2000, 2 hrs 25 min., Rated PG-13 for intense action sequences and some disturbing images.�Dir: Robert Zemeckis. Cast: Tom Hanks (Chuck Noland), Helen Hunt (Kelly Frears).

Unfortunately I missed the first minute of Cast Away due to the children of the corn in front of me at the concession stand. The kids weren't even as bad as the adults, who bought enough food to cover the GNP of Albania. But, I didn't miss anything vital, at least no scenes with Hanks, I'm pretty sure. I did miss the trailers, though, and that really ticks me off. I could have missed the greatest one ever, one I've yet to see but would get on my knees and thank the Lord for providing. Crud. Que sera sera. Enough whining, now on with the film.

Full disclosure: I may have enjoyed this film much more than others for selfish reasons, because of the personal connection I felt with the character and situations. Hanks' Chuck Noland lives in Memphis and constantly refers to it, the town in which I grew up. Hanks works at FedEx, where my father has worked for 15 years. I did, too, briefly at the hub following graduation from college, and thus have a great affinity for the company. So when girlfriend Helen Hunt drops Hanks off at the hub to jumpseat, something I did many many times with Dad, I had an extra smile. Heck, to make it even more personal, there's a brief scene of CNN!

Also, being a native Tennessean made another thing so much fun, especially since I saw the film in Nashville: Hanks mentions that Tennessee has an NFL team, and Hunt goes through how the Oilers became the Titans, and almost won the Super Bowl in 2000. There was a buzz throughout the theater, as everyone knew about what Hanks' character missed along the way.

Cast Away begins in 1995, when Hanks, an efficiency expert for FedEx, is stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific following a plane crash. Right off the bat, Hanks should have known that if Scream taught us anything, it's to NEVER say, "I'll be right back."

Over half the film consists of Hanks alone. Not man vs. nature per se, but man vs. himself on an island. You're not fighting nature, just trying to survive, as Chuck puts it, to "keep breathing" every day. To reinforce the feeling of being solo there's no score, no narration, just Hanks and nat (natural) sound of the wind, waves and creepy coconuts falling from the trees at night. The film is worth the price of admission for just these scenes, and the bookends of before and after his experience are merely window dressing.

The audience must have patience during these scenes; there's a lot of nervous laughter at first, as people aren't sure what to make of silence. Just as Steve Buscemi in Fargo gets uncomfortable with three seconds of silence in a car with his partner, it's difficult to imagine what such a long period of lack of human interaction must do to the psyche.

In the first few days, packages from the plane wash up on the beach. At first, Chuck piles them up to save for delivery, not yet realizing his dire situation, or not accepting it. I would've opened them up immediately! They're all the golden package in this case, each providing something useful in a creative way. Because, after all, who knew coconuts were so hard to open?

Now what? That's the question that comes to mind in every situation. He's alone on the island, seemingly no hope for rescue. Now what? After four years he gets off. Now what? Nothing is what he seems upon his return. Now what? The film is too much to be a neatly wrapped package, leaving the audience with plenty of questions and something to talk about on the way out. At least you have someone to talk to. It has to be better than talking to a volleyball for four years!