His stature as one of Hollywood’s biggest and best actors over the last few decades is largely due to his consistency in delivering hit movies at the box office, with critics, or at the Oscars (with some films checking all three boxes). Whether it’s the adored Toy Story franchise, rom-coms like Sleepless in Seattle, war movies like Saving Private Ryan, or thrillers like Captain Phillips, Hanks has no shortage of incredible movies on his filmography.
One of his absolute best came out 25 years ago, though. It paired him with an esteemed director, an unusual co-star, and holds one of the actor’s most impressive performances. But your opportunity to watch it, whether for the first time or on a rewatch, is running out.
Cast Away Is Leaving Netflix On April 7
The Tom Hanks movie to watch during the next week is Cast Away. The survival film is currently streaming on Netflix, but it will leave the service on April 7. It’s currently unknown where and when Cast Away will stream next, so if you want to watch the movie and don’t own it or don’t want to rent it, watching it on Netflix before April 7 is the wise move.
For those who haven’t seen Cast Away, the 2000 release stars Hanks as a FedEx employee named Chuck Noland. The story, inspired by real life, is set near Christmas, with Chuck sent on a special assignment to Malaysia to fix a problem for the shipping company. However, during his flight to the foreign country, the plane goes down, with Chuck surviving the crash and drifting to an island.
Cast Away is directed by Robert Zemeckis, with whom Hanks previously worked on Forrest Gump. The majority of the movie focuses on Hanks as the sole cast member, with Helen Hunt occupying one of the only other major roles as Chuck’s girlfriend, Kelly Frears. In place of a traditional co-star, Cast Away gives Chuck a friend in the form of Wilson, a volleyball that washes ashore.
Ultimately, Cast Away is a thrilling survival film that includes moments of levity, heartache, and despair. It’s widely regarded as one of Hanks’ best movies. It was also a huge hit, earning $429 million at the box office (not adjusted for inflation) and receiving two Oscar nominations, including one for its star.
Tom Hanks’ Performance Is Reason Enough To Watch Cast Away
There are plenty of reasons to watch Cast Away, but it is really Hanks’ performance that shines the most. He has the responsibility of carrying most of the movie entirely on his shoulders. It’s up to the actor to make sure audiences connect to an isolated man yearning to get back to the life he’s lost. Hanks doesn’t disappoint, as he delivers a transfixing performance whether he’s alone on-screen or talking to a volleyball.
Hanks’ emotional performance is just half of the equation, though. The actor underwent a huge physical transformation for this role that becomes evident as the story unfolds. Cast Away‘s production was put on pause midway through so Hanks could go through the grueling experience of losing about 50 pounds and growing out his hair to show the toll of Chuck’s time on the island.
Cast Away has established a reputation as an amazing feat of Hanks’ career, and the lengths he went to pull off all aspects of the role are a big reason why. It’s a pretty incredible result considering there were lots of questions from Hanks, Zemeckis, and others about whether the movie would work. In a 2000 interview with EW, Hanks called the transformation process “a burden” and pondered about Chuck’s time on the island, “But the problem there is, Who’s gonna give a s—? That’s really what it comes down to.”
It’s safe to say that people did care about Chuck’s quest to survive the elements. Hanks’ performance is a big reason why. Cast Away wouldn’t have become the classic it’s now known as if it not for him.
- Release Date
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December 22, 2000
- Runtime
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143 minutes
- Director
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Robert Zemeckis
- Writers
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William Broyles Jr.
- Producers
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Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Tom Hanks
