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| Wilson in Cast Away |
Welcome to Alternative to What: a weekly column that tries to find a great alternative to driving to the multiplexes. Based on releases of that week, the selections will either be thematically related or feature recurring cast and crew. The goal is to help you better understand the diversity of cinema and hopefully find you some favorites while saving a few bucks. At worse, this column will save you money. Expect each installment to come out on Fridays, unless specified.
THIS WEEK:
Cast Away (2000)
- Alternative To -
Sully (2016)
One could easily ask themselves what the appeal of making a movie like Sully is. After all, it was only a 200 second event, and the repercussions weren't that terrible. Even then, Hollywood already made it into an all right film called Flight not too long after the incident. If it wasn't for the likable nature of Tom Hanks once again playing a real life hero, what would the point of seeing the film be? Is Clint Eastwood really that great at directing peril? Who knows. What is known is that if it works, it is solely because of star power and the ability to have yet another charismatic turn for Hanks - an actor whose talents have always been appreciated, but seem to be increasingly undervalued in critical acclaim.
Just look back at Cast Away: his last Oscar-nominated role, and the most similar to Sully. Following the journey of a delivery man who ends up stranded on an island, there's a lot of existential woe that plays into the remaining film. It depends on if you're willing to be stuck watching just Hanks for over half of the running time. If Sully appeals to you, then it's very likely that this is already true. It is because he can be charming and also a Hollywood icon worthy of being rooted for. He has a charisma that is unfortunately dying, and Cast Away shows how he could take something mundane and turn it into dramatic and comedic gold.
As mentioned, the film is largely a Hanks story with little interference. He has to learn to survive on the island by himself. In the wrong hands, it could be a dull story. However, watching him fend for himself while forging rafts and talking to a volleyball becomes hypnotic the more that it happens. It could be that it's one of director Robert Zemeckis' most assured films on a story level. It could be that Hanks was so dedicated to the role that production shut down so that he could convincingly lose weight for the stranded sequences. Even then, it's all novelty acting techniques that aren't overshadowing the real heart of the story. It's about finding an enlightenment and self-sufficiency. It's a complicated role on top of that because being stuck with nothing to do is pretty dull to everyone involved.
As the trailers have likely spoiled, there is more to the story than being cast away on an island. For the sake of the readers, I will leave that surprise hidden. However, it does manage to do plenty in the same way that Sully is likely to. You may ask yourself "How can Cast Away be interesting?" and have little to draw you in unless you are a die hard Hanks fan. Same could be said for Sully. Both films aren't reinventing the wheel, but they both seem to have such a prestigious caliber that your curiosity has no point but to rise. Since both involve plane crashes, it only makes the matters all the more obvious.
Is Sully going to be good? The reviews seem to suggest so. However, it seems to be mostly a testament to Hanks that it will be that way. Speaking as it's a real event that actually doesn't have that interesting of a story once he leaves the plane, Eastwood will have to do magic to make it into a riveting drama. I don't know if it's going to be nearly as funny or memorable as Cast Away, but this recommendation should serve more as evidence that Hanks is capable of making great cinema with large constraints. He makes his role come to life by finding a deeper empathy. Does Sully have it? Probably. All that one has to do is hop on board to find out.
Just look back at Cast Away: his last Oscar-nominated role, and the most similar to Sully. Following the journey of a delivery man who ends up stranded on an island, there's a lot of existential woe that plays into the remaining film. It depends on if you're willing to be stuck watching just Hanks for over half of the running time. If Sully appeals to you, then it's very likely that this is already true. It is because he can be charming and also a Hollywood icon worthy of being rooted for. He has a charisma that is unfortunately dying, and Cast Away shows how he could take something mundane and turn it into dramatic and comedic gold.
As mentioned, the film is largely a Hanks story with little interference. He has to learn to survive on the island by himself. In the wrong hands, it could be a dull story. However, watching him fend for himself while forging rafts and talking to a volleyball becomes hypnotic the more that it happens. It could be that it's one of director Robert Zemeckis' most assured films on a story level. It could be that Hanks was so dedicated to the role that production shut down so that he could convincingly lose weight for the stranded sequences. Even then, it's all novelty acting techniques that aren't overshadowing the real heart of the story. It's about finding an enlightenment and self-sufficiency. It's a complicated role on top of that because being stuck with nothing to do is pretty dull to everyone involved.
As the trailers have likely spoiled, there is more to the story than being cast away on an island. For the sake of the readers, I will leave that surprise hidden. However, it does manage to do plenty in the same way that Sully is likely to. You may ask yourself "How can Cast Away be interesting?" and have little to draw you in unless you are a die hard Hanks fan. Same could be said for Sully. Both films aren't reinventing the wheel, but they both seem to have such a prestigious caliber that your curiosity has no point but to rise. Since both involve plane crashes, it only makes the matters all the more obvious.
Is Sully going to be good? The reviews seem to suggest so. However, it seems to be mostly a testament to Hanks that it will be that way. Speaking as it's a real event that actually doesn't have that interesting of a story once he leaves the plane, Eastwood will have to do magic to make it into a riveting drama. I don't know if it's going to be nearly as funny or memorable as Cast Away, but this recommendation should serve more as evidence that Hanks is capable of making great cinema with large constraints. He makes his role come to life by finding a deeper empathy. Does Sully have it? Probably. All that one has to do is hop on board to find out.
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