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Cast Away

1/5/2001

Cast Away stars Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears, Nick Searcy as Stan, and Christopher Noth (formerly Chris Noth on Law and Order and Sex in the City) as Jerry Lovett.

Cast Away starts in Russia with Tom Hanks explaining to the fledgling FedEx the meaning of time in the shipping business. He is full of enthusiasm and on the go. Next stop Memphis to see his bride to be, Kelly. Landing just in time for a holiday feast with his family, where he is quizzed once again about marrying Kelly. Afterwards he is off again to another FedEx location.

In the FedEx airport loading area Chuck and Kelly exchange Christmas gifts, he receives an heirloom watch with her picture in it and he gives her a small box that he wants her to save until New Year's Eve to open. Chuck and Kelly are very much in love and dedicated to each other. Of course, the title gives away the next set of events. The plane he is on crashes, everyone on board dies, and Chuck Noland is swept onto a small island. Of course, as with most Robinson Crusoe stories, The search is always in another area because the downed aircraft is off course. Chuck is now in an element he is not used to. He is no McGyver, therefore, he hurts himself a lot.

Lucky for us, Cast Away picks up four years later. It has seemed like four years watching the misadventures on this small island. Chuck is now determined to sail away toward the area he has seen lights from ships. After drifting 500 miles, he is picked up, returned to memphis only to learn that while his time stopped, the rest of the world around him went on.
And they lived realistically ever after!

The beginning of Cast Away has poor dialog and editing. This film has nothing compelling for the viewer. We have seen it all before, Robinson Crusoe, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Swiss Family Robinson, Lost in Space, Blue Lagoon, etc. Cast Away is self revealing, they took the cast away and left us with a movie that has the last fifteen minutes worthwhile. It also has the infamous McGuffin.