CAST AWAY – Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt
Cast Away (2000)
Direction: Robert Zemeckis
Screenplay: William Broyles Jr.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Lari White
Many will see Cast Away as a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit. Others will prefer the more mundane explanation that the film merely depicts a man following his animal survival instincts, which propel him to remain alive almost against his will. Whichever way one chooses to view the survival of Tom Hanks‘ Federal Express engineer Chuck Noland (No-land, get it?) after being stranded for years on a desert island (mostly shot in Monuriki, Fiji), Cast Away is little more than an elaborate star vehicle disguised as an existential adventure film. Indeed, this Robert Zemeckis production offers little depth in its presentation of the meaning of life or the nature of love.
The story of a workaholic who must learn to live without work, without clocks, and without people — Chuck’s only companion on the island is a volleyball named Wilson — Cast Away also leaves much to be desired in terms of character development, unless, of course, one considers Wilson’s radical transformation from clean-cut volleyball into something resembling a drug-addicted pineapple. For instead of dealing with Chuck’s inner metamorphosis from Man of the Clock to Man of the Now, screenwriter William Broyles Jr., opted to focus instead on Chuck’s failed attempts at leaving the island and on his determination to learn how to break a coconut shell.
Still, even though the overlong Cast Away pretends to be considerably loftier than it actually is — much like Zemeckis’ previous collaboration with Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump — the film does boast top-line production values and outstanding special effects, which are used to create what may well be the most harrowing plane crash ever filmed.
Additionally, the capable Tom Hanks has the chance to run the gamut, at least on the surface, from semi-neurotic workaholic to semi-apeman to semi-Zen-Master. Even though Broyles’ screenplay prevents us from ever getting to learn the depths of Hanks’ inner changes, the two-time Oscar-winning star handles himself quite well, sometimes even surpassing the limitations of the script. If some of the island humor feels pretty silly (the scene in which Chuck sings "Come On Baby Light My Fire" should have been left stranded on the cutting-room floor), Hanks wins points for his more dramatic moments. Really, how many actors could weep for the loss of his hairy volleyball without making us laugh at the ridiculousness of it all?
Cast Away is also immensely helped by Alan Silvestri’s inspirational score, which we first hear about two hours into the film, when Chuck finally escapes his tropical prison. Through Chuck’s point of view, we see the island fade behind the ocean mist, while Silvestri’s music increases in intensity to create one of those rare moments of movie magic. Not even Silvestri, however, can save the corny (momentary) reunion between Chuck and his former fiancée, Kelly (Helen Hunt) — an encounter that belies the film’s pretentious (two-word) title, as Kelly, who has moved on with her life, still professes her undying love for the cast-away Chuck.
But the composer’s touch returns later on to help rescue Cast Away’s tacked-on, whimsical finale, a "fateful" contrivance that feels more like a poor imitation of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Red than the intended moment of epiphany in the spiritual journey of our hero. Yet, contrived or not, I was moved in spite of myself, partly because of Silvestri’s haunting melody and partly because of Tom Hanks‘ touching, minimalist look of renewed hope.
2 Academy Award Nominations
Best Actor: Tom Hanks
Best Sound: Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis S. Sands, William B. Kaplan
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Tags: Adventure Movies, Cast Away, Film Reviews, Helen Hunt, Lari White, Oscar 2000, Oscar Movies, Robert Zemeckis, Romantic Movies, Tom Hanks
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Dear Sir/ Madam,
Castaway 2000, with Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt.
Please can you help? In the film Castaway,Tom Hanks 2000. Who is the actress at the end of the film driving the red truck, where he delivered the Fed Ex parcel to her house.
I think it’s Helen Hunt, can you confirm?
Thanks Joe
Joe,
That’s not Helen Hunt. The woman driving the truck is Lari White, a country music singer. She also appears at the beginning of the film.
i ask where were the last few scenes in the movie taken
Hm…
Good question. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer.
Anyone know the model year of the red truck? For some reason, I think it was in Texas – I saw a road sign or something, but not 100% sure.
The bookend scenes were filmed in Canadian Texas acording to one press release. Interesting since the artist who made the wings (Broyles wife) was born in Canada.