Why Survive? For self and for the eternal motivator -- love!

Rating: 9/10 (4 July 2015)

The central story, Tom Hanks' character surviving a plane crash, being the sole survivor, and spending four agonizing years surviving on an uninhabited island is well done. After watching the film 3 o4 4 times, some detail jumped out at me that I hadn't previously noticed, or just wasn't paying enough attention. There are two women overshadowing Hanks' spiritual/physical journey. There is Kelly, the love of his life who becomes a "lost love" with the passage of time. Then there is Bettina, first merely a symbol (the orange wings) on the one FedEx parcel that Hanks decides to hang on to in case he gets rescued. Before his ill-fated air trip, the sign on the Texas Ranch says "Tony" and "Bettina". Over the passage of time Tony and Bettina (who we do not see or know) have become uncoupled just as Hanks' character and Kelly are uncoupling because of separation. Hanks is sustained by the pocket watch mounted photo of Kelly and to a lesser extent, by the presence of the "Bettina" parcel. Near the end of the film, when he is back on the mainland, he has to come to terms with the loss of Kelly, while simultaneously if not knowingly opening himself to finding new love with Bettina. Love lost; love found. An interesting juxtaposition. This is, as stated, a more cameo part of the overall story but one which should not be lost sight of--for what can motivate a man to survive against all odds is the possibility of finding new love to replace the one lost?