I think he drove after his angel, the artist lady. She has wings on her car and he definitely noticed them. Maybe to thank her in person. Also she is divorced, so she also lost love. And it's the first time we see her and she and Chuck interact with each other so I think they heavily implied that they will end up together. Oh and for the volleyball I have two theories. The first is that he wants to bring it to the boy that should have got it as a birthday present 4 years ago and also thank the family for providing him such a good friend and companion for the 4 years he was alone and the second theory is that he wants to keep something from the island, a reminder that he can get through everything.
Have you ever watched the old "Inside the Actor's Studio" when James Lipton and the NYU theater student interviewed Tom Hanks? One of them asked him what he thinks happens to Chuck at the end of "Cast Away". He said that he thinks he turned around, and followed her back to her house to meet her. He then said: and then I think he seizes the moment, marries her and has all the babies in the world with her.
I love the ending. He's been castaway again. Cut adrift from his final mooring. He's done it before sailed out over the reef into the unknown with no way back, now he has to do the same thing just in an emotional way.
I saw this when it first came out and loved it. It's one of my favourite films ever. When Kelly runs after him and gets in the car I remember the tension and wanting to scream at the film, "DON'T DO IT!" even though I wish they could have been together, she'd moved on and had another life. I love and hate that the film ends where it does. I like firm happy endings with all the loose ends tied and tucked away neatly. This film ends on such a sad, hopeful note. Just like the whole rest of the film, giving up control of what happens, but always hoping for the best. Life is so messy. Life is so hard, so excruciatingly painful and depressing, so breathtakingly unexpectedly joyful, so hopeful. And so's this film.
I love your explanation at the end there, and I agree wholeheartedly about Kelly. It would have been nice for Chuck of course, but "real" life is more complicated and I'm glad they showcased that complexity. Thanks for your comment :)
As an adult who has spent most of their life single I'm happy that for once someone can not get the girl at the end and be okay. If you are lonely you can find people but you need to be okay with yourself. Comfortable with the quiet. And I feel like that's the biggest thing taken from the ordeal.
Bro, misery like company, GET YOURSELF OUT OF IT! ...introvert = LOSER ..YOU LOST ALREADY, NOW ITS TIME FOR YOU TO WIN...FORCE YOURSELF TO CHANGE AND STOP BEING AN INTROVERT!!!!
When I watched Cast Away, and now that I am reminded of that movie, I feel only emptiness in all the things I do. Nothing really matters. I’m not worth the food I eat, and I don’t deserve the time I’ve been given. There’s no positive spin for this thought. It’ll linger until my daily activities forces me to carry on and forget this dread. Time makes fools of us all. Even the most important aspects of life are drowned in the schedules and events of life. We must carry on because life doesn’t care if you do, and the world spins on no matter how little or much you do with the short time you are allowed.
A perfect movie…with a perfect ending. At least for me. It came to me at a time in my life when I faced my isolation and despair and resulting depression. Like Chuck, I kept breathing…the sun did rise and set. The tide kept changing and ultimately brought me a new life, full of purpose, full of love and full of happiness…inspired by hope. There were two other movies that also helped inspire my new life: The Shawshank Redemption (the gift of hope) The Legend of Bagger Vance (focus don’t fight…look on the world with soft eyes)
When I watched this movie for the first time as a kid, Wilson floating away recked me so hard I’ve never been able to watch this movie again, even now as a full ass adult pushing 30 😭😭😭
Stef, I love your emotional and psychological analysis of this, one of my favorite, movies. When Chuck gave the pocket watch back to Kelly, Kelly gave the unopened engagement ring box back to Chuck. She wanted to open it when he came back to her. She didn't have the heart to open it after the funeral. It always sustained her faith that somehow, he would come home. She held on to it unopened as a remembrance of their love for each other. After Chuck delivered the FedEx package and meeting Bettina on the road, Chuck went back to visit with Bettina after she left him at the crossroads. With that last look she gave him, who wouldn't! She was in the barn getting ready to do some work. It being a hot day, she invited him to join her in having a cool iced tea. Chuck explained to her all that had happened and how that package sustained his faith that he would return home from the island. This was better than any therapy he could ever have. Bettina was kind and listened with her heart. It wasn't his intent to find love, but rather to find himself and a path forward. Delivering that package, was the key to that journey. Eventually they would fall in love and live happily ever after, but it took a lot of time for her to learn to trust again and for him to open his heart to her after losing Kelly. Bettina added Chuck's name to the arched entry to her land. They got a dog together and named it Wilson!
Thank you for this. I enjoyed it. Over 21 years I've only watched bits of Cast Away. Then last week I bought the DVD and watched the full movie for the first time. Three years ago I survived a violent and bloody assault and after it I was diagnosed with PTSD. I found the movie's ending so cathartic. The fireside conversation, the whole notion of going on with life even when you lose everything. Just really got to me. Great movie.
It took her only year and half after his disaperance for her to get pregnant from the dentist which implies they had something going on from the get go. She was never going to say yes to a proposal and was not the least bit positive about the ring. At New Years she was determined to break it off with him. For her, it all worked out. She was a victim for losing her BF, and now she was free to move on with, “Dr. Lovett,” which she did, in short order. The story was deeper and more tragic than on the surface, because Hanks was naive and gullible.
She was the epitome of loyalty. Waited some months … My almost fiancé couldn’t wait 2 weeks while I was overseas with my college on a trip to China. The only one who waited faithfully for me was my cat 🐈 !! At least Kelly had an excuse: Statistically she had more chance of winning a major lottery than Chuck surviving. Her bio clock ⏰ would be ticking … she made the practical decision … she moved on.
I want to thank you for this essay. im in a croosroad of my life right now and I needed to hear this, to let go of what I cant control. I am crying right now but its ok, its ok to let it out, I have been in an emotional storm lately and holding back the tears. its ok to cry :)
Although it may seem weird to many, my favorite shot in the film was when we see Chuck on his plane ride home. He's sitting upright with his shoes on and looking out the window calmly. It really sets up his character change that would last throughout the rest of the movie. It was a sharp contrast to when he was on the doomed FedEx flight that went down. Brilliant job by all👍
Excellent analysis!! I feel that the ability to deal with our inability to control our circumstances is one of the true keys to peace and balance in life. Definitely something I could work on :) happy I subscribed
I used to watch it a lot as a kid and I dnt remember the ending or maybe it went over my head lol I love rewatching movies as an adult and seeing what I missed or didn’t understand 💕
Hanks hang’s himself on the cliff moments before his girlfriend flies helicopter to island. It was really sad. He had a note around his neck that said “I love you”.
I come back to this movie regularly. Saw it in cinema in 2000. It's now easily in my top 10. Has so many messages and developments. I just noticed that the music theme, when he leaves the island and also kelly's home is always somewhat sad und gloomy for me. And it plays at the end, when he stands at the cross roads, but as the movie closes, he smiles and the music gets a bit of an upward drift. So great.
Metaphors in the movie 1. The Island- One's lowest point in life. Where you are all alone, completely hopeless, helpless, and unable to escape. It can be depression, suicidal thoughts, or substance problem. At that lowest point you are the only help you have. Its a place you try to survive long enough to escape it.... Or sometimes we get used to our misery we find comfort in it, and one must fight the urge to just give up trying to escape 2. The watch- Memory of better times. The protagonist wanted to live in order for him to be reunited with his one true love. The memory of better times is a convenient place to always escape at our lowest point. It makes us want to survive to return to those good old days. At the same time, the watch represents time passed by. While it did give the protagonist a reason to live, he was never able to return to her. She did move on. No matter, its enough that it made him want to escape that island 3. The Volleyball- One's Ego or conscience. The protagonist projected all his negative and positive thoughts on that ball and named him Wilson. He made Wilson his friend. In reality he is talking to himself. The Volleyball is a mirror of himself. Sometimes when you are stuck in a very bad situation, your greatest friend is really yourself. At the same time, you are also your greatest opposition. This is shown with the way that he argues with the ball. It got to a point where he got so comfortable with his misery, it made him for a while not wanna risk saying goodbye to the Island 4. The unopened box with Angel wings- Blind faith. When you are in a desperate situation, faith is sometimes all you got to get by. You believe you are gonna make it, things will be better. You may not know how exactly (like he does not know whats in that box), but you invest patience it it anyway. You keep believing it will come. 5. The crossroads at the ending- Well this is pretty obvious. It represents how there is always opportunity in the Horizon. You just got to keep moving forward.
Interstellar can inspire in a weird way, even with the cheesy love part... When they have to dock the ship after part of it explodes is just raw determination, and I think my heart is still racing since the first time I saw it lol
I think he's returning the lost packages to their rightful owners, thats what he's seen doing in the final scene. I don't think the volleyball is for him but for the person it was originally sent to
Beautifully done, made me want to watch it again. How bout a Wes Anderson film next, maybe "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" or "The Grand Budapest Hotel" or any of them actually lol
The first time I saw this was in theaters as a kid. I LOVE this movie. It is very comforting. I think of it often. Thanks for this breakdown of a masterpiece.
This was such a great video! I have a weird relationship with this film. I’ve seen large chunks of it out of order back when it played on tv as a teen, but I’ve never given it a proper viewing because I thought I’d already spoiled the film for myself. Your love for it really seeped through this insightful analysis, and now it’s at the top of my covid lockdown list to enjoy. Thanks!
I watched the movie again for the first time in about 10 years. I love it even more now, because there is so much in it that relates to our own lives. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it ❤
I have a hard time getting through sad movies. When i first watched this (on Netflix as a teenager) i had to do stuff to distract myself like play in my phone or talk to my little brother. Chucks suffering was so constant and real. I loved the ending and i think the movie was phenomenal but i just couldn’t get through it. Can anyone relate?
I can totally relate to this movie, Cast Away. A busy guy who thinks he has everything under control on his own terms; that used to be me! I had a good relationship that I thought I had everything under control until I didn't. Life hit me so hard. I lost my relationship with the woman of my dreams and now I'm suffering the consequences of my sins. Hence, after everything, I'm learning that I'm not in control of what's happening but I am in control of how I react and learning to appreciate even the simplest things in life.
Thanks for the vid! I love Cast Away. It is so good to see a video essay on it appreciating the protagonists’ journey and not just what happened to him.
So just watching Wilson being lost in this video I was blubbering like a baby. It’s not just the loss, it’s that insidious music… every time it starts… I just lose it, every time
I want to thank your four summarizing a brilliantly created movie. He didn’t have his box of chocolates but in the end, he knew better what life was worth.
It's a great movie. Life can have so many twists and turns, and unexpected events, and not everthing turns out the way we want it. We have to learn to let go with certain situations, people, and places, as Chuck did, in order to grow in life and keep moving foward. A good analysis you provided, which I thought was pretty much on the mark.
I've always thought that the choice to use a plane crash, instead of a ship wreak was always interesting in a good way. Also The Martian both movie, and book take alot of the best aspects of Castaway just in space.
Cast Away is a different story which is why it did so well. I plays into male loneliness and betrayal of sorts, if not by life. But what made it different was the end. A lot don't understand the ending but its pretty simple and is actually said. Life has many roads, choose one. Being alone is a gift as modern life is nothing but one big fucking distraction. Social media and TH-cam videos being a few. We need more time to think, to understand, to sense ourselves and realize the truth about certain facets of our lives. His life provided this on the island and it would for many. The film could have dealt with more of this silver platter characterization offering in this context, but they wished to focus on survival, then what to say when you come back. His character was swept up in deadlines his whole life, that should have been the focal point of his failure to live a full life.
Have a second look at the poem "The Road Not Taken". Frost himself said, "be careful with this one. It is tricky. VERY tricky." If you look at the second and third stanzas, you will see that there is no road less traveled by. The grass is worn the same in both roads, and the leaves are the same in both roads. The line that is usually omitted on posters and t-shirts is the first line of the last stanza. It is the most important line and is almost always omitted.
The message I got at the end of this movie, was a message of hope, as is summed up by Chuck's final meeting with his friend over that late night meeting with his friend, after his goodbye with Kelly: "I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Cause tomorrow, the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Pardon my second entry. This film has been my mantra since its release. I see this as a Guide to modern perplexity. So I must take issue with Professor Bergstrom's assessment. In particular is her significant change in Chuck Noland's speech given here at 17:57: "Who knows what the Tide COULD bring." She writes in her article (and quoted here at 23:33): "Who knows what the Tide WILL bring." COULD and WILL are not the same thing. Chuck expresses the inherent uncertainty of existence where Time is a property of Creation. In the words of Maimonides, what comes to us is through the WILL of creation. It is NOT certain. The Professor's reframe of Chuck's words of Acceptance (very Zen is it not) is what WiLL COME: deliverance is CERTAIN in her view; in Chuck's Accepting view, it is UNCERTAIN. The hope comes from his Knowledge of the Ebb and Flood of Creation. Perhaps something will come; perhaps not. Accept. Let Go. I am old now. These words give comfort. I now understand, as I think Chuck did at the end, that he has become something the tide has brought to rural Texas. I never caught Bettina's SMILE at finding the Lost Cowboy washed up on her Island. Once again, how wonderful is this provocative analysis. Here is the link to the Professor's paper: digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1670&context=jrf
Subtle hints. Know knowing what to say to his friend about a dying wife and emptiness of his expression. Kelly not ecstatic about seeing him at the copy machine. So when are you going to make Kelly an “ honest women” at Christmas dinner. The missed late night phone call because she with the dentist, who she recommends. The heirloom watch she doesn’t recall giving to him. When he says “so” in her kitchen and doesn’t ask about the time line of her marriage and child instead asks about the football team and she is relieved. Angel lady says “ good luck cowboy” in reference to Toy Story.
Excellent critique. I've watched this film or clips many times. Certainly picked up the themes of irreversible losses, the sun comes up tomorrow, and do today what you cannot do tomorrow as the opportunity may never arise again. However, some scenes you referenced had initially gone by me and not registered high on my memory list. I'll watch your vid again and check these out. 'Course some sources' material I watched could have edited for time and content, ignorant of the effects they are creating. Truly a well-crafted film. Kudos to Zemekis, screenwriter, and actors. To you- Thanks for doing this. What's next?
Thank you for your thoughtful analysis. I recently had a depressed friend who shot himself. I found him the next morning. Not surprisingly I have been struggling with the most common reaction after a suicide. I should have done more. I've been working though it with friends and feel like I had a pretty good handle on the rational part of it. But the feelings. . . . I found working through the movie and the issues involved and how they are dealt with and discussed by you to be very helpful. To be honest I hadn't planned on getting good emotional, philosophical advice from a movie review. So keep up the good work. We never know the true effect of what we do..
I think the new ball is with other stuff that is replacing what he used. I thought he was going to all the people the packages were for and giving them the replacements that helped to save his life and sanity.
I thought your synopsis of the meaning was as close as anyone's I've seen on TH-cam. Time was underlying Chuck's decisions during the beginning of the movie. The fact that his watch didn't work once he arrived on the island was also meant as a sorry telling device as he is in between life and death. Realizing what's important to him, he risks leaving the island of certainty for an uncertain future. It's really a metaphor for a mid-life crisis.
I love this essay I been looking for a good breakdown of cast away when it came on and I had just read about the road less traveled for my writing class and after watching it when it came on tv I was looking for a good break down and I found it thank you for this
This is one of my favorite movies. Given the scholarly analysis of this video, and the feelings of those for whom this movie has struck an emotional cord, I am sure this comment will make me seem a troglodyte. I always thought that it would have been really cool if the very last scene showed the artist opening her package and it is filled with very useful camping and fishing gear.
The volleyball at the end was not for himself. He was replacing all of the packages he opened on the island and delivering them to the people they were meant to go to. Look on the seat, you can see other items. I don't know how people miss this.
I think he bought the new Willson for whoever was supposed to receive the original one. But also, he's kinda cast away again, starting out on a new life and deciding how he wants to weather the storms. So I think it would still be sweet if he got a new Willson for morale and to remind himself that he can. And I think he went after the angel wings lady, but not because of romance.
I have watched to 16:30 so far and will continue to the finish. A very good critique, thought- provoking insights into psychological processes.. BTW I am not incredibly lonely, rather, you are incredibly enchanting. I give credit where credit is due. Back to the vid.
Classic movie. I liked the sequel too... "Finch" isn't exactly a sequel, but Tom Hanks plays a kind of castaway with almost no other human contact. It's hard not to think of him as a very similar character in both movies, but they're both different enough to enjoy on their own.
He bought another volleyball because he missed his friend. Even if his friend of 4 years was an inanimate object. It still bore meaning and comfort to him.
I think the movie shows the irony of his life, which time is so important, and fate shows him time is not important. I loved the ending, that we are victims of fate, but also in control of our fate.
I thought the movie was perfect. I just wished they extended the rescue. He waves to a ship and then he's on a plane. It seemed like that was cut short.
Chuck losing Wilson (look at me capitalizing a volleyball) had to happen. He never could have embraced the risk of real relationships with people, if Wilson had survived the trip. Wilson, however, was good practice for Chuck in learning how to communicate at a deeper more authentic level.
Wilson's departure seems too well timed. Chuck finally learned to make and appreciate meaningful connections in his life thanks to Wilson so after being rescued there wouldn't really be a place for him in his life (and not because people would be weirded out by him talking to a ball). It's entirely possible that part of Chuck's subconscious he embodied in Wilson knew this and allowed him to fall off the raft and not make him aware till he was too far to save. Basically, the split personality was self-aware and knew it was time to go and let Chuck move on.
No lie, I watched this movie in 2020 as a way to cope with prolonged loneliness
Hahahahaha lmao
I get that
Wow
@@saadbunni what a fucking trash comment🚮 p.o.s
There is Christian symbology throughout Cast Away. The TH-cam Channel Logos Made Flesh did an excellent analysis.
I think he drove after his angel, the artist lady. She has wings on her car and he definitely noticed them. Maybe to thank her in person. Also she is divorced, so she also lost love. And it's the first time we see her and she and Chuck interact with each other so I think they heavily implied that they will end up together.
Oh and for the volleyball I have two theories. The first is that he wants to bring it to the boy that should have got it as a birthday present 4 years ago and also thank the family for providing him such a good friend and companion for the 4 years he was alone and the second theory is that he wants to keep something from the island, a reminder that he can get through everything.
Have you ever watched the old "Inside the Actor's Studio" when James Lipton and the NYU theater student interviewed Tom Hanks? One of them asked him what he thinks happens to Chuck at the end of "Cast Away". He said that he thinks he turned around, and followed her back to her house to meet her. He then said: and then I think he seizes the moment, marries her and has all the babies in the world with her.
I love the ending. He's been castaway again. Cut adrift from his final mooring. He's done it before sailed out over the reef into the unknown with no way back, now he has to do the same thing just in an emotional way.
I watched this movie for a psych class and honestly it's one of my favourites now
I watched this movie for psych too
I saw this when it first came out and loved it. It's one of my favourite films ever. When Kelly runs after him and gets in the car I remember the tension and wanting to scream at the film, "DON'T DO IT!" even though I wish they could have been together, she'd moved on and had another life.
I love and hate that the film ends where it does. I like firm happy endings with all the loose ends tied and tucked away neatly. This film ends on such a sad, hopeful note. Just like the whole rest of the film, giving up control of what happens, but always hoping for the best.
Life is so messy. Life is so hard, so excruciatingly painful and depressing, so breathtakingly unexpectedly joyful, so hopeful. And so's this film.
I love your explanation at the end there, and I agree wholeheartedly about Kelly. It would have been nice for Chuck of course, but "real" life is more complicated and I'm glad they showcased that complexity. Thanks for your comment :)
The reason why you love the movie so much is because it ends on the crossroads.
As an adult who has spent most of their life single I'm happy that for once someone can not get the girl at the end and be okay.
If you are lonely you can find people but you need to be okay with yourself. Comfortable with the quiet. And I feel like that's the biggest thing taken from the ordeal.
Bro, misery like company, GET YOURSELF OUT OF IT! ...introvert = LOSER ..YOU LOST ALREADY, NOW ITS TIME FOR YOU TO WIN...FORCE YOURSELF TO CHANGE AND STOP BEING AN INTROVERT!!!!
@@toxichammertoe8696 you're misusing multiple sayings to the point where I'm inclined to believe that you are using a parody/troll account.
Yes. You are so right. Thank you.
But Chuck never had Kelly, he realises she had been cheating on him during their relationship when he saw her photos and asked how old the baby is.
I feel like Chuck bought another volleyball to serve as a reminder. He learned a great deal on the island, foremost to not take people for granted.
When I watched Cast Away, and now that I am reminded of that movie, I feel only emptiness in all the things I do. Nothing really matters. I’m not worth the food I eat, and I don’t deserve the time I’ve been given.
There’s no positive spin for this thought. It’ll linger until my daily activities forces me to carry on and forget this dread. Time makes fools of us all. Even the most important aspects of life are drowned in the schedules and events of life. We must carry on because life doesn’t care if you do, and the world spins on no matter how little or much you do with the short time you are allowed.
A perfect movie…with a perfect ending. At least for me. It came to me at a time in my life when I faced my isolation and despair and resulting depression. Like Chuck, I kept breathing…the sun did rise and set. The tide kept changing and ultimately brought me a new life, full of purpose, full of love and full of happiness…inspired by hope.
There were two other movies that also helped inspire my new life:
The Shawshank Redemption (the gift of hope)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (focus don’t fight…look on the world with soft eyes)
When I watched this movie for the first time as a kid, Wilson floating away recked me so hard I’ve never been able to watch this movie again, even now as a full ass adult pushing 30 😭😭😭
Stef, I love your emotional and psychological analysis of this, one of my favorite, movies.
When Chuck gave the pocket watch back to Kelly, Kelly gave the unopened engagement ring box back to Chuck. She wanted to open it when he came back to her. She didn't have the heart to open it after the funeral. It always sustained her faith that somehow, he would come home. She held on to it unopened as a remembrance of their love for each other.
After Chuck delivered the FedEx package and meeting Bettina on the road, Chuck went back to visit with Bettina after she left him at the crossroads. With that last look she gave him, who wouldn't! She was in the barn getting ready to do some work. It being a hot day, she invited him to join her in having a cool iced tea. Chuck explained to her all that had happened and how that package sustained his faith that he would return home from the island.
This was better than any therapy he could ever have.
Bettina was kind and listened with her heart.
It wasn't his intent to find love, but rather to find himself and a path forward. Delivering that package, was the key to that journey.
Eventually they would fall in love and live happily ever after, but it took a lot of time for her to learn to trust again and for him to open his heart to her after losing Kelly.
Bettina added Chuck's name to the arched entry to her land.
They got a dog together and named it Wilson!
Thank you for this. I enjoyed it. Over 21 years I've only watched bits of Cast Away. Then last week I bought the DVD and watched the full movie for the first time. Three years ago I survived a violent and bloody assault and after it I was diagnosed with PTSD. I found the movie's ending so cathartic. The fireside conversation, the whole notion of going on with life even when you lose everything. Just really got to me. Great movie.
I clicked SO fast. I love this movie.
This Movie is just absolutely a Masterpiece. It's helped get me through a lot and Your Analysis is Absolutely Incredible. Very Nice Work.
It took her only year and half after his disaperance for her to get pregnant from the dentist which implies they had something going on from the get go. She was never going to say yes to a proposal and was not the least bit positive about the ring. At New Years she was determined to break it off with him. For her, it all worked out. She was a victim for losing her BF, and now she was free to move on with, “Dr. Lovett,” which she did, in short order. The story was deeper and more tragic than on the surface, because Hanks was naive and gullible.
She was the epitome of loyalty. Waited some months …
My almost fiancé couldn’t wait 2 weeks while I was overseas with my college on a trip to China. The only one who waited faithfully for me was my cat 🐈 !!
At least Kelly had an excuse: Statistically she had more chance of winning a major lottery than Chuck surviving.
Her bio clock ⏰ would be ticking … she made the practical decision … she moved on.
I want to thank you for this essay. im in a croosroad of my life right now and I needed to hear this, to let go of what I cant control. I am crying right now but its ok, its ok to let it out, I have been in an emotional storm lately and holding back the tears. its ok to cry :)
I'm glad it helped you in some way, I wish you all the best ❤️
@@QualityCulture thank you
Although it may seem weird to many, my favorite shot in the film was when we see Chuck on his plane ride home. He's sitting upright with his shoes on and looking out the window calmly. It really sets up his character change that would last throughout the rest of the movie. It was a sharp contrast to when he was on the doomed FedEx flight that went down. Brilliant job by all👍
Excellent analysis!! I feel that the ability to deal with our inability to control our circumstances is one of the true keys to peace and balance in life. Definitely something I could work on :) happy I subscribed
Thanks so much! Yes that's definitely something we're all in a constant state of working on haha
I used to watch it a lot as a kid and I dnt remember the ending or maybe it went over my head lol I love rewatching movies as an adult and seeing what I missed or didn’t understand 💕
Hanks hang’s himself on the cliff moments before his girlfriend flies helicopter to island. It was really sad. He had a note around his neck that said “I love you”.
I come back to this movie regularly. Saw it in cinema in 2000. It's now easily in my top 10. Has so many messages and developments. I just noticed that the music theme, when he leaves the island and also kelly's home is always somewhat sad und gloomy for me. And it plays at the end, when he stands at the cross roads, but as the movie closes, he smiles and the music gets a bit of an upward drift. So great.
This was such a good video and I really appreciated the inspirational quotes that you shared. Those are really needed in this day and age.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed 😊
it's criminal that this doesn't have more views
Metaphors in the movie
1. The Island- One's lowest point in life. Where you are all alone, completely hopeless, helpless, and unable to escape. It can be depression, suicidal thoughts, or substance problem. At that lowest point you are the only help you have. Its a place you try to survive long enough to escape it.... Or sometimes we get used to our misery we find comfort in it, and one must fight the urge to just give up trying to escape
2. The watch- Memory of better times. The protagonist wanted to live in order for him to be reunited with his one true love. The memory of better times is a convenient place to always escape at our lowest point. It makes us want to survive to return to those good old days. At the same time, the watch represents time passed by. While it did give the protagonist a reason to live, he was never able to return to her. She did move on. No matter, its enough that it made him want to escape that island
3. The Volleyball- One's Ego or conscience. The protagonist projected all his negative and positive thoughts on that ball and named him Wilson. He made Wilson his friend. In reality he is talking to himself. The Volleyball is a mirror of himself. Sometimes when you are stuck in a very bad situation, your greatest friend is really yourself. At the same time, you are also your greatest opposition. This is shown with the way that he argues with the ball. It got to a point where he got so comfortable with his misery, it made him for a while not wanna risk saying goodbye to the Island
4. The unopened box with Angel wings- Blind faith. When you are in a desperate situation, faith is sometimes all you got to get by. You believe you are gonna make it, things will be better. You may not know how exactly (like he does not know whats in that box), but you invest patience it it anyway. You keep believing it will come.
5. The crossroads at the ending- Well this is pretty obvious. It represents how there is always opportunity in the Horizon. You just got to keep moving forward.
Interstellar can inspire in a weird way, even with the cheesy love part... When they have to dock the ship after part of it explodes is just raw determination, and I think my heart is still racing since the first time I saw it lol
That's a great example, plus Hans Zimmer's score really takes it to another level
@@QualityCulture Oh wow that’s a good point I completely left that out, I cant even really imagine the scene without it
I think he's returning the lost packages to their rightful owners, thats what he's seen doing in the final scene. I don't think the volleyball is for him but for the person it was originally sent to
Beautifully done, made me want to watch it again. How bout a Wes Anderson film next, maybe "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" or "The Grand Budapest Hotel" or any of them actually lol
Thanks for the recommendation! Would love to do an essay on one of his films sometime :)
The first time I saw this was in theaters as a kid. I LOVE this movie. It is very comforting. I think of it often. Thanks for this breakdown of a masterpiece.
This was such a great video! I have a weird relationship with this film. I’ve seen large chunks of it out of order back when it played on tv as a teen, but I’ve never given it a proper viewing because I thought I’d already spoiled the film for myself.
Your love for it really seeped through this insightful analysis, and now it’s at the top of my covid lockdown list to enjoy. Thanks!
That’s so great to hear! Hope you enjoy it 😊
15:01 that cameo(?) of kristen wiig in brides maids cracked me up in the midst of a serious analysis LOL
The movie is not just about Chuck. It's about how people deal with and endure extreme challenges.
I watched the movie again for the first time in about 10 years. I love it even more now, because there is so much in it that relates to our own lives. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it ❤
How wonderful is this: the film, the commentary, the insight. Bravo.
One of my fav movies. Losing Wilson is as intense as cinema and Art can get, in my opinion.
I liked the ending it was the right way to end it
I have a hard time getting through sad movies. When i first watched this (on Netflix as a teenager) i had to do stuff to distract myself like play in my phone or talk to my little brother. Chucks suffering was so constant and real. I loved the ending and i think the movie was phenomenal but i just couldn’t get through it. Can anyone relate?
Can’t believe I just found you channel now! Love your in-depth videos and how you include interviews and such
I can totally relate to this movie, Cast Away. A busy guy who thinks he has everything under control on his own terms; that used to be me! I had a good relationship that I thought I had everything under control until I didn't. Life hit me so hard. I lost my relationship with the woman of my dreams and now I'm suffering the consequences of my sins. Hence, after everything, I'm learning that I'm not in control of what's happening but I am in control of how I react and learning to appreciate even the simplest things in life.
Thanks for the vid! I love Cast Away. It is so good to see a video essay on it appreciating the protagonists’ journey and not just what happened to him.
So just watching Wilson being lost in this video I was blubbering like a baby. It’s not just the loss, it’s that insidious music… every time it starts… I just lose it, every time
I want to thank your four summarizing a brilliantly created movie. He didn’t have his box of chocolates but in the end, he knew better what life was worth.
Amazing job on this video!! Thanks for sharing!! ❤️
It's a great movie. Life can have so many twists and turns, and unexpected events, and not everthing turns out the way we want it. We have to learn to let go with certain situations, people, and places, as Chuck did, in order to grow in life and keep moving foward.
A good analysis you provided, which I thought was pretty much on the mark.
Seriously, comments? Fine I’ll do it....
WILSON!!
Was waiting for this one 😂
I have to say this is some really good content
Thank you, I appreciate it :)
I've always thought that the choice to use a plane crash, instead of a ship wreak was always interesting in a good way.
Also The Martian both movie, and book take alot of the best aspects of Castaway just in space.
Cast Away is a different story which is why it did so well. I plays into male loneliness and betrayal of sorts, if not by life. But what made it different was the end. A lot don't understand the ending but its pretty simple and is actually said. Life has many roads, choose one. Being alone is a gift as modern life is nothing but one big fucking distraction. Social media and TH-cam videos being a few. We need more time to think, to understand, to sense ourselves and realize the truth about certain facets of our lives. His life provided this on the island and it would for many. The film could have dealt with more of this silver platter characterization offering in this context, but they wished to focus on survival, then what to say when you come back. His character was swept up in deadlines his whole life, that should have been the focal point of his failure to live a full life.
There was no social media in 2000.
Have a second look at the poem "The Road Not Taken". Frost himself said, "be careful with this one. It is tricky. VERY tricky." If you look at the second and third stanzas, you will see that there is no road less traveled by. The grass is worn the same in both roads, and the leaves are the same in both roads. The line that is usually omitted on posters and t-shirts is the first line of the last stanza. It is the most important line and is almost always omitted.
The message I got at the end of this movie, was a message of hope, as is summed up by Chuck's final meeting with his friend over that late night meeting with his friend, after his goodbye with Kelly: "I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Cause tomorrow, the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Pardon my second entry. This film has been my mantra since its release. I see this as a Guide to modern perplexity. So I must take issue with Professor Bergstrom's assessment. In particular is her significant change in Chuck Noland's speech given here at 17:57: "Who knows what the Tide COULD bring." She writes in her article (and quoted here at 23:33): "Who knows what the Tide WILL bring."
COULD and WILL are not the same thing. Chuck expresses the inherent uncertainty of existence where Time is a property of Creation. In the words of Maimonides, what comes to us is through the WILL of creation. It is NOT certain. The Professor's reframe of Chuck's words of Acceptance (very Zen is it not) is what WiLL COME: deliverance is CERTAIN in her view; in Chuck's Accepting view, it is UNCERTAIN.
The hope comes from his Knowledge of the Ebb and Flood of Creation. Perhaps something will come; perhaps not. Accept. Let Go.
I am old now. These words give comfort.
I now understand, as I think Chuck did at the end, that he has become something the tide has brought to rural Texas. I never caught Bettina's SMILE at finding the Lost Cowboy washed up on her Island.
Once again, how wonderful is this provocative analysis. Here is the link to the Professor's paper: digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1670&context=jrf
Subtle hints. Know knowing what to say to his friend about a dying wife and emptiness of his expression. Kelly not ecstatic about seeing him at the copy machine. So when are you going to make Kelly an “ honest women” at Christmas dinner. The missed late night phone call because she with the dentist, who she recommends. The heirloom watch she doesn’t recall giving to him. When he says “so” in her kitchen and doesn’t ask about the time line of her marriage and child instead asks about the football team and she is relieved. Angel lady says “ good luck cowboy” in reference to Toy Story.
I love this film. And yet rarely watch it. It's been years since I've seen it.
Surviving is easy, but living is difficult 🏝
Excellent critique. I've watched this film or clips many times. Certainly picked up the themes of irreversible losses, the sun comes up tomorrow, and do today what you cannot do tomorrow as the opportunity may never arise again. However, some scenes you referenced had initially gone by me and not registered high on my memory list. I'll watch your vid again and check these out. 'Course some sources' material I watched could have edited for time and content, ignorant of the effects they are creating. Truly a well-crafted film. Kudos to Zemekis, screenwriter, and actors. To you- Thanks for doing this. What's next?
Thank you for your thoughtful analysis. I recently had a depressed friend who shot himself. I found him the next morning. Not surprisingly I have been struggling with the most common reaction after a suicide. I should have done more. I've been working though it with friends and feel like I had a pretty good handle on the rational part of it. But the feelings. . . .
I found working through the movie and the issues involved and how they are dealt with and discussed by you to be very helpful. To be honest I hadn't planned on getting good emotional, philosophical advice from a movie review. So keep up the good work. We never know the true effect of what we do..
i just made a tweet about this movie and decided to search up on video essays about it. great video 😌
SUper great analysis. I can't wait to watch this movie again. You earned a sub today. Keep up the great work.
I cried when Wilson floated away. But Chuck chose life over trying to save him.
This video was as beautiful as the movie. I'm so glad this was recommended. I'm gonna watch more of your videos. 🥰
I've only watched a few of your videos but I'm in love! Keep up the good work ♡
Cast Away IS ONE MY FAVORITE movies of the 2000s
I think the new ball is with other stuff that is replacing what he used. I thought he was going to all the people the packages were for and giving them the replacements that helped to save his life and sanity.
Never expected the narrator to look like Mazikeen's little sister.
Fun Fact: Wilson went on to be rescued by the Coast Guard and had a homecoming parade complete with a ride in a convertible!
The ending is actually very hopeful.
I thought your synopsis of the meaning was as close as anyone's I've seen on TH-cam. Time was underlying Chuck's decisions during the beginning of the movie. The fact that his watch didn't work once he arrived on the island was also meant as a sorry telling device as he is in between life and death. Realizing what's important to him, he risks leaving the island of certainty for an uncertain future. It's really a metaphor for a mid-life crisis.
I love this essay I been looking for a good breakdown of cast away when it came on and I had just read about the road less traveled for my writing class and after watching it when it came on tv I was looking for a good break down and I found it thank you for this
Well said. I cannot have put any other way.
A good movie to me brings many ranges of emotions like love, fear, happy, sad etc. I feel Cast Away did that very well.
The tooth scene stuck with me so much, I hate it, it makes me uncomfortable
This is one of my favorite movies. Given the scholarly analysis of this video, and the feelings of those for whom this movie has struck an emotional cord, I am sure this comment will make me seem a troglodyte. I always thought that it would have been really cool if the very last scene showed the artist opening her package and it is filled with very useful camping and fishing gear.
The volleyball at the end was not for himself. He was replacing all of the packages he opened on the island and delivering them to the people they were meant to go to. Look on the seat, you can see other items. I don't know how people miss this.
I think he bought the new Willson for whoever was supposed to receive the original one. But also, he's kinda cast away again, starting out on a new life and deciding how he wants to weather the storms. So I think it would still be sweet if he got a new Willson for morale and to remind himself that he can. And I think he went after the angel wings lady, but not because of romance.
I have watched to 16:30 so far and will continue to the finish. A very good critique, thought- provoking insights into psychological processes.. BTW I am not incredibly lonely, rather, you are incredibly enchanting. I give credit where credit is due. Back to the vid.
Classic movie. I liked the sequel too... "Finch" isn't exactly a sequel, but Tom Hanks plays a kind of castaway with almost no other human contact. It's hard not to think of him as a very similar character in both movies, but they're both different enough to enjoy on their own.
I forgot how harrowing the crash was until I recently rewatched this.
I already cry at the movie alone and now I’m crying at the analysis
The same forces that pull us apart, also push us together...
Thanks for this, guess it's time for another rewatch
I think he got the 2nd Wilson ball to deliver it to the person it never got to 🤯👀
watching this at a particularly difficult crossroads in my life, and this made me sob, lol. thank u
It's really been 24 years since this was made! Time...
glad I'm not the only one who finds this movie 'comforting' haha
He lost his girlfriend/fiance/wife or whatever Kelly was, long before he got on that fated flight. That’s the Cast Away.
Keep Breathing
He bought another volleyball because he missed his friend. Even if his friend of 4 years was an inanimate object. It still bore meaning and comfort to him.
I think the movie shows the irony of his life, which time is so important, and fate shows him time is not important. I loved the ending, that we are victims of fate, but also in control of our fate.
I thought the movie was perfect. I just wished they extended the rescue. He waves to a ship and then he's on a plane. It seemed like that was cut short.
One of the best movies created.
God even the clip of wilson's death you showed made me kinda teary eyed
Wow! That was unexpectedly hopeful!
Chuck losing Wilson (look at me capitalizing a volleyball) had to happen. He never could have embraced the risk of real relationships with people, if Wilson had survived the trip. Wilson, however, was good practice for Chuck in learning how to communicate at a deeper more authentic level.
Wilson's departure seems too well timed. Chuck finally learned to make and appreciate meaningful connections in his life thanks to Wilson so after being rescued there wouldn't really be a place for him in his life (and not because people would be weirded out by him talking to a ball). It's entirely possible that part of Chuck's subconscious he embodied in Wilson knew this and allowed him to fall off the raft and not make him aware till he was too far to save. Basically, the split personality was self-aware and knew it was time to go and let Chuck move on.
Chuck dodged a bullet, see: "EVERYBODY missed the point of Cast Away" yt video.
I understand he lost Kelly and she moved on. But it still hurt so much
What a great video analysis
This movie was absolutely fantastic. I seriously do not understand the hate it was given on release.
great essay!
The ball was a delivery. He was finishing his deliveries..
Wilson is the villain... it was a dick move to swim away from his only friend and leave him alone... lol.
i cried my eyes out watching the movie and then this video