Castaway - 2000
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt
Rating: 
“Tom Hanks, such a great actor!”… Everybody knows that, everybody says that, but this movie in particular is just something else; it is only Hanks… all by himself! Human appearances is quite extinct, just in the beginning and towards the end… one of those is special, it’s Kelly (Helen Hunt)… the love of his life.
You will see Chuck (Tom Hanks), an imaginary dear friend “Wilson” who happens to be a volleyball, lots of Palm trees, coconuts, running crabs, and endless ocean waves… a typical image of an island, right? In Castaway, this is Chuck’s home for 1500 days.
It a typical survival story that we’ve seen lots of movies about, most popular of them is Robinson Crusoe’s, but here it’s not a family….it’s one single person throughout the whole movie… so Hanks performance is the only observation you will have to care about… since wind speed, wave frequency, and crabs’ movement will not be your subject for examination 
! Anyway… in its initial look, you may run a quick judgment… Boring! But with this particular actor, all you will do is sit and watch.
He is a FedEx employee, who has a delivery to make on Christmas Eve. Never wanting people to get their gifts late on this special time of the year, he hugs and waves goodbye to his girlfriend Kelly, with a plan to propose when he gets back. Forces of nature weren’t along his side that night; however, a stronger supernatural power was… letting him be the only survival among the crew when their plane crashes due to an unexpected turbulence. Left alone on a deserted island for almost five years and screaming silently for help but gracing God’s choice of giving him a second chance to live, Chuck tries his best to adapt and get acquainted with Mother Nature.
This movie took lots of time and effort from the cast especially the director Robert Zemeckis, who by the way, paused the production for one year until Tom Hanks could loose around 50 pounds and grow his hair. Meanwhile, the crew switched for filming another movie, “What Lies Beneath”.
This movie is pure education to a man’s struggle for survival and how he could never figure the things he’d do for such a cause… Get amazed by Hank’s exceptional Solo performance… watch the movie today if you still haven’t!
One of the best movies I seen seriously, all you’d be watching is Tom Hank’s amazing performance, these movies are so hard to make.
When I first started watching it, I thought it was going to be a huge FEDEX commercial, especially with the cheesy emphasis of how dedicated their employees are (Chuck).
Nevertheless, seriously a kick ass movie, Hanks is just amazing, I dont think anyone else could have done this role in same quality.
Nice Review!!
This movie is definitely one of my top 5 movies i have ever seen and Tom Hank has ever done!!
I always like the part when Hank’s volleyball Friend “Wilson” is drowned. Its sounds stupid, but Hank makes it real!!! i just love this actor…
No kidding… the “Wilson” scenes crack me up every time… proof that human beings are truly “social animals”! They’d survive anything, except isolation from their fellow human beings… well at least 99.999% of them!
I loved the movie, the survival struggle, the genius performance of Hanks, and of course… Wilson.
Hey Moe,
Thanks alot for your comment! Well afterall, I respect your choice of movies and like to know what you like and what you dont… and the by the way, nobody will ever argue Hank’s performance… stay in touch Bro!
Onss!!
Glad to finally see your comments on the blog… so you like Wilson
, thanks for the hint “for your coming birthday!”
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