Cast Away [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

An exploration of human survival and the ability of fate to alter even the tidiest of lives with one major event, Cast Away tells the story of Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks), a Federal Express engineer who devotes most of his life to his troubleshooting job. His girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt) is often neglected by his dedication to work, and his compulsive personality suggests a conflicted man. But on Christmas Eve, Chuck proposes marriage to Kelly right before embarking on a large assignment. On the assignment, a plane crash strands Chuck on a remote island, and his fast-paced life is slowed to a crawl, as he is miles removed from any human contact. Finding solace only in a volleyball that he befriends, Chuck must now learn to endure the emotional and physical stress of his new life, unsure of when he may return to the civilization he knew before. Cast Away reunites star Hanks with director Robert Zemeckis, their first film together since 1994's Oscar-winning Forrest Gump. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Surround
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Commentary by Robert Zemeckis and crew
  • Trivia track
  • Search content
  • Personal scene selection
  • Theatrical trailer in high definition

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Actor - 2000 (Tom Hanks)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 2000 (Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis S. Sands, William B. Kaplan)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Nominated Best Actor - 2000 (Tom Hanks)

• Chicago Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - 2000 (Tom Hanks)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - 2000 (Tom Hanks)

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Actor - 2000 (Tom Hanks)

• Screen Actors Guild

•     Nominated Best Actor - 2000 (Tom Hanks)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Tom Hanks - Chuck Noland
       Helen Hunt - Kelly Frears
       Chris Noth - Jerry Lovett
       Nick Searcy - Stan
       Lari White - Bettina Peterson
       Michael Forest - Pilot Jack
       Viveka Davis - Pilot Gwen

• Director:

  Robert Zemeckis

• Producer:

  Tom Hanks, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke

• Screenwriter:

  William Broyles

• Cinematographer:

  Don Burgess

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alan Silvestri

• Editor:

  Arthur Schmidt

• Production Designer:

  Rick Carter

• Art Director:

  Jim Teegarden, Elizabeth Lapp, Stefan Dechant

• Associate Producer:

  Steven J. Boyd

• Executive Producer:

  Joan Bradshaw

• Set Designer:

  Rosemary Brandenberg, Karen O'Hara

• Set Decorator:

  Rosemary Brandenberg

• Costume Designer:

  Joanna Johnston

• Set Decorator:

  Karen O'Hara

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Randy Thom

• First Assistant Director:

  Alan B. Curtiss, Josh McLaglen

• Sound Mixer:

  William B. Kaplan

• Casting:

  Victoria Burrows

• Visual Effects Supervisor:

  Ken Ralston

• Special Effects Editor:

  David C. Hughes

REVIEW:

• The reunion of the Oscar-winning actor-director team behind Forrest Gump (1994) results in another excellent drama, and one that's far less cloying and more mature than the duo's previous film. Although hailed by critics for gaining and then losing an enormous amount of weight for his role, the more subtly compelling half of Tom Hanks' laudable performance is not his physical transformation. The actor's commitment to crafting an autocratic, obsessive character is a singularly surprising one, given modern-day stars' strong proclivity for playing only heroic, noble leads. The taut script from William Broyles is top-notch, with a flawless traditional structure, an inventive supporting "character" and an ending that, while leaving some audience members dissatisfied, is a realistic and intelligently wrought finale that doesn't cop out with the typically delusional, lame-brained, upbeat conclusion. The director's creative choices, ranging from the staging of a gripping airplane crash to an hour of screen time with no musical score, put Zemeckis back on track as one of the cinema's most talented mainstream talents after some phoned-in hackwork on What Lies Beneath (2000). One of the year's best films, Cast Away represents several of Hollywood's top artists at the peak of their careers. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi