Film of the Day: "Cast Away" — The Drama That Made Tom Hanks Gain 50 Pounds

Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks created not just a survival drama, but arguably the most painful chronicle of loneliness ever made.

The drama's main character is FedEx inspector Chuck Noland, played by Tom Hanks. A workaholic to his core, he doesn't notice life passing him by. But one day his plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean — and he becomes the sole survivor. No communication, no shelter, no people. Just him, the ocean, and an empty island.

From this moment, the film seems to freeze. Hanks, left alone with nature, fights not sharks or pirates, but himself. There's no soundtrack here. Only wind, the whisper of waves, the sound of fire.
Actor Tom Hanks with short hair and with long hair
Frames from the film "Cast Away"
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Even if you've never lived alone on an island, this experience resonates with everyone: the fear of being forgotten, lost, unrecognized. Perhaps that's exactly why "Cast Away" received high ratings from critics and audiences: 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.8 points on IMDb.

For this role, made incredible sacrifices: he gained 50 pounds, then dramatically lost weight, grew out his hair and beard. According to "Wikipedia", he did this "to make his transformation more dramatic."

Filming stretched over 16 months and was interrupted for a full year so the actor could physically transform. At one point, Hanks was even on the brink of life and death — during filming he contracted a serious infection and was rushed to the hospital.
Actor Tom Hanks with a stick in his hands stands in water facing cliffs
Behind-the-scenes shots from the film "Cast Away"
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But it was precisely this dedication that made his performance so authentic. For "Cast Away" he won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination.

The director also distinguished himself. Zemeckis almost completely abandoned music throughout most of the picture. The soundtrack by Alan Silvestri (which won him a Grammy) appears only in the most emotional moments — for example, when Chuck returns home.

"Cast Away" isn't just a survival story. It's a story about how not to lose yourself when everything else is lost. Earlier we at zoomboola.com told you about the film "K-PAX" — one of the most humane films about aliens.