Cast Away * * *1/2 out of * * * * Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy, Christopher Noth, Lari White. Directed by: Robert Zemeckis Running Time: 143 minutes Rated PG-13: intense action, some violence/gore.
Robert Zemeckis may as well be the next genius, even with the not so great "Death Becomes Her", Zemeckis gave it a touch to make it enjoyable and entertaining, and it even won an Academy Award for it's astonishing special effects. Earlier in 2000 Zemeckis brought us the clever and scary "What Lies Beneath", and now for the holiday season of 2000 "Cast Away" another pairing of Zemeckis and actor Tom Hanks, and behold we have a new 'great' movie to add to my top 10 of 2000 list.
Tom Hanks plays FedEx executive Chuck Noland, who is in Europe with his "recruits" teaching them how to become faster FedEx employees. He promises the love of his life Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) that he will return to her, and does but is quickly called back into work. While boarding the plane he mutters the words "I'll be right back" and boards the doomed flight. His plane takes a quick nosedive towards the ocean below, and Chuck survives and is washed along a shore on a nearby island. Not sure what to do, or where he is, he panics but soon starts to adapt to island life. Now he must try to survive on the island, as well as not give up hope to get back to his life...and his love Kelly.
An amazing story of not only survival and love, but also as a character study we get to know who Chuck Noland really is, and what he wants in life. His love for Kelly Frears is so strong that I was hoping, and praying he was going to make it back home. Of course if you have seen the trailer for the movie, you know what happens, and if you haven't then I guess you will have to watch the movie to find out.
Tom Hanks who has starred in several great movies (Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, and even Big) he has come to be possibly my favorite actor of the century if not all time. He won an Oscar for his brilliant work as a man with AIDS fired because he was gay in "Philadelphia"...to his memorable character of the sweet Forrest Gump in "Forrest Gump" Tom Hanks has come to show he can give great performances, "Cast Away" is no let down. Once Tom Hanks graces the screen, he becomes Chuck Noland and becomes a survivor on the island. Spending almost an hour and a half on the screen by himself, it is absolutely mind-blowing how we are so absorbed by him on this island, that the time flies by.
This may be Tom Hanks' best performance of his career, and with an Oscar Nomination on his heels, he certainly deserves it. Helen Hunt who starred in the awful "Dr. T & The Women", the funny "What Women Want", and pain inducing "Pay it Forward" plays Kelly Frears, the love of Chuck's life. Even though she is given maybe twenty minutes of screen time total, what she has is fantastic and what she does with it is amazing. A scene towards the end of the movie is so touching, that a tear came to my eye and my heart started to beat fast. Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt definitely have that screen formula, they make a great couple.
Talking before about Robert Zemeckis and his genius direction "Cast Away" is no exception, with some of the island scenes being beautifully shot, the locations being absolutely marvelous I was quite impressed. While not having the nifty camera shots "What Lies Beneath" had, and you have to admit there was some cool shots, "Cast Away" relies more on the study of Chuck and his survival. The script by William Broyles Jr. is in it's own way mind-blowing because of the fact for almost an hour and half as mentioned before, Tom Hanks is alone in the movie on the island with only a few lines of dialogue said.
"Cast Away" has a place on my top 10 list of 2000, it's a nearly flawless character study of a man who has to rely on himself to survive. Some people may try to compare this to the new phenomena "Survivor", but since that show has several people, and "Cast Away" has one person...it is quite hard to even begin to compare. The ending is something to be questioned, and like most of Zemeckis' endings, it can be taken in anyway the viewer wants. "Cast Away" is not just a great film, but a great example of how Hollywood still has the ability to make good movies.
Reviewed by Brandon Herring 3-11-01.
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