9 on a scale of 10

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2001)

There is a lot to say about this movie. It was 2 hours 23 minutes, but had about 6 hours of memories. The airplane scene was a classic. Nothing in a movie terrifies me, but I have to say that was about as terrifying a scene as you will ever see. The most amazing thing is that it held you in terror for what must have been 10 minutes.
There were a number of other times that the movie caused you to cringe in perceived pain. And, each time set a new standard. Half the audience hid their head and the other half closed their eyes. We all knew what was going to happen.
But, that aspect of the movie was only a part of the overall experience. It was also a powerful movie about the human spirit - about courage - about endurance. It is impossible to fully appreciate what it would have been like, but CAST AWAY did a pretty good job of helping us to imagine it.
Also, it was a rather moving love story as the Hanks character was in love with the Hunt character all the years he was stranded on the island. When they were reunited, it was truly one of the great scenes ever in movies. The conflict between desire and reality was extremely intense.
No pat endings, but definitely symbolism - and a sense of coming full circle. You felt sorry for him, but you also wish you could have the freedom that he obtained after he escaped the island. And, I don't mean just the freedom from being stranded. I mean the mental freedom of knowing who you are and knowing what is important.