Story of a plane crash survivor

Rating: 6/10 (2 January 2015)

"Cast Away" is the film that reunited actor Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis after their massive success with "Forrest Gump" a couple years earlier. It was written by William Broyles Jr., the man who wrote "Apollo 13" previously, another Hanks movie. Here the two-time Academy Award winner is basically in every single scene from start to finish and that is especially mentionable as the film runs for almost 2.5 hours. Other parts are played by Helen Hunt and Chris Noth, who I really liked on "Criminal Intent".
Anyway, back to Hanks and the performance that won him another Golden Globe and almost brought him his 3rd Oscar. The first half hour, we gain an insight into Chuck Noland's life, work and family, especially into his professional life as a FedEx employee giving training courses in foreign countries. After the 30-minute mark his plane has already crashed and he made it to a remote island, where he fights for survival for many years until finally, after he decides to sail away, he gets picked up by a cargo ship. The last 40 minutes or so then take place back in civilization again and we see how he struggles with his now remarried wife and life in general. That was one of the very few parts that I did not like at all. If he is truly the love of her life, she also should get back together with him and there is no real excuse for staying married to Noth's character. I don't really need a happy end (it somehow was one looking at the very last scene), but if they make it somehow unhappy, it needs to be at least realistic. Maybe they should have kept it without the two meeting again and just ended it with Noth leading Hunt's character to the car.
Anyway, one of the best parts of the film is the constant approach to time, the way he talks about it before the crash and how he has basically found his peace at the end not trying to beat it anymore. Most of that happened on the island, where also the majority of the film takes place. We see how he fishes, hunts, tries to make fire, is thirsty etc. pretty much everything you would expect. And we also see Wilson the Volleyball of course, one of the greatest performances from an inanimate object in film history. He serves as a person being with Noland on the island, so he has somebody to talk to and won't go insane due to lack of human relationships.
The title "Cast Away" is certainly not only a reference to him being on the isolated island, but also about everything what happens when he is rescued. There were a few moments on the island during which I felt it dragged a bit and I don't really feel the need to watch the film anytime soon again, but as a whole I enjoyed the outcome and would recommend it. It came in 2nd most-seen film after "The Grinch" in 2000 and it is certainly a good quality movie with a stellar lead performance. And if you have already seen and enjoyed this one here, let me recommend you the more recent similar-themed "All is Lost" starring Robert Redford (unless you have seen that one too).