Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland is a Federal Express executive. Encountering a bad storm, the small crew of the FedEx plane diverts off their course to get around it, but ends up crashing, with Chuck being the sole survivor. Washing up onto the shores of a tropical island, Chuck is happy to be alive, but soon finds that he is all alone on an uninhabited isle, for four years, with nothing but water surrounding him and only a few remnants of civilization to help him survive.
Chuck learns to build shelter, hunt for food, start a fire and overcome the rampant loneliness that descends over him day after day, month after month, and year after year.
The whole movie is about his struggle to survive so that he can go home to his beloved wife, Kelly (Helen Hunt). Tom Hanks had to lose 70 pounds in weight during filming
It is a very compelling and inspiring movie as it conveys deep meanings of life in such subtle ways. You become really amazed with the power of the human will to survive. Unbelievably painful and disgusting things Tom Hanks’ character endures painful and disgusting things just to stay alive. Tom Hanks did an excellent job portraying his character. You admire, pity, and laugh at him all at the same time.
Though the pace is slow, I think it is a cool movie.