Movie analysis project

2. TITLE: CAST AWAY
DIRECTOR: ROBERT ZEMECKIS
CAST AND ROLES:
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Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears
Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett
Nick Searcy as Stan
Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland
SETTING
TIME: 1500 days (over four years)
PLACE: Remote Island
PLOT:
An exploration of human survival and the ability of fate to alter even the tidiest of lives with one major
event, Cast Away tells the story of Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks), a Federal Express engineer who devotes most
of his life to his troubleshooting job. His girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt) is often neglected by his dedication to
work, and his compulsive personality suggests a conflicted man. But on Christmas Eve, Chuck proposes
marriage to Kelly right before embarking on a large assignment. On the assignment, a plane crash strands
Chuck on a remote island, and his fast-paced life is slowed to a crawl, as he is miles removed from any human
contact. Finding solace only in a volleyball that he befriends, Chuck must now learn to endure the emotional
and physical stress of his new life, unsure of when he may return to the civilization he knew before. Cast Away
reunites star Hanks with director Robert Zemeckis, their first film together since 1994's Oscar-winning Forrest
Gump.
SUMMARY:
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.
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

3. 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 flashforward 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.
CONCLUSION:
I find "Castaway" emotionally gripping on several fronts. The movie has the least amount of actor
dialogue than any Hollywood movie since the silent film era of the early 1900's--yet it also won an Oscar for
"sound" due to the incredible sounds that made the audience feel they were
on the island. The theme song is one of the great Hollywood songs of all time, and it is the only song played in
those brief places where there is actually music in the film. When I first saw the movie, I was disappointed-very disappointed--in the ending. If you've seen it, you know that Hank's character is eventually rescued, but
there is no happy ending. His wife, who waited for two years hoping her husband would be found and
rescued, eventually gave up, and had a funeral. Then, a year later, she remarried. The fact that thoughts of his
wife (and a small photograph in a pocket watch) is what kept the castaway alive for four years, only to
discover that he had actually lost her after he himself had been rescued, caused me a great deal of angst as a
movie goer.
Discipline
Chuck would have to wait another four years before
he would challenge the turbulence of the ocean to make his
great escape. Instead of four years breaking his spirit, it
strengthened his resolve. And with a steely resolve was he
able to have the right mindset and inquisitive eyes to seize
the next opportunity.
The winds of fortune change and Chuck happens
upon two plastic walls of a broken port-a-potty recently
washed ashore. Next, Chuck demonstrates the power of
interpreting signs. Remembering the wings on the FedEx
parcel, Chuck develops a plan for a raft with the port-apotty's walls acting as a makeshift sail.
With new found hope and confidence he chops down trees, ties them together with rope made from
tree bark and augmented with videotape he found in one of the FedEx parcels. Chuck has a master plan and
the quality of mind to see it come to fruition.

4. The Opportunity
He plans his escape when the prevailing winds change from
southwest to northeast. He is in a unique space where he is
determined that the universe wants him to succeed. He has also
become one with his environment.
While biding his time for the proper weather, Chuck begins
to prepare food, water, and other necessities for his escape. Chuck
is fully living out when preparation meets opportunity success is
bound to happen.
Owing to the direction of the winds, with the aid of his sail
and a pair of makeshift oars, he makes his daring escape over a
major psychological barrier – the unwieldy coral reef. This time he
has girded up his loins and learned from past mistakes to clear a
major obstacle in his path to freedom.
The Island
Chuck’s raft escape from the island provides a
glimpse into our own lives. What islands are we
stranded on? What islands are we stranded on
emotionally, mentally or spiritually? We have settled on
that island, seeing our window of opportunity shutting?
The initial spark that catalyzed Chuck was seeing
a ship’s light. That sign of life, that beacon of hope set
off a chain of events. If there are signs among us
showing us the path to freedom do we have the courage
and resolve to go after it?
Chuck experienced a major setback on his path to
freedom. Not only did his raft and body get punctured but also
his spirit. It took Chuck four years to heal. How many of us in
our paths to freedom have run into a wall? How many of us
have been so hurt and dispirited in our path to freedom we’ve
given up past the healing stage?
The Calm
Chuck had no real idea of where he was headed but figured that he would rather die at sea than spend
the rest of his life alone on that island. So, he had to do
something bold to bust through that retentive circle.
When the turbulent waters crashed down on him,
threatening to knock him off his raft and into the sea, he
held on tightly – with all his might.
And when the violent waters could not break him
and he busted through the final wall, everything went
perfectly still around him. It was the calm after the
storm. This is the
space where
Chuck received a new inheritance. He received his blessing for an
indefatigable faith that refused to wither away.
This allegory of one man’s spiritual journey begs the question: what is
waiting for us on the other side of life’s seemingly insurmountable
barriers?

5. RECOMMENDATION:
The lesson from the scene, which involves a ranch and a road, is that after a few tough hit ins life,
when dreams are shattered, you must keep on going down the road of life--and you might as well do it with
enthusiasm and a smile. The scene is very simple yet visual, the theme song is played for the final time, and
the viewer feels hope after vicariously feeling the pain of Hank's character. In retrospect, though I disliked the
ending when I first saw it, I am now tempted to place Castaway's concluding scene as one of my favorite
movie endings. Why the change in evaluation? Because after years of reflection, Castaway mirrors real life,
not fantasy, which Hollywood usually portrays. Disappointment happens--but we must move on. God has a
way of working all things for our good, even those tough, hurtful, broken things of life.
The dedication Chuck shows to get himself back to civilization also has an impact -- his never-give-up
approach in spite of failing time and time again. Constructing rafts, learning to fish, and keeping healthy show
his ability to be saved. Chuck keeps on going. He must give everything he has to be able to become what he
once was -- an average man again. His unrelenting prowess earns him the raft that eventually releases him
from the island.
References:
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cast-away-2000
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/cast-away/8175/synopsis