Copyright 2000 Mark O'Hara Robert Zemeckis' CAST AWAY is a strong example of what can be done with a veteran actor and a pretty solid script. Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, an executive for FedEx who is stranded on a remote island in the Pacific, is in top form, and the writing by William Broyles, Jr. tells the story without straining itself with worry over the premise.
Hanks is remarkable here.
Of course the story that will get the most attention is how he and his friend Bob Zemeckis suspended production halfway through the film, so that Hanks could shed 50 or so pounds and let his hair grow. Perhaps he has not chosen widely different roles in his career, but Tom Hanks certainly assumes authority up there on the screen, and he just gets more watchable with the years. The story is also one of the stars. No, it will not interest viewers who demand intense action or explosions, though the plane crash sequence is very well executed and memorable. I like that the script does not have Chuck Noland talking to himself unnecessarily.