South x South-West Pacific

Rating: 7/10 (26 June 2006)

I just had the unexpectedly strange and very moving experience of seeing CAST AWAY for the first time with a 39 year old male friend who is deeply traumatized because he is estranged from his pretty blonde wife and gorgeous young children. He lives in a coastal holiday resort; palm trees, hibiscus and mountain cliffs. His complete inability to previously express his agonizing emotional solitude whilst living here (in Australia) in paradise had him descend into sobbing heartbreak throughout in a way I have never previously witnessed. He kept exclaiming to the screen (and Hank's emotive performance and situation) "This is ME, This is how I am feeling" and for the first time in many years was able to melt, awash with emotional relief at being able to translate his feelings whilst watching the ordeal in play. It was an astonishing paralyzing experience for me to share with him and it has as of today (today!) allowed him to seek the help and professional guidance with a degree of confidence and heartfelt understanding previously unavailable to him. So I had a double feature! A real life human drama in the room with me, and the film itself! It all added to the experience of having someone alongside who was living CAST AWAY for real in his own heart and head. Maybe if you have a distressed friend unable to break into or out of the emotional knot caused by bereaved family loss, this film will allow a way forward. It worked for us.
any way.....
One has to hand it to Hanks though for a front and center performance that allows every man watching to see his everyman persona on show and apt in every movement and emotion. CAST AWAY is a magnificent looking film, in c/s and on a huge screen it must be astonishing; great plane disaster set pieces and tropical traps, hilarious and heartbreaking Robinson Crusoe level drama and photography and sound design worthy of Oscars. I was queasy about all the FedEx "ads" throughout but agreed in the end it was a great device. I especially liked the North By Northwest farm locale seen early and late in the film... and even the positive denouement allowing a realistic life pointer to be an acceptable ending. For a few moments there in the final act, I gripped the seat in apprehension hoping the schmaltz possible wasn't about to really happen. I would watch CAST AWAY again, in fact I want to and will start from the terrifying and spectacular plane crash through the excellent compelling Island sequences and exit with the ocean tanker in the background. CAST AWAY is a uniquely American film success, too long in the last act, and perfectly realized in all the island scenes by the irreplaceable Tom Hanks. I thank you and my pal is today able to move on as well.
Other similar theme movies worth seeing are: "Man Friday" (1975) with Peter O'Toole as Crusoe and Richard Roundtree as Man Friday, and the excellent LOST style telemovie made by Universal in 1969 called LOST FLIGHT which stars Anne Francis. (see my comments for that elsewhere).... and of course the best of the lot, the original version of LORD OF THE FLIES (1963).