That turns out to be more than four years later, after a plane crash strands him on some uninhabited chunk of land. By then, things have changed decisively in Kelly's life. Chuck has to cope with them while deciding what path to take now that he's risen, Lazarus-like, from the grave to which his friends had consigned him. Hunt's effective enough, and Wilmington-based Nick Searcy gets a couple of brief but crucial moments as Chuck's confidant at FedEx. Otherwise, the emotional weight of the movie rests entirely on its star, whose track record over the past decade is unmatched.
Hanks takes a long time to register feelings.
Chuck gets breaks the average castaway would not. He finds videotapes that serve as binding material, ice skates whose blades function as knives and mirrors, and the ever-attentive Wilson. The filmmakers subtly reinforce his states of thought with weather, light and shadow, and a pattern of sounds intelligently designed by multiple Oscar nominee Randy Thom. Chuck may seem to be all alone on that island, but a crew of first-rate technicians was standing by to keep us inside his mind.