Cast Away
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Cast Away is a 2000 American survival drama film directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, and Nick Searcy. Hanks plays a FedEx troubleshooter stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific, and the plot focuses on his desperate attempts to survive and return home. Initial filming took place from January to March of 1999 before resuming in April 2000 and concluding that May. Cast Away was released on December 22, 2000 by 20th Century Fox in North America and DreamWorks Pictures in its international markets. It grossed $429 million worldwide, with Hanks nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 73rd Academy Awards.
Plot
In 1995, Chuck Noland, a systems analyst executive, travels the world resolving productivity problems at FedEx depots. He lives with his girlfriend Kelly Frears in Memphis, Tennessee, but his workaholism often interferes with their relationship. During a family Christmas dinner, Chuck is summoned to resolve a work problem in Malaysia. The FedEx cargo plane is caught in a strong storm and comes crashing down into the Pacific Ocean. Chuck is the only one who survives and escapes with an inflatable life raft, though the raft's emergency locator transmitter is ripped off. The next day, he washes up on an uncharted and uninhabited island.
Several FedEx packages also wash up ashore, as well as the corpse of one of the pilots, whom Chuck buries. He tries to signal a passing ship and escape in the damaged life raft, but the incoming surf tosses Chuck onto a coral reef, injuring his leg. He is able to find sufficient food, water, and shelter. He opens the FedEx packages, finding a number of potentially useful items, but leaves one package, with a pair of wings painted on it, unopened. While attempting to start a fire, Chuck cuts his hand. He furiously throws several objects from the packages, including a Wilson Sporting Goods volleyball, leaving a bloody imprint. After calming down, he draws a face into the smeared blood, names the ball Wilson, and begins talking to it. He continues to talk to it regularly during the rest of his time on the island.
Four years later, Chuck survives and has since taken shelter inside a cave. After a large section from a portable toilet enclosure washes up on the island, he builds a raft, using the plastic as a sail. Chuck successfully launches the raft that he has stocked with food, water, and the one unopened FedEx package. Although a storm threatens the raft's integrity, it proves resistant to the onslaught. One morning, as Chuck sleeps, Wilson falls off the raft and floats away. Chuck awakes and futilely attempts to rescue Wilson, but is left to grieve over Wilson's loss. Soon after, he is finally rescued by a passing cargo ship.
Upon returning to civilization, Chuck learns that he was declared dead by his family and friends; Kelly has since married Chuck's dentist Jerry Lovett and has a child. Chuck goes to Kelly's house and finally reunites with her. They reveal themselves to still be in love with each other, but both know that Kelly cannot abandon her family, and they sadly part. Chuck drives to Texas to return the unopened FedEx package to its sender. Finding no one at home, he leaves the package at the door with a note saying that the package saved his life. He departs and stops at a remote crossroads. A woman in a pickup truck stops and gives information about where each road leads. As she drives away, Chuck notices a wing graphic painted on her truck identical to the one on the parcel. He looks down each road, then at the one the woman took, and feels happy to be back home once again.
Cast
- Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland
- Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears
- Nick Searcy as Stan, a friend of Chuck
- Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett, Kelly's husband
- Lari White as Bettina Peterson, the woman who sent the unopened FedEx package
- Vince Martin as Pilot Al, who is buried by Chuck on the island
- Michael Forest as Pilot Jack
- Jay Acovone as Pilot Peter
- Garret Davis as Pilot Blaine
