Cast Away
Disclaimer:
The movie I’m reviewing this week is rated: PG-13
There is some content and images unsuitable for children in this review.
Unlike the movie I reviewed last week, I don’t have as much of a personal attachment to Cast Away. Truthfully, the only reason I chose it was because I needed something to review for this week, although once I rewatched it I feel like there is a lot more to talk about than I originally gave this film credit for.
I personally think it manages to capture the essence of survival well with an actor that is universally beloved which makes you want to see him make it out of his situation okay. Much like Forrest Gump this is very much Tom Hanks’ movie and it’s his acting chops and likable personality that elevate this movie to the level that it’s at. This movie probably wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without the proper leading man and Tom Hanks does bring a lot to this film just with his natural charisma as well.
Taking Tom Hanks out of the picture though, there are still other aspects most viewers can appreciate such as its clever use of visual storytelling, heartfelt/emotional moments, and pretty solid writing that add to the experience as well. Naturally we’ll be discussing it in as much detail that I decide I want to go into in this post which I think will be a lot of fun! With that being said, let me stop yapping and get right into it.
Grab your bloody volleyballs, put your tray tables in the upright and locked position and let’s dive into Cast Away!
One thing I especially appreciate about the movie is its devotion to proper pacing and dramatic structure. Of course there is one major issue I have with that which I’ll get into later, but for the most part it is very well done. This movie understands the importance of getting to know the character of Chuck Noland (played by our Lord and Savior Tom Hanks) before putting him in a life or death situation while also giving his story the proper resolution it deserves after his rescue. The amount of time the movie spends on Chuck, both in the opening and in the conclusion of the film, adds up to about 50 minutes while his time on the island adds up to about 1 hour and 20 minutes (approximately, that’s very important). While not entirely even, the movie still knows why people are watching it and delivers what we want to see while also not skimping out on the essential backstory and character development every story needs.
Some of it can be a bit glossed over for that matter though, like in the case of Chuck’s friend Stan (played by Nick Searcy) whose wife Mary is suffering from cancer at the beginning of the movie. When I rewatched this movie I had completely forgotten that this was even a plot thread in the film at all, mainly because we don’t dedicate much time to it and it seems less like a tactic to help us identify more with Stan’s character and his struggles, but instead a tactic to help us identify more with what Chuck lost as a result of his crash. Most of the opening before Chuck’s crash works this way by setting up how successful he is at his job at FedEx, his relationship with his girlfriend Kelly Frears (played by Helen Hunt), his aforementioned friendship with Stan, his Christmas celebration with his family and friends, and his appreciation for Elvis music.
Quick thought, since Chuck works for FedEx in this movie, the FedEx logo is seen a lot throughout the entire film. On the sides of planes, on boxes that wash up on the shore of Chuck’s island, on napkins, on the sides of FedEx trucks, it’s really everywhere. It really makes me wonder if this movie had a positive impact on FedEx’s business considering their logo was witness to a plane crash that killed 4 people…
Speaking of the plane crash, it is perfectly chaotic and disorienting as it should be. From the crazy camera work, the sudden explosion which catches every viewer off guard the first time they see it, and the panicked performances of each of the actors involved, it all adds up to a crazy and heart-stopping scene which will definitely put you off of flying for a while. It even continues this energy as Chuck is sitting in his life raft beneath the raging storm until he eventually arrives at his island getaway for the next four years. Yeah, that’s how long he stays on that island. Don’t worry, I’ll get to it, there’s just a few more things I’d like to talk about.
As a bit of a sidenote, the pain in this movie is very well crafted. Any time Chuck takes some kind of hit you feel it, it’s that convincing. You’ll probably be clenching your teeth when you see him split his leg open, cut his hand, knock out his own tooth, or lacerate his foot. I won’t give you a picture of any of those since I care about you, you’ll just have to watch the movie for yourself if you want to see them. Fair warning though if you do.
Speaking of Chuck knocking out his own tooth, it’s established in the opening of the movie that Chuck has a toothache he needs to get looked at by a dentist which ultimately doesn’t happen on account of the whole plane crash thing, so he ends up having to improvise after he finds it difficult to chew most foods while trying to survive. The reason I bring this up is that I’m not entirely sure why it’s in the movie. If the intention was to show how resourceful Chuck is by using an ice skate to remove a painful tooth, the movie clearly shows other ways he’s resourceful just by how he’s able to survive on the island in the first place. He ends up foraging coconuts, reusing them as makeshift water bottles, those same ice skates he uses as axes and cutting devices as well, the video-tapes he unwinds to use as backup lashings, and many other things. If anything, the whole tooth thing just seems unneeded compared to these other moments which show off Chuck’s will to survive much more, except to be used as a built-in transition to four years later.
Yeah, I couldn’t hold off talking about it for that much longer, the four years later time jump halfway through the movie is completely baffling to me. As far as I can tell there’s no logical reason to do this outside of making the disconnect between Chuck’s survival and Kelly’s life once he returns that much wider. The reason for this is because when Chuck is rescued we discover how Kelly has gotten married to someone else and had a child with him as well since she was forced to move on after assuming Chuck was killed in the crash. The four years later time jump only feels like a tool to allow Kelly enough time to have a kid while Chuck is missing, while the idea of her having gotten married to someone else in that time is already heartbreaking enough. He could’ve just been on the island for a year or a year and a half instead so the audience doesn’t have to feel like it’s missing crucial parts of the story that aren’t in the movie, and that still would’ve allowed Kelly enough time to mourn Chuck’s loss and move on with her life by then. If anything it just feels like manipulation from the filmmakers trying to get us to cry at the end, but sorry, I still cried more when Wilson “died”.
Okay, with my major problem out of the way, let’s discuss the character of Wilson (played by Wilson). You’re probably thinking, “What’s there to discuss, it’s a freaking inanimate object” and you would be correct, but the fact is that Wilson has a surprising amount of stage presence. Despite the fact he has no dialogue (because of the whole ‘being a volleyball’ thing) the writers were clever enough to write the scenes that center around him in a way where you could create dialogue for him in your own head. Any scene containing Wilson also includes Chuck of course, which usually involves him chatting with Wilson in some way or another, but just based on Chuck’s tone, reactions, and mannerisms it allows you to fill in the gaps yourself which also speaks to Tom Hanks’ acting ability.
Since we also spend as much time as we do developing Chuck’s connection to his white round friend, when he’s eventually forced to let him go (like I mentioned earlier), it’s legitimately heartbreaking. The scene of him drifting out into the ocean is well built up, allows Alan Silvestri’s score to properly allow us to feel Chuck’s anguish, along with Tom Hanks selling the heck out of it. It all adds up to a scene that, despite seeing it several times already, still causes me to tear up today, but maybe it’s just because I’m a baby. I love inanimate objects with cute little faces on them too much. With that being said, Wilson is freaking adorable! I wish I had a plushie of him I could snuggle up with every night. I think I am a baby.
So that was Cast Away, I’d say it still holds up very well since it first came out.
From the acting, to the execution, to the directing, to the writing, everything feels so personal, touching, and engaging to this day. Despite the over 2 hour running time, I never had a moment during the film where I felt bored or disinterested. Outside of the four years later time jump halfway through, I have virtually no problems with the film beyond some drawn out scenes, confusing edits, and minor nitpicks. I’d still recommend it to any movie fan as a compelling drama and to introduce a new concept to my blog, I would rate this movie 4 out of 5 Wilsons. Since he’s clearly the posterchild for the film besides Hanks’ star power it seemed only fitting to me.
If you’re in the mood to experience what it’s like to persevere against all odds, and cry over the loss of your favorite ball-shaped friend, crash on the couch and pop in Cast Away for your weekend movie night this week.
4/5 Wilsons
This review was a bit different, I wanted to try something new to see what would work better for this format. If you have any suggestions, or of course recommendations for future reviews, by all means drop me a line.
Thanks for reading!
(I make no claim of ownership for any of the images used in this post)
(Each of them are owned entirely by their respective copyright holders which are not me)
(I am just a humble blogger who talks about movies, I do not make them)
(Yet)
