If it weren't for Hanks, this film would have drowned.

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2001)

Tom Hanks gives a VERY good performance in this film and I was never bored. The cinematography of the island, and the shots at end (which are symoblic to the story) are great and Hanks' acting talent is unreal. I don't know how he does it, here's a guy who was basicaly a stand up comedian and a television actor, until Big hit the screen and then he ended up in great roles in films like Phillidelphia and Forest Gump. He is the key in this film, if they got some other actor that didn't work this film would have been terrible.
This being said, the film has constant 'What would you do scenarios?', throughout the entire movie, and I am not always crazy about that. The biggest flaw I think with this film is that the trailer GIVES away the fact that Hanks gets off the island, in short the trailer TELLS you the entire movie. This is stupid, and the director said he did this deliberatly. Second... Hanks' return to the real world I think is VERY unrealistic and RUSHED through and perhaps even somewhat unnecessary. Basicaly he ends up back and there is literally a short scene where he is having a welcoming party with his office colleagues. They all come up to him and say things like 'Well we see you back at the office tomorrow regarding meeting ...", "Hey how about we shoot a round of golf, I am teeing off tommorow at 8", no no no... How about...
"Let's spend 1 year in psychotherapy, to figure out how to live again after not interacting with humans for 4+ years" This would be more the norm... and more realistic.

***POSSIBLE SPOILER DON'T READ IF YOU WANT TO SEE FILM ***
And thirdly, the meeting with the 'other husband' was done VERY badly, meaning it wasn't acted out or handled well. That's my take.

*** END SPOILER ***
This being said it is NOT a perfect film, it is NOT deserving of Best Picture, it is NOT deserving of Hanks WINNING Best Actor, but it does deserve a nomination but I don't think he should win not because his performance is bad, but because I think that other actors in films I have seen this year did better. Hanks did a fantastic job.
This movie I think is more of a spiritual, psychological awakening movie, than a tearjerking sappy love story film. Even with all this I did enjoy the film, and was never bored through it's 2 1/2+ hour run time.
Rating 7 out of 10