Hollywood moviemaking at its best

Rating: Null/10 (9 April 2001)

I love it when Hollywood proves me wrong. Here I am, a huge proponent of independent cinema as the last bastion of quality filmmaking left in America. But I have to admit, it is such a good feeling to walk out of a multiplex after seeing a Hollywood movie that is finely crafted by intelligent professionals, with production value afforded by the financial support of a major studio, and yet so full of truth and love. By any standards, Hollywood or Indie, Cast Away is a smart movie that is courageous enough to challenge its audience. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to pitch this idea to a studio executive.
Exec: Lemme get this straight, for the whole second act of this picture, we only get to watch one actor? How are we gonna get dialogue out of that?
Writer: That's the point, you see? There won't be any dialogue. This is a movie about the loneliest guy on earth.
Exec: Are you kidding me? The average Joe Moviegoer won't go near a picture that doesn't have any dialogue in it.
Writer: Um, yeah.... Did I mention that we also don't want there to be any music while he's on the island...?
I'm of the opinion that the only way this movie could have been greenlit is if the greatest actor in the world was attached to star. And indeed he was. While there are many great actors in the world, none of them have the same Everyman affection, the Nice Guy appeal, or the Movie Star clout as Mr.Tom Hanks. He's the only actor in the world who could carry a film like this by himself. And it is such a joy to watch his mind work through challenge after challenge after challenge on the island.
Watching this movie just makes you feel good. As much as I say it challenges the audience, it is also dramatically satisfying and thematically reassuring. We are presented with a story of man vs. nature, reminiscent of romantic classics such as Robinson Crusoe. And by watching his struggles and witnessing the difficult lessons he learns upon his homecoming, the movie delivers one of those universal truths that we never get tired of hearing. This is Hollywood moviemaking at its best.
Grade: A