Cast Away (2000)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writer (WGA):

William Broyles Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

22 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

At the edge of the world, his journey begins.

Plot:

A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island.

Plot Keywords:

Raft | Storm | Survival | Fed Ex | Time

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Paul Sanchez	...	Ramon
Lari White	...	Bettina Peterson
Leonid Citer	...	Fyodor
David Allen Brooks	...	Dick Peterson
Jelena Papovic	...	Beautiful Russian Woman (as Yelena Papovic)
Valentina Ananyina	...	Russian Babushka
Semion Sudarikov	...	Nicolai
Tom Hanks	...	Chuck Noland
Peter von Berg	...	Yuri (as Peter Von Berg)
Dmitri S. Boudrine	...	Lev
François Duhamel	...	French FedEx Loader
Michael Forest	...	Pilot Jack
Viveka Davis	...	Pilot Gwen
Nick Searcy	...	Stan
Jennifer Choe	...	Memphis State Student

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense action sequences and some disturbing images

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Brazil:12 (DVD rating) | Brazil:Livre | Italy:T | India:UA | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37850)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Several scenes are in reference to the "The Prisoner" (1967) episode "Many Happy Returns," in which Number Six, after building a makeshift raft to take him from the Village, washes ashore.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The plane that Chuck is taking take off from Memphis, and crashed somewhere above the Pacific. The FedEx pack he didn't open till the end was for someone in Arizona. This is not a problem, since most FedEx packages shipped in the United States pass through Memphis, their central hub.

Quotes:

Chuck Noland: Aha. Look what I've created. I have made FIRE.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: The Perfect Castaway (#4.12)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Gremin's Aria

Amazing performance shines through

Robert Zemeckis has his 4th best film here (behind Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Back to the Future) with Cast Away. Sure it might be overhyped and some characters in the film aren't needed (not to mention it depends on the liking of the lead), but when you have Tom Hanks working harder than any actor in a movie this year, it is worth it.

The story follows Hanks as a dedicated fed-ex deliverer who has a fiance (Helen Hunt) and has to leave her Christmas time to go to Asia, but alas, the plane he's on crashes in the water and, dare I say more (well I can because practically everyone saw the all-revealing trailers)? Well, Hanks arrives on a deserted island and then the real fun begins as he survives in a primitive way (probably remenicent of 2001, Hanks' favorite film), and even finds a silent companion named Wilson (a volleyball). That Hanks can communicate with this volleyball, and almost make the ball as a real person with real feelings that is almost like the Silent Bob to his Jay, is one of the films triumphs. The others of course being the whole lot of him on the island and Hanks' performance. If it was someone else, it would not be as successful, but Hanks gives his all and (as usual) pulls through 5 fold delivering one of the years and his best performances. A-