From Deseret News archives:
Cast Away
Film review
Besides the "stranded-on-a-deserted-island" scenario the two share, this big-budget holiday film couldn't be more different from the summer's smash hit television show in fact, it makes the latter appear as superficial as "Gilligan's Island."
That alone should be enough to draw audiences in droves, but when you throw in Tom Hanks who has been box-office gold this time of year you've got the formula for something even bigger, if not better.
And as far as Hanks is concerned, he's getting to be so good at this sort of thing that it's easy to overlook his work. Believe it or not, his absolutely riveting performance here much of which is without dialogue, forcing him to rely on body language and facial expressions just might be the best of an already distinguished career.
Instead, it's a very character-driven piece, one that centers on workaholic Federal Express systems engineer Chuck Noland (Hanks).
Chuck really likes his job, helping FedEx offices around the globe be more efficient. In fact, the only thing he probably loves more is his grad-student girlfriend, Kelly (Helen Hunt), to whom he's hoping to propose over the holidays.
However, he's called in to work on Christmas Eve, forcing the couple to have an impromptu gift exchange on an airport runway. As he gives her a ring, he tells her, "I'll be right back."
Famous last words, right? Probably, since the airliner he's on goes down in the ocean after straying far off course. He's fortunate enough to survive, washing up on the shores of an uninhabited island, with little more than the clothes on his back.
There, the prospects of his continued existence appear slim, and his prospects of rescue even slimmer, though he refuses to give up on ever seeing Kelly again. Thanks to some objects that also washed up onshore, and a little bit of ingenuity, he may be able to meet one of those goals to survive.
The very idea of being deprived of everyday luxuries is so horrifying to most of us that the film's premise might seem a bit ridiculous. But the fine cast, which includes Hunt (who's very good in what seems like her 12th role this month), makes it very believable.
Comments
Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy, Chris Noth
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