than half of the running time. It's one thing for an actor to triumph by playing off others; it's another thing altogether for him to excel with no one else around and virtually no dialogue to speak. In addition, the physical changes that Hanks had to go through to play the part are dramatic - he was forced to gain and lose weight quickly and in extraordinary amounts (so much so that a "weight loss trainer" is credited at the end). An actor willing to go through the rigors Hanks endured is certainly worthy of some kind of notice, especially when he turns in a top-notch performance.

The only other significant player is Helen Hunt, who has become ubiquitous in motion pictures now that "Mad About You" is behind her. This is her fourth film in four months (the other three: Dr. T and the Women, Pay It Forward , and What Women Want ). This time, she's more of a supporting player, but, despite limited screen time, she manages to develop Kelly into a flesh-and-blood individual, which is crucial to the movie's emotional underpinning. Of all Hunt's recent outings, this is easily her strongest work.

For as long as he works in Hollywood, Robert Zemeckis will be associated with Forrest Gump . As good a film as that was, it does not represent his finest work. In many ways, both Contact and Cast Away are stronger and more compelling features. During a year that has not been known for strong theater-going experiences, Cast Away stands near the top of the heap. It has all the hallmarks of a great motion picture: well-developed characters, solid drama, non-traditional adventure, and an intelligent script. At nearly two and one-half hours, it's the perfect length - not too long and not too short. Whether or not Cast Away earns any Oscar nominations, it's among my picks as one of the best films of the year.

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Cast Away Review

12 Jan 2001

151 minutes

The first collaboration between Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks since the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump (1994), Cast Away has been hyped as an Oscar contender, but actually aims for something more than an overly emotional prestige picture.

Never opting for the cheap laugh or quick sentiment, Zemeckis tackles all sorts of desert island risks, making a minimalist premise and (for the most part) solitary actor play credibly over a two-hour-plus storyline.

After an unremarkable let's-meet-the-characters introduction, Zemeckis pulls out all the stops, creating a terrifying plane crash, mostly through a hand-held depiction of Noland's terror. Once Noland is alone in his tropical hell, what follows is expertly sustained, wordless moviemaking.

If the film involes all sorts of Robinson Crusoe-styled cliches - the initial lack of hunting skills, the inability to generate fire - they are elevated by Hanks' ability to convince and Zemeckis' commitment to putting the character through the mill: stones rip into the soles of Noland's naked feet; the discovery of the aircraft's drowned pilot; and, most gut-wrenching of all, a DIY act of dentistry involving an ice skate that is already a strong contender for most squirm-inducing scene of the year.

Occasionally Zemeckis' grip falters - a subtle hint of a suicide attempt is later bowlderised by blatant spelling out. But what stops the good becoming great, however, is the lack of emotional wallop on Noland's return to the mainland - they don't work hard enough in making us care about the characters, so our sense of investment in the relationship is dulled.

To his credit, Zemeckis never cops out by cutting back to middle America to follow rescue attempts or grieving relatives. Hanks commands attention throughout and, as Noland starts talking to a washed-up volleyball (dubbed Wilson after its brand name), makes a relationship between an increasingly unhinged man and a plastic sports object not only believable, but bizarrely moving.

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H aving given us his preposterous sub-Hitchcock snorefest with What Lies Beneath, Robert Zemeckis has followed it up with a giant two hour, 20 minute advertisement for FedEx. There is no other word for it. Tom Hanks plays a driven, work-obsessed systems engineer for FedEx helping them to expand triumphally around the globe. We see him first haranguing the local hirelings in the Moscow branch - a picture of Lenin is being unscrewed from a wall in one shot - generally kicking their asses and imbuing them with the ethos of the dynamic, beat-the-clock service economy.

Then his FedEx plane crashes and he's stranded on a desert island for four years with nothing to do but grow a very big and unattractive beard. But if you thought this was a critique of FedEx in some way, or a comment on the absurdity and meaninglessness of globalism and the ever-expanding imperatives of commerce, then boy would you ever be totally wrong. The FedEx packages washed ashore help our Tom to survive - and even, finally, to find love.

What happens when you are stranded alone, forced to survive in the wild? In real life, you grow skeletally thin, and become deeply traumatised by the solitude, unable to communicate properly for months afterwards and in dire need of therapy. None of this applies to cheerfully robust Tom! He looks dishevelled, sure, and he's got a modest Tarzan-style loincloth; he looks like the Michael Palin character who used to run up to the camera and say "IT'S..." before the Monty Python's Flying Circus title sequence. But Tom looks very, very well on his coconuts and occasional fish. He's got a paunch! Even after four years, he's got a right old gut on him. Castaway or no castaway, Mr Hanks has clearly been visiting the location catering van three times a day during principal photography.

Zemeckis's film is blithely uninterested in any of the serious personal or social implications of becoming a modern Crusoe. Hanks comes out of it the regular guy he was when he went in. John Sayles's Limbo was a far more convincing and terrifying account of being marooned. This is just deeply silly.

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The Ending Of Cast Away Explained

What do you get when you put Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, and a blood-stained volleyball on a remote island for two and a half hours? The 2000 survival drama "Cast Away," which tells the story of a FedEx executive who finds himself stranded on a desert island for four years after a plane crash, was one of the most talked-about and lampooned movies of the time (how many times have you heard someone crying out "Wilson!"?). Many seem to have forgotten just what a fantastic film it is,  even over 20 years later. With its harrowing theme of human survival, restrained direction, brutal moments, and  Oscar-nominated performance by Tom Hanks, it remains one of both Hanks' and Zemeckis' finest works.

While the film is a seemingly simple journey, for the most part, the final act sneaks up on audiences in a way that is sure to give them a lot to think about. With a story that carries as much weight as this, there are more than enough thematic elements to chew on by the end of the gut-wrenching experience. So it's time we look back at the most critical elements of "Cast Away" and see how they define its conclusion. Spoiler alert, obviously (but the trailer already did that job for us).

Let's talk about Wilson

One of the most, if not the most, iconic parts of "Cast Away" is Chuck's relationship with Wilson, the volleyball named after Wilson Sporting Goods, the company the ball originates from. Wilson, which is stained with Chuck's bloody handprint and given a smiley face, provides Chuck with his only source of companionship during his time on the island.

Chuck's relationship with the ball evolves into full-blown bursts of emotional back-and-forth with the inanimate object. It sounds silly in concept (especially if all you've seen are parodies of the movie), but thanks to Tom Hanks' dedicated performance, we're taken on as much of an emotional roller coaster as he is.

This is most evident in how their relationship concludes. Chuck manages to build a durable raft, using the plastic from a portable toilet that washes up to the island as a sail. He successfully escapes and gets out into the open ocean, but after a harsh storm, Wilson falls off the boat and floats away, leaving Chuck emotionally shattered.

Chuck's journey sees him start off as an obsessive workaholic overly concerned with time and become a humbled individual, stripped of the feeling of control he had over his life. With this in mind, Wilson can be seen as the last shred of Chuck's hubris, an entity of his own creation with a literal part of him plastered onto it, floating away. His desperation to hold on to Wilson is not only for friendship but also for stability and a sliver of what he considers normal. Wilson's loss is therefore a necessary component if Chuck is to complete his metamorphosis.

The long lost love that will never be found

Possibly the most tragic part of the film comes toward the end, when Chuck discovers that his girlfriend, Kelly, played by Helen Hunt, has moved on and is married to another man. She has even had a child in that span of time. When the two meet up, despite the fact that both still have passionate feelings for one another, they know that their time has passed and they'll never be.

They trade the personal items of each other's that they had kept for the entire four years; Kelly gives Chuck back his car that she's kept in the garage and Chuck gives Kelly back the watch with her photo in it, returning the remaining literal and metaphorical pieces of one another they each held on to.

Chuck later opens up to his friend about the thoughts in his head following his ordeal. After a failed suicide attempt, he believed he would never leave the island and accepted his fate but also realized that he needed to keep pushing forward and fight for survival. Despite the pain of never being with Kelly again, the transformation he went through on the island has opened his mind to the endless possibilities the world has in store for him.

Crossroads and angel wings

While on the island, Chuck collects a number of FedEx packages that he finds washed up onshore, all but one of which he opens in an effort to survive. He leaves a box with golden angel wings because he believes it to be a sign from God that, one day, he will fly away from his situation. Throughout his time on the island, he never opens the package, even taking it with him when he escapes on the raft.

Back in the U.S., he personally returns the package to the address it was sent from. However, nobody answers the door, so he leaves the package on the porch along with a signed note reading, "This package saved my life. Thank you." After making the delivery, Chuck comes across a crossroads and is trying to figure out which way to go when an especially friendly woman stops to give him directions. As she drives away, Chuck sees that the back of her pickup truck has the same golden wings as were on the package. As the film comes to a close, Chuck is left in the middle of the empty crossroads, looking in the direction she went.

The very end of the film doesn't give its audience any meaty answers on where Chuck will end up. Will he follow the woman and try to start a relationship with her? Will he go down a different path and find happiness there? We, like Chuck himself, are left to wonder where that ever-evolving journey of change and acceptance of fate will go next.

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Summer Camp

Follows Nora, Ginny, and Mary, three childhood best friends who used to spend every summer at a sleep away camp together. After years, when the opportunity to get back together for a summer ... Read all Follows Nora, Ginny, and Mary, three childhood best friends who used to spend every summer at a sleep away camp together. After years, when the opportunity to get back together for a summer camp reunion presents itself, they all seize it. Follows Nora, Ginny, and Mary, three childhood best friends who used to spend every summer at a sleep away camp together. After years, when the opportunity to get back together for a summer camp reunion presents itself, they all seize it.

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• 10 User reviews
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• 40 Metascore

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• Runtime 1 hour 35 minutes

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