You are probably all thinking that I must be one of the last people on the planet to finally get around to seeing this one. I am not sure why I put it off for so long. I think a big part of it was because I was afraid about how disappointed I might end up being because everyone I know so loved it. I could not believe that I would enjoy a movie that is over two hours that spends most of the time with only one performer alone on an island.

To set the scene, the protagonist is Chuck Noland, who is played by Tom Hanks. He has a busy career as an employee for FedEx. Like so many of us, he makes the mistake of devoting too much time to work. So much so that he doesn't get to experience the full joy of being with his girlfriend and almost fiancee Kelly, who is played by Helen Hunt.

As the Christmas season sets in, the two of them are finding it difficult to schedule time with each other around their need to attend the usual holiday oblications and his own work schedule. It all comes to a head on Christmas Eve, when he has to head out on a major assignment. Unfortunately, the plane hits terrible weather and must divert from the designated flight path. Unfortunately, it is not enough of a diversion, because the plane goes down in the high seas. Out of all five aboard, he is the only survivor, and he is barely able to make his way to a nearby island with the help of a tiny inflatable raft.

From there on, his life changes, forcing him to seriously reconsider what is most important. He holds on to his love of Kelly and his returning to her as a reason to keep fighting to survive. For weeks, he starts to collect packages that floated to the island from the plane that had sunk. He starts to open packages witht he hopes of finding things that will help him survive. It works, and the most surprising treasure is in the form of a volleyball, which ends up becoming his only friend on the island.

The story is heartbreaking in the troubles he must face as he fights to survive. In so many ways, it is hard not to compare it to the very popular series Lost, which is overwhelmed with superstition and bizarro subplots. This is a story of survival that keeps you cheering for Chuck while also cringing at some of the things that he must do.

It is really one of those WOW movies that gets you thinking. What would you do if you were in that situation? Is he a better person for his experiences? Would you be able to do the things he does? What role does sanity play in survival? And what was really the meaning of the title since it takes on a bit of the form of double entendre?

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