Cast Away: Lessons in solitude

There comes a time in a person’s life when he or she just wants to be alone. Maybe to escape the noise of the city, or problems with family members or co-workers, or maybe even a horrendously concluded relationship. Whatever it is, simply put, some of us just want to be alone.

I’ve experienced this feeling quite often and never fail to yield to it. I usually entertain it by sitting under a tree in a park or by riding a bike and letting my feet be my tour guide. There are times when I just lounge on my bed and stare at the stickers on the ceiling while listening to the ticking of the clock.

But one night, three years ago, I was in the mood for a movie. I was in for a Leslie Nielsen-no-brainer type but ended up renting Cast Away probably because it was new and starred Tom Hanks. I watched it – alone, of course – and ended up not only with greater respect for Tom Hanks but loving the film for its compelling message of strength, hope, and passion.

Cast Away is a dramatic story of an ordinary man facing an extraordinary situation. Tom Hanks, playing as a FedEx delivery supervisor, is called and asked to leave his family’s Thanksgiving dinner to take charge of deliveries. With a heavy heart, he obeys and drives himself to the airport. Little does he know that his plane will unfortunately crash into the ocean.

Thus begin his life in an isolated island as the sole survivor of the terrible crash. There he lives a solitary life full of uncertainties and depression. He tries to cope with new environment with his wit and feeble camping skills. Cast Away is thus a story of a modern-day man trying to live and survive a primitive life.

As a survivor, Tom Hanks attempts every strategy possible to live on the island. As most of us will do, he inexhaustibly waves his hand and shouts with hope that a ship will pass by. He makes signs on the sand expressing his desperate need for help. Even the thought of suicide occurs to him. But Tom Hanks proves to have a strong spirit and conquers the island with one thought – to be reunited with his fiancée (Helen Hunt). The thought of her becomes his reason to live.

Bereft of modern amenities, he has to make fire using dried sticks; he learns to use and improvise with available resources i.e., leftover FedEx packages from the crash and coconut trees.

Four years later, the island has become his own and he has mastered the challenges of survival. Despite a weak physique, he forges into the gigantic waves of the ocean, taking the chance to be rescued. Fortunately, he gets what he desires but he is not prepared for what awaits his homecoming – his fiancee is now married.

What I like about this movie is that it makes audiences emphatize with the protagonist. It is simple without being simplistic. The quiet ambience ironically fills the movie with energy. Audiences are oddly led to reflect thanks to less dialogue and Tom Hanks’ pseudo-soliloquy with the volleyball he treats as a real person.

The movie also celebrates the rediscovery of life’s simple joys as it features Tom Hanks’ struggle with the natural environment. It has made me feel grateful for the can-opener and other kitchen utensils. But in like manner, I also learned how complex man has become with his inventions and perpetual desire for discoveries. That was quite apparent when I saw Tom Hanks sleeping on the floor, instead of the bed, after living for four years on an island.

In the end, the core message of Cast Away focuses on the goodness of being alone and the strength of the human spirit. Being alone doesn’t necessarily mean being lonely. It is actually in solitude that man learns to be strong, where he learns to depend on his own strength and reflect on his weaknesses.