The Academy likes Tom Hanks - if he puts out a movie that is even remotely Oscar-worthy, it's almost guaranteed he'll get the Oscar. It's not that I don't like Tom Hanks, I do, but it just seems as if he wins every time nominated, and from what I've seen this year, after viewing Cast Away, he's most likely a shoe in. I've heard that Connery has a chance for Finding Forrester, but when all's said and done, I believe that Hanks will win yet again for this movie, and for that sole reason you should see this movie.

Cast Away - not Castaway, as they make a point to accentuate - features a strong performance by Hanks with a plot that has been ruined by the trailer. No doubt you've seen the trailer, as it has been playing before just about every movie in theaters now. I would love to recap the trailer, but for those of you who haven't seen it, I'd be giving away the whole plot of the film. Essentially, Hanks, a Fed-Ex worker is on his way to Malaysia to help speed up workers or something when his plane crashes into the ocean. Since his plane had been out of radio contact and went off course to avoid a storm, the search area would have had to be twice the size of Texas to find him (according to his rough calculations). So there we have it - Hanks (Chuck) is stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific with nothing more than a raft and a few items that washed up on shore from the FedEx plane. It's now up to him, and him alone to figure out what he's going to do to survive, perhaps even make it back to civilization.

The film is basically about one man who is cast into a place where he has all the time in the world on his hands, a polar opposite to the life he lived before - jetting from one remote location to another to fix a problem, iron out a kink in the FedEx supply chain. What we are left with is a man alone on an island - hence very little dialogue at times - only the scenery and musical score to advance the movie, along with the spectacular acting by Hanks. He needs to learn how to survive, not only physically, but mentally, and herein lies the major problems he faces. The script, beautifully written for the most part, keeps the focus on Hanks as he copes with the new world he is cast into, and the world that he wishes to return to. The script seamlessly blends comedy (Hanks fishing and cracking a coconut) with a deep psychological study. We delve into Chuck's emotions, his psychological trauma of abandonment, isolation, and helplessness.

Cast Away, filmed in two distinct parts over a total of 16 months (12 months to allow for Hanks stunning transformation), is stunningly real at times, depicting his desperation through various elements (which in and of themselves give away too much of the plot). His only companion is "Wilson" a washed-up volleyball that helps him through his everyday life and in one sense or another keeps him sane. As I said before, Hanks will most likely win the Oscar for his performance (a nomination is guaranteed), and I believe he deserves it. While the ending may be a bit of a let-down (which might be giving away too much), and the middle has a few sagging parts, overall the film is quite captivating, and will do well at the box office. The PG-13 rating will help it's numbers as the kids will enjoy the Gilligan's Island/Robinson Crusoe type atmosphere and the adults will enjoy his psychological and philosophical struggles.

Genres: Adventure, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 135 minutes
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