Synopsis of the film Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks, The Struggle to Overcome Uncertainty
Do you like watching movies? If so, what films do you like and have you ever realized that the films you watch may have psychological meanings embedded in them? Before getting deep into the film, let me introduce myself to Dewa Ayu Srinadi, a student from the Faculty of Psychology at a university in Jakarta.
Psychology is simply defined as a science that studies human behavior and mental processes. Humans and psychology are inseparable and interconnected. Meanwhile, cognitive psychology is the science of psychology that studies mental processes including attention, language, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and so on. So, this time I chose Cast Away as the film that we will discuss together. Have you guys watched the film?
Wikipedia (2022) explains that Cast Away is an American drama film that tells about a romantic adventure in 2000. This film was directed by Robert Zemeckis with producers named Tom Hanks, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, and Robert Zemeckis. The screenwriter for this film is William Broyles Jr. and starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. The film Cast Away premiered on December 7, 2000 in Los Angeles, then on December 22, 2000 was released in the United States.
The film’s first plot takes place in December 1995, Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) works at a FedEx warehouse as a systems engineer and often travels around the world to solve productivity problems that occur. In this film, Chuck has a long-standing romantic relationship with Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt), they live together in Memphis, Tennessee. Both of them wanted to get married, but Chuck’s busy life meant that the marriage could not be realized.
Chuck had to leave a fun Christmas celebration with some relatives because he had to solve problems abroad. Before leaving, Chuck gave Kelly a ring and promised to be home soon. But unfortunately, while flying, the plane Chuck was traveling on went through a terrible storm which caused an accident and his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean. With all his might, Chuck tries to save himself by using an emergency raft rubber buoy, he also loses the emergency location transmitter. Finally, Chuck only held the makeshift raft, then lost consciousness and floated, until the next day he found himself stranded on an island. Chuck immediately wakes up and tries to find help by exploring the island. However, he finally realized that the island was uninhabited.
Chuck has tried several times to signal for rescue and try to get off the island, but he can’t get past the strong waves and sharp coral reefs. In order to survive, Chuck searches for food, water, and shelter, he opens a FedEx package from the plane that crashed and drifts with it, he finds several items that can be used. Chuck leaves one package for safekeeping. When he attempted to make a bonfire, Chuck suffered a deep cut in his hand. In his anger and pain, Chuck throws several objects, including Wilson’s volleyball from one of the packages. Moments later, from the imprint of his hand’s blood, Chuck draws a face on the volleyball and names him Wilson, then he starts talking to Wilson. One night, Chuck figures that in order for rescuers to find the plane crash site, they must search an area twice the size of Texas, making him doubt that he will ever be found.
Four years have passed, after going through various events, Chuck has gotten used to the living conditions on the island. He also communicates with Wilson, the only one he can talk to. One day, the clean portable toilet door drifts and is found by Chuck, then Chuck uses it as a sail to build a raft. After spending time building the raft and forecasting favorable weather conditions, he immediately used the raft’s sails to tackle the strong waves. After some time at sea, a storm nearly damaged his raft, but he survived thanks to it. The next day, while Chuck is sleeping, Wilson falls and drifts from the raft. Chuck is awakened by the whale’s burst, then realizes that Wilson is drifting away, Chuck tries to save Wilsom and swims towards him, but Wilson is too far away to be picked up. Chuck returns to the raft and collapses crying, some time adrift in the ocean, a passing cargo ship finds Chuck.
After returning safely, Chuck learned that he had reportedly died, even his family and relatives held a funeral. It turned out that Kelly had also married Chuck’s dentist and had a daughter. Once reunited, Chuck and Kelly professed their love for each other, but they realized they couldn’t be together anymore and decided to go their separate ways. Some time later, having bought a new volleyball, Chuck travels to Canadian, Texas, to return the unopened FedEx package he was stranded on, the package contains angel wings for a woman named Bettina Peterson (Lari White), but when it reaches its destination However, no one is at Bettina’s house so Chuck leaves the package at the door with a note saying it saved his life. Chuck Go back and stop at a crossroads. A friendly woman driving a pick-up truck stops to ask if Chuck is lost. As the woman leaves, Chuck sees angel wings in the back of his truck that are identical to those in the package he just sent. Chuck was still standing at the crossroads and smiled faintly as he looked at the woman’s truck.
The American romantic adventure film centers on Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks), a systems engineer who travels the world solving productivity problems at FedEx Warehouses. This exploration hampered Chuck Noland’s plan to marry Kelly Frears, played by Helen Hunt.
Not only that, Chuck was forced to miss Christmas celebrations because he had to work and fly to Malaysia. Unfortunately, the plane Chuck was traveling on was swept away by a storm and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
Chuck survives the incident, but is stranded on an uninhabited island. Every effort was made, such as sending a rescue signal through the remains of a raft that was also stranded.
He also tried to survive by looking for food, drink, and shelter through the packages that drifted to the island.
Until one day, Chuck felt annoyed with the situation at hand. He started drawing faces on the surface of the volleyball with his bloody handprints. The volleyball is later named Wilson and becomes Chuck’s ‘friend’.
Day after day passed, until Chuck had lived on the island for four years. He has also built a raft slowly while living on the island while learning good sailing times so he can return.
Chuck is finally able to come back and meet Kelly. However, conditions were not the same as before he flew to Malaysia.
“Cast Away” was first released in Los Angeles on December 7, 2000. At that time, the film made US $ 429 million, far exceeding the production budget which was only around US $ 90 million.
