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:

Alan Silvestri wrote 24 minutes of score (including over seven minutes for the final credits) for a 143-minute film. Aside from the Russian chorus and the Elvis song from the beginning, there is not one single note of written musical score in the film until Noland leaves the island (1 hour and 43 minutes into the movie). Only then does the musical score come in: an oboe, piano and strings are all that Silvestri uses. Every musical cue is a variation on the same melody, which is heard in full at the end.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When "Wilson" floats away, his "hair" is vertical. In real life, this is top-heavy. The hair would tip over, and it would float horizontal with the ocean.

Quotes:

Chuck Noland: Gotta love crab. In the nick of time too. I couldn't take much more of those coconuts. Coconut milk is a natural laxative. That's something Gilligan never told us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Office: The Fire (#2.4)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Hark, The Herald Angels Sing

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-