CAST AWAY
Drama: 2 hrs. 23 min.
CAST & CHARATERS
Tom Hanks — Chuck Noland
Nick Searcy — Stan
Michael Forest — Pilot Jack
Chris Noth — Jerry Lovett
Helen Hunt — Kelly Frears
Lari White —
Bettina Peterson
Viveka Davis — Pilot Gwen
CREW
Director — Robert Zemeckis
Writer — William Broyles
Producer — Jack Rapke , Robert Zemeckis , Steve Starkey , Tom Hanks
Based on the novel by— Music By— Alan Silvestri
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Tom Hanks ………………………………………………….. Chuck Noland
A manager for the Federal Express Delivery Company (“Fed Ex”), who lives in Memphis, Tennessee, but travels all over the
world for his job. A very nice, smart, and resourceful (creative, practical, imaginative) man who is always fighting the passage of
time. (passage: section, part)
Helen Hunt ………………………………………………….. Kelly Frears
Chuck’s charming girlfriend, who used to work for Fed Ex, but who is now working on her Ph.D. degree.
Nick Searly ……………….…………………………………… Stan
A friend of Chuck’s at Fed Ex, whose wife is dying of cancer.
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CAST AWAY
1. BEFORE WATCHING
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS:
1. Do you want to be a hero? Why? Why not?
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2. If you found suddenly alone on an isolated island, how would you spend your life and what would you miss doing
something a lot? (isolated: lonely, alone)
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3. What would be harder: deficiency of food and water or being constantly alone? (Deficiency: lack, Constantly: always)
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2. WRITING - Opening 30-32 minutes:
The movie has been “chunked” into segments. (chunk: break apart, cut up)
The first segment consists of the opening 30-32 minutes—until the plane goes down.
Write a brief character sketch of protagonist Noland. (About 75 words) (protagonist: character, central character)
1.
What kind of person is he?
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2. What kind of a life does he have?
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3. What does he like?
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4. What’s important to him?
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3. GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY (00:23‐ 00:52=29 mins)
Grammar: Simple past tense, second conditionals
Vocabulary: What do the the following words mean? Use your dictionaries or ask your teacher.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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15.
Turbulence (on the plane): ___________________________________________________________
Plane crash: _______________________________________________________________________
Raft: _____________________________________________________________________________
Crew: ____________________________________________________________________________
Float: ____________________________________________________________________________
Pacific ocean: _____________________________________________________________________
Island: ____________________________________________________________________________
FEDEX (Express Delivery): _____________________________________________________________
Coconut: __________________________________________________________________________
Cave: _____________________________________________________________________________
Stranded: _________________________________________________________________________
Bury: _____________________________________________________________________________
Epitaph: __________________________________________________________________________
Flash light: ________________________________________________________________________
Inhabited: _________________________________________________________________________
4. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (00:23‐ 00:52=29 mins)
a) From when the plane experiences Turbulence
1. Why was the plane having much turbulence?
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2. What finally happened to the plane?
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3. Where did the plane crash?
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4. What helped Tom Hanks to float on the high seas?
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5. Where did he finally land?
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6. What happened to the other crew members?
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b) From when he gets on the island
1. What were some of the first things he did when he landed on the island?
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2. Was the island inhabited?
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3. What sounds frightened him at night?
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4. What happened to the word “HELP” which he carved on the sand?
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5. How did he get his first drink?
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6. If you found yourself in the same situation, would you drink sea water? Why or why not?
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7. What did he find on the other side of the island?
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8. Why did he come running down from the hill? What did he find in the water?
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9. How did the dead man help him?
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10. What did he finally do to the dead man?
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11. What did the dead man’s epitaph read?
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12. What do you think happens next?
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3. AFTER WATCHING (all movie)
1. Noland’s first words in the movie are “We live and die by the clock…Losing track of time is a sin.” What does this tell us
about his character?
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2. How would you characterize Chuck Noland and his wife relationship? (characterize: describe)
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3. Chuck Noland promises Kelly he will be home by _________________.
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4. Noland has learned to stay alive, but it is not enough for him. Would it be enough for you? Why or why not?
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5. After his first attempt to leave the island results in near drowning and injury caused by coral, Noland opens the Fed-ex
packages. How does he use these items?
a. VCR tapes _________________________________________________________________________________
b. document _________________________________________________________________________________
c. Soccer ball_________________________________________________________________________________
d. Ice skates _________________________________________________________________________________
e. dress _____________________________________________________________________________________
6. To survive physically Noland must have food, shelter, water, and fire. How does he solve each of these problems?
a. food ___________________________________________________________________________________
b. shelter _________________________________________________________________________________
c. fire ____________________________________________________________________________________
d. water __________________________________________________________________________________
e. clothing ________________________________________________________________________________
7. Why does he talk to Wilson?
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8. What is in his cave?
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9. What does he use to remove his tooth?
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10. Some people think of a tropical island as paradise. Noland's island becomes a prison. What keeps him from leaving?
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11. After four years on the island, Noland is not the same man who promised his girlfriend he would "be right back." One of the
things that has changed about him is his concept of time. Rather than running his life by a clock, Noland has adjusted to natural
forms of time, such as the tides. Identify three other natural phenomena that indicate time.
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12. When does Noland believe the time is right for him to leave?
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13. What do you think the whales represent?
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14. What do you think Noland means when he says, "I stayed alive. I kept breathing. Who knows what the tide will bring?"
(tide: ebb and flow, current, med cezir)
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15. When Noland delivers the package with the angel wings, he leaves a note that says, "This package saved my life." How did
the package save his life? Why does he deliver it?
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16. What would you have done if you were in Kelly’s situation at the end of the movie?
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17. The movie open and closes on a rural Texas crossroads. What do you think will happen to Noland?
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4. ASSIGNMENT - Lessons from Cast Away. Write long answer for each question.
1. What does this movie teach us?
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2. What are the lessons of a castaway?
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3. What is the meaning of this statement: “Is it surviving that is easy or is it living that is difficult?”
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4. If you were Chuch, after you’ve learned to survive alone physically, how do you survive emotionally, psychologically, and
spiritually? What would be harder? ---The physical challenge of getting enough food and water, or the emotional challenge of
being constantly alone?
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5. If you found yourself like Chuck, suddenly alone on that island, would you try to kill yourself? If so, after how long?
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6. What would you have done if you were in Kelly’s situation at the end of the movie?
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7. What would be the hardest part about being out of touch with society?
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8. What did you like and not like about this movie?
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5. MOVIE STORY SEQUENCE
Put the following events in the correct order by writing numbers next to them
1. ____ He took off the dead man’s shoes and flash light
2. ____ The plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
3. ____ He landed on a lonely island.
4. ____ The flight crew were experiencing turbulence.
5. ____ He split open the coconut with a stone and drank the juice.
6. ____ He found a dead body floating near the beach.
7. ____ He buried the dead man and wrote him an epitaph . (epitaph: dedication,
8. ____ Tom Hanks used a raft to stay afloat.
9. ____ He walked round the island and climbed a hill.
10. ____ He called out for help.
6. CAST AWAY SENTENCE SCRAMBLE
Unscramble the sentences below:
1. experiencing was turbulence. The plane
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2. The plane into crashed Ocean. Pacific the
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3. used afloat. stay Tom to a Hanks raft
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4. island. lonely He on a landed
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5. shouted for He help.
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6. a He open split coconut.
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7. He walked the round island.
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8. shoes dead flash took off the and man's He light.
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9. He the dead man. buried
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10. an epitaph wrote dead the He man. for
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7. CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
1. If you were cast away like Tom Hanks on a lonely island, what would you do?
2. What would you do if you were forced to live on a lonely island for 25 years?
3. What would you do if you were the only survivor in a shipwreck or plane crash?
4. How would you cut your hair if you were lost on a lonely island without any razor? How would you get your
food? How would you brush your teeth?
5. How would you change if you came back from a lonely island after 20 years? Would you look same?
6. What would happen if you couldn’t talk to people for 25 years? What would happen to your language skills?
8. WRITING
What happened in the movie? What was it about? Retell the story in writing.
The movie was about a man who got stranded because ______________________________________
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Some Words and Expressions
Chuck teaches the Russians about Fed Ex and time….
1. I’ll have another pick-up for you on Thursday.
In the Fed Ex or delivery business, this is a noun that refers to the act of picking up a package.
2. Time rules over us without mercy, not caring whether we are healthy or ill…
“Mercy” is the willingness to forgive or not punish, or perhaps another word for compassion. If a person is “ill,” they are
physically sick.
3. We live or die by the clock.
This is Chuck’s philosophy of life; Time is the most critical factor in work and life.
4. We never allow ourselves the sin of losing track of time.
A “sin” is a religious word that refers to an evil or immoral act that God does not approve of.
5. That’s how much time before the pulsating, accursed relentless taskmaster tries to put us out of
business.
If something is “pulsating,” it is beating strongly, like your heart after you exercise. “Accursed” is a rare word meaning
cursed, which itself means likely to face destruction or great harm. If a person is “relentless,” they never stop to rest,
and a “taskmaster” is a person who forces others to work on many projects or assignments (A ‘task’ is a physical act of
labor).
6. 50,000,000 Elvis fans can’t be wrong!
The name of a well known Elvis Presley album.
7. I took the liberty of sending this to myself; I fed ex’d it before I left Memphis.
“To take the liberty” of doing something is a fancy way of saying to do it, even if others may not approve. Note that “to
fed-ex” a package has become a common verb, meaning to send it by fed-ex.
8. It is a clock that I started at absolute zero hour.
A technical way of referring to midnight at Greenwich, England.
9. Technical drawings. Architectural plans.
These are official drawings that architects or engineers design in order to build houses or other
buildings.
10. Hours is a shameful outrage! This is just an egg-timer.
“Shameful” is a strong adjective meaning very badly done. An “outrage” is a very bad, cruel or scandalous action that
causes great anger. An “egg-timer” is a device used to measure the passage of a few minutes time, usually by having
sand fall through a tube of glass.
11. Adoption papers.
The official papers that are needed in order to adopt a child.
12. 87 hours is an eternity!
A great word which means forever, or perhaps until the end of time.
13. The cosmos were created in less time.
A scientific word that refers to the entire universe.
14. Wars have been fought and nations toppled in 87 hours!
“To topple” an enemy is to crush or completely defeat them.
15. When his truck broke down, he stole a boy’s bicycle to do his delivery.
If any kind of machine “breaks down,” it stops working.
15 minutes! Crunch time!
A slangy way of referring to a very important time in which people must act very quickly and effectively in order to
accomplish a goal.
16. The truck in Red Square is stuck!
“Red Square” is the historic center of Moscow, Russia. If a car or truck is “stuck,” it will not move.
17. Tick tock, tick tock!
The sound that a clock makes. Chuck’s way of telling people to hurry.
18. I’m doing the sorts in the middle of Red Square….in the shadow of Lenin’s tomb.
“To sort” mail is to organize it, though note that in the fed-ex world, it can be used as a noun! “Lenin’s tomb” is where
the Russian leader’s body has been housed since 1924 (Thousands still visit it each day).
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19. I’m outta here in 2 minutes and I’m picking up the sweep through Paris.
Note that “out of” becomes “outta” in rapid speech. “I’m outta here” is a slangy way of saying “I’m leaving.” In this case,
“the sweep” is a plane that travels through Paris on the way to the US (but this is never used).
20. Try U.P.S
United parcel Service, which is Fed Ex’s main competition.
21. With this extra head wind, are we going to be able to push it and make the sort?
“Head wind” is wind that blows against the direction of a plane or boat. Remember that in the fed-ex world, a “sort” is
the act of organizing packages (Chuck is asking if they can deliver the packages in time).
22. Jack keeps getting certified to fly?
“To certify” a person to do something like fly a plane is to officially approve of them doing it, often by giving them a
license to do it.
23. That’s the spirit! Relentless is our goal!
“That’s the spirit” is a way of encouraging a person after they show they are going to try and do something difficult.
Note that “relentless,” an adjective meaning to continue without rest, is used here as a noun.
24. What do you expect from the guy who stole a crippled kid’s bicycle?
If a person is “crippled,” they are physically ditsabled or handicapped
(This word is generally considered old fashioned).
25. 2, 4, 6, 8 minutes late. Next thing you know, we’re the US mail.
This is Chuck’s way of saying that if they don’t do better, Fed Ex will be as inefficient as the U.S. Mail service.
26. Those Ruskies would be walking on water right now.
A silly and old-fashioned way of referring to Russians.
27. It’s a 1992 full-bodied grape juice.
“Full-bodied” is a fancy way of referring to the taste of good wine, but it is never used for juice, unless the person is
not being serious.
28. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
An expression that can be used to refer to people who refuse to see horrible things happening around them, thus
making it easier for abusive governments to repress their people.
29. She went to the doctor. It wasn’t metastasized.
A medical word that refers to cancer that
has spread to different parts of the body.
30. It’s just kind of wait and see.
If a person has a “wait and see” attitude, they have decided not to take any more action until they see what happens in
the future.
31. I’m going to come by and see her on my next layover.
“To come by” a person’s house is to visit. A “layover” is usually a city airport where a plane lands before going on to
the final destination.
32. He’s a systems analyst. He played centerfield for us in the softball tournament last labor day.
A “systems analyst” is a person who works with computer networks.
“Centerfield” is a position in baseball (and softball), and a “tournament” is a series of games to see who has the best
team.
“Labor Day” is an American holiday held to celebrate workers.
33. That’s beside the point.
If something you say is “beside the point,” it is not relevant to the main part of the conversation.
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Chuck returns to Kelly, but is soon off again on another quick trip.
34. Is Kelly Frears around? :: She’s copying her dissertation.
A “dissertation” is a major research paper that is written in order to get the graduate degree of Ph.D.
35. You’re home. :: Home, indeed.
A British word that means certainly, without question or for sure.
36. He’s been declared physically fit to fly; Santa got checked out by doctors at the VA hospital
If a person is “fit” to do something, they are physically able to do it.
“To check out” a person is to carefully examine them. A “VA” hospital is run by the Veterans Administration, which
serves people who served in the military.
37. After they declared the jolly old elf in tip top shape, Santa took off into the wild blue yonder.
“Jolly” is an old fashioned word for very happy, and an elf is a mythical children’s character, like Santa Claus. If a
person is in “tip top shape,” they are in excellent physical health. “The wild blue yonder” is a literary way of referring to a
place in the distance that is very far away.
38. You’ve got to be in the market for some of those candied hams.
If you are “in the market” for something, you want to buy it. “Candied hams” are a type of sugar-covered sweet ham
that is popular for holidays
39. When I was there we did 2,000,000 and we thought that was a big deal. The glory days.
If something is “a big deal,” it is considered important or impressive. A Person’s “glory days” are those days in the past
when they were at their best or most impressive.
40. And Fred Smith had that cartable bronzed.
“To bronze” a piece of furniture is to cover it with a shiny brown coating that will make it last a very long time (Fred
Smith is the founder and head corporate officer of the Fed Ex company).
41. The new hub in Anchorage.
A “hub” is an airport that an airline uses as a center of its operations, from which it flies to lots of other cities
(Anchorage is the biggest city in the state of Alaska).
42. It’s state of the art and a perfect marriagebetween technology and systems management.
If something is “state of the art,” it is made with the very latest and best technology. “Systems management” is the
science of managing networks made of either people or computer technologies.
44. Why don’t you make an honest women out of Kelly?
This is a silly way of asking Chuck to marry Kelly.
45. Kelly is still recovering from that failed relationship with that parolee.
A “parolee” is a person who was in prison but has been released “on parole,” which means they can stay free so long
as they agree to certain conditions, such as reporting to a parole officer once a week.
46. I knew it had something to do with swearing to tell the truth.
In a court of law, a person “swears to tell the truth,” which is a dramatic way of saying that they promise to tell the truth.
47. He tripped on a curb holding the door open for me.
A “curb” is the edge of a sidewalk, where it meets the street.
48. Kelly just can’t see being with a man who wears a pager to bed.
A pager is a small electronic device that people wear on their belts that allows them to know when somebody wants to
talk to them (They are no longer as important since cell phones are now so common).
49. When you wear it to bed, I hope you get one of those things that go vibrating. :: I’m not touching that.
“To vibrate” is to shake gently back and forth. Here. “I’m not touching that” is a slangy way of saying “I refuse to talk
about it.”
50. When are you defending your dissertation?
Note that a student “defends” their Ph.D. dissertation in an official ceremony in which professors ask them questions on
what they have written.
51. Merry Christmas! :: I thought you were going to stiff her.
“To stiff” a person is a slangy way of saying to cheat them out of money, or perhaps to refuse to give them something
they deserve.
52. Is it a test fishing line or something?
A “test” product is one that is used just to see if the product works like it is supposed to. A “fishing line” is used to catch
fish.
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53. I love the wrapping.
“Wrapping” is the paper that covers a box.
54. This is terrific. :: My granddaddy used it on the Southern Pacific.
“Terrific” is a good alternative word to excellent or fantastic. The “Southern Pacific” is the name of a major railroad that
crosses the US.
55. You can program it so it vibrates.
“To program” a watch, computer or other machine is to set it up in such a way that it does what you want.
56. Sorry about the hand towels. You’re hard to shop for.
If a person is “hard to shop for,” it’s difficult to know what kind of present you should get them because it’s not clear
what they would want (or perhaps what you know they want is difficult to find).
57. Take it and hold on to it so that you can open it on New Year’s Eve.
“To hold on to” something is to keep it indefinitely.
58. Is all this turbulence from Santa and those 8 tiny reindeer?
“Turbulence” is the violent shaking that planes sometimes experience when flying. “Tiny” means very small, and a
“reindeer” is a type of deer that people associate with Santa Claus.
59. Tell them we’re deviating South for weather.
“To deviate” from a planned route is to move in another direction.
60. I got us plotted; We’re 200 miles South of our original course.
“To plot” a plane on a map is to locate exactly where it is. A plane’s “course” is the planned direction it is supposed to
take.
61. Continue plotting and check contingency procedures.
“Contingency procedures” are back-up plans that are taken if the original plan can no longer work because of a change
in the situation.
62. Broadcasting in the blind; How do you read?
If a pilot is “broadcasting in the blind,” he is making radio contact without being able to see anything outside the plane.
“How do you read?” is a pilot’s way of asking “What do you think?”
63. I’ve never been out of comm this long.
A pilot’s slangy way of saying communication.
64. Buckle up, Chuck. It’s gonna get bumpy.
“To buckle up” is another way of saying to put on a seat belt. If a flight is “bumpy,” there is a lot of shaking, or
turbulence.
65. We may have to ditch! Mayday, mayday!
“To ditch” a plane is to jump out and abandon it. “Mayday” is an official way of screaming for help in an emergency.
66. Chuck, life vest!
A “life vest” is a type of padded shirt that people wear in order to be able to float on the water after a ship sinks or plane
crashes.
67. Brace for impact!
“To brace oneself” is to physically or emotionally prepare for something horrible, in this case a plane crash (the “impact”
refers to the moment that the plane crashes into the water).
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Chuck becomes a castaway, alone with Mr. Wilson…
68. Over here! SOS, please!
(Some people say it means “save our souls”).
69. Come on, come on!
The most versatile phrasal verb in English, in this case used simply to mean “please.”
70. The time to hesitate is through, come on baby, light my fire!
“To hesitate” is to wait or pause before taking action (These words are from the song “Light my Fire,” by the 1960s rock
group The Doors).
71. Meteor shower! It’s a signal fire!
A “meteor shower” is a shower of bright lights in the sky caused by falling bits of rock, perhaps from a comet. A “signal
fire” is Chuck’s word for the same thing, though this is never used.
72. You gotta love crab; Just in the nick of time.
Note that “have got to”----> “gotta” in rapid speech. “Just in the nick of time” is a colloquial way of saying “just in time.”
73. Coconut is a natural laxative, too.
A “laxative” is a food that causes a person to often go to the bathroom.
74. Things that Gilligan never told us.
This is a reference to the 1960s TV show “Gilligans’ Island,” which was about seven people who were stuck on a
deserted island.
75. 400 miles squared. That’s 160,000 square miles times pi.
Two math terms: A number “squared” is that number multiplied by itself. “Pi” is the famous number that refers to the
number of times that the radius of a circle will go around the diameter of a circle (3.14…).
76. This tooth is just killing me.
If something is “killing you,” it is hurting you very much.
77. And just think, I used to avoid going to the dentist like the plague.
The “plague” is the black death that killed millions in Europe in the 1300s (People who really want to avoid doing
something try to “avoid it like the plague”).
78. I put off every chance I got…now, what I wouldn’t give to have a dentist in this cave.
“To put off’ something is to postpone it, or decide to do it later.
“What I wouldn’t give” is a stylistic way of saying “I would give anything if I could…”
79. You want to hear something funny? Back home in Memphis, my dentist’s name is Dr. James Spalding.
Chuck is talking to Wilson the volleyball, and he’s noting that his dentist is named Spalding; The two biggest American
sport and ball manufacturers are the Wilson and Spalding companies.
80. Bakersfield!
A small city in central California.
81. 44 lashings.
A rarely used word for a knot or rope or anything used to tie.
82. We’re going to have to make a hell of a lot of rope.
A colloquial expression that adds emphasis or emotion.
83. March and April are our best chances for the high tides and ocean breezes.
“High tides” are those times at the beach when the water has risen up deep into the sands (which would make it easier
to sail away).
84. We need 425 feet of good rope plus another 50 feet for miscellaneous.
A key word that means various or diverse things.
85. Round it off to 475 feet of good rope.
“To round off” a number is to estimate to the nearest big number (i.e.…498 is usually rounded off to 500).
86. We’re going to be short.
“We’re not going to have enough.”
87. Do you have to keep bringing that up? Can’t we just forget it?
“To bring up” something in a conversation is to start to talk about it.
88. You were right…it wasn’t going to be a quick little snap.
A “quick little snap” is a slangy way of referring to something that is very easy to do (A ‘snap” is a brief and sudden
sound, such as the type that is made when you forcefully close a book).
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89. It was the only option I had at the time.
A good word for a choice or possibility.
90. What’s your point?
“What are you trying to say?”
91. We might just make it! Did that thought ever cross your brain?
In this case, “to make it” means to survive or succeed.
92. Regardless, I would rather take my chances out there on the ocean than to stay here and die on this shit hole
island.
A rarely used but interesting slang word for a small and horrible place.
93. Never again!
A common expression that is used to express the desire that something terrible that was done in the past can be
allowed to happen again.
94. I’ll do all the paddling! You just hang on!
“To paddle” a boat is to move it forward while using oars (wooden sticks) to push it through the water.
After four long years, Chuck starts a new life.
95. Dr. Pepper.
A popular soft drink.
96. Here’s the drill. The plane pulls in, we get off.
“The drill” is a slangy way of referring to a precise plan of action that everybody involved should know very well.
97. There’s a ceremony right there in the hanger.
A “ceremony” is an official or formal set of public acts or procedures, in this case to honor Chuck. A “hanger” is a very
big building in which airplanes are parked so they can be repaired.
98. What in the world am I going to say to her?
A curious filler expression added to WH questions to show emotion such as excitement, surprise or fear.
99. We had a funeral, a coffin and a gravestone.
A “coffin” is the box that human bodies are buried in, and a “gravestone” is the stone with writing carved on it that is
placed in a cemetery where a person is buried.
100. A cell phone, a beeper.
A device, like a pager, that lets people know when others want to talk to them.
101. That was a terrible and tragic day.
A powerful adjective that refers to something horrible that causes great pain or suffering.
102. I actually did root canal on you about 5 years ago.
A dental procedure in which dentists operate below the teeth.
103. Kelly, she’s had it rough. She’s…sort of lost.
If a person has “had it rough,” they have had a difficult life (And thus in this case, she is emotionally lost or confused).
104. I have to brief this man in his meetings tomorrow with the accountants and attorneys.
“To brief” a person is to tell them the most important facts (It is often done before the person has a meeting or is going
to give a speech).
105. If you need anything, just sign for it.
This is a way of saying “You sign the bill and we’ll pay for it.”
106. It takes a lot of paperwork to bring back a man.
“Paperwork” refers to official papers and forms that are usually produced and filled out in an office. In this case, “to
bring back a man” means to officially declare them alive, after having been declared dead.
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15
Chuck and Kelly face the passage of time….
107. It’s a nice house. :: We got a nice mortgage, too.
A “mortgage” is the monthly payment that people make to the bank in order to pay off the money they borrowed to buy
their house. The second sentence is Kelly’s way of saying their mortgage is a lot.
108. She’s a beautiful little girl. :: She’s a handful.
If a child is “a handful,” it’s a lot of work to take care of.
109. Let’s get one thing straight here; We have a Pro Football team now, but they’re in Nashville?
“Let’s get one thing straight” is a way of saying that “we need to talk directly and honestly.”
110. The Houston Oilers are the Tennessee Titans?
This refers to the fact that Houston’s Professional Football team moved to Tennessee and then changed their names
(Houston is known for oil companies, and “titans” are very powerful rulers or businessmen).
111. They went to the Super Bowl last year!
The “Super Bowl” is the championship game in American
football and the most watched sporting event in the United States.
112. They almost won by one yard! One lousy yard!
“Lousy” is a good word that means of poor quality, or in this
case, insignificant or stupid. A “yard” is a distance of three feet.
113. I got whole milk, 2% and non-fat. I don’t have half and half.
Milk can be whole (3% fat), 2% fat, 1% fat, or non-fat. “Half and half” is half milk and half cream (and very fattening!)
114. That will do fine.
One way of saying “that’s good.”
115. What happened to you becoming a professor? ::
You’re not Dr. Kelly Frears-Lovett? Note that when a person gets a Ph.D. degree, they are given
the honorary title of Dr., though this is rarely used in practice.
116. When your plane went down, everything just sort of got put on hold.
“To put a plan on hold” is to delay doing it until the situation becomes clearer or easier to deal with.
117. I think about taking it up again.
“To take up” a plan is to begin to do it.
118. I kept the picture. It was all faded.
If a photograph is “faded,” it has lost it’s color and newness, and looks degraded or old.
119. That’s a family heirloom and it should stay in your family.
A “family heirloom” is a small object, such as a watch or ring, that has been passed down from one generation to the
next.
120. They said they never figured out what caused the crash.
“To figure out” a mystery or question is to solve or understand it.
121. Probably some mislabeled hazardous material caught fire.
If some product is “mislabeled,” it is wrapped in packaging that says it is something that it is not. If a material is
“hazardous,” it is dangerous.
122. You drifted about 500 miles; This is where your island was, about 600 miles South of the Cook Islands.
“To drift” on the water is to slowly float away, but with no particular direction.
123. And there are the search grids.
A “grid” is a map with many squares drawn on it that allow you to quickly identify where something is.
124. You kept our car; All right, now this is weird.
An excellent word that means strange or bizarre.
125. Let me get some stuff out of the back.
A critical word that generally means “things,” though note that this can refer to anything from physical objects to
emotions.
126. You’re the love of my life.
A very romantic and poetic way of telling a person that they are the most important person they have ever been with, or
ever will be with.
127. Everyone said I had to let you go.
In this case, to “let go” of a person is to emotionally accept that they can no longer be a part of your life.
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Chuck prepares for an uncertain future….
128. We did the math. Kelly added it all up.
In this case, to “add up the numbers” is to see what the odds or chances of something happening are.
129. I was going to get sick or injured or something.
If a person is “injured,” they have been physically hurt, often in an accident.
130. I made a rope and went up to the summit to hang myself.
The “summit” of a mountain is its highest point. “To hang oneself”
is a common form of suicide in which the person puts a rope around their neck after hanging it from a tree or the
ceiling.
131. The weight of the log snapped the limb of the tree.
A “log” is a thick piece of wood. If something “snaps,” it suddenly breaks into two pieces. The “limb” of a tree refers to
its branches.
This is Chuck’s way of explaining why he was not able to hang himself.
132. All my logic said I would never see this place again.
“Logic” is reason or rational thought. Chuck is explaininghow he thought he would probably die on the island.
133. The tide came in and gave me a sail.
The “tide” is the rise and fall of the water over time as it hits the beach.
A “sail” is a piece of cloth or material placed on a boat that allows it to be moved forward by the wind.
134. I’m so sad that I don’t have Kelly, but I’m so grateful that she was with me on that island.
“Grateful” is a good alternative to appreciative. This is Chuck’s way of saying that it was the memory of Kelly that
motivated him to keep alive on the island.
135. Tomorrow the sun will rise; Who knows what the tide could bring?
Chuck’s way of saying that nobody knows what will happen in the future.
136. “Return to Sender, Address unknown.”
The words of a famous Elvis Presley song.
137. You look lost…where are you headed?
If a person is “headed,” somewhere, that is where they plan to go.
138. I was just about to figure that out.
“To figure out” a question is to find the answer or solution to it.
139. This road here will hook you up with the I-40 East. Amarillo, Flagstaff…California.
If a road “hooks up” with another, it is connected to it, or leads into it.
“I-40” is a short way of referring to an Interstate Highway (#40). Amarillo is a town in Texas, and Flagstaff is a town in
Arizona.
140. You’ll find a whole lot of nothing all the way to Canada.
A poetic way of saying “nothing.”
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For TEACHERS
CASTAWAY
1. Survivor of shipwreck;
2. A person who has escaped from a ship that has sunk and managed to get to an island or country where there are few
or no other people;
3. A castaway is also something thrown away or no longer wanted or used.
SHORT SUMMARY:
Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is a FedEx troubleshooter, whose charter flight crashes near the South Pacific, and leaves him
stranded alone on an island for four years. While his fianceé and co-workers assume he's dead, he must give up everything that
he once took for granted and learn how to survive both physically and emotionally. From director Robert Zemeckis, CAST
AWAY is a story of adventure and discovery surrounding one man's will to stay alive.
http://gn003.k12.sd.us/lessons_from_cast_away.htm
PLOT SUMMARY
This is the story of Chuck Nolan, a midlevel manager for the Fed Ex Delivery Company, which is one of the two biggest delivery
companies in the United States. Chuck lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where Fed Ex is based.
He is planning to marry his girlfriend, Kelly, who is finishing up a Ph.D. (The highest academic degree). Kelly loves Chuck very
much, but is frustrated by how much he works, especially since he travels overseas a lot. When the film opens, Chuck is helping
Fed Ex set up their office in Moscow, Russia.
One day while flying to Australia, Chuck’s Fed Ex plane crashes during a storm, and as the only survivor, he suddenly finds
himself on a very small and empty island, with virtually nothing to eat except crabs and coconuts. As the days turn into months
and then years, Chuck learns to physically survive, but he must also face the emotional challenge of being completely alone
(except for the company of “Wilson,” who is in fact nothing more than a volleyball with a painted face).
After several years, Chuck decides to risk his life in a courageous attempt to sail off the island. If he fails, he will drown in the
ocean, but even if he is successful, he will face the new challenge of returning to friends and family that thought he had died
several years earlier….
A note on the title: A “castaway” is a person stuck on a small island, usually after a ship sinks. “To cast away”
something is to throw it away. (stuck: trapped)
"CAST AWAY celebrates the idea that no matter how many obstacles are thrown in our paths, we will find ways to
accept them. The story is not so much about the survival of a human being, but rather the survival of the human spirit
and an illustration of the idea that surviving is easy, it's living that's
difficult." Director ROBERT ZEMECKIS
//www.profj.org/castaway.htm
Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis team up again for Cast Away, the first
teaming of the pair since 1994's acclaimed and Academy Award-winning
"Forrest Gump". Based on the success of that film, any audience could
expect another expansive, ensemble-cast-driven film that would rival the
first in scope and depth. Well… apart from the fact that one cast member is
a volleyball, and the others are in the film for about 20 minutes of the total
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running time, audiences receive what they expect, just not in the way they might have expected it.
Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is a man on the cutting edge of time. Working for Federal Express, we see a man fully in tune
with the turn of the century. His pager, his cell phone, the fact that he gets his girlfriend Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) a pager for a
Christmas gift… all testify to the fact that this man is connected to his world, if not so much to the people in it. Due to an
unfortunate accident on a trans-pacific flight, Chuck is the sole survivor of the destruction of his plane, and winds up on a small
island, where he must survive or perish, solely on his intellect.
This film is very realistic in its depiction of Hanks' character on the island. This is not a hollywood-ized film, in that there
are no pat endings, no overly simplistic avenues to survival, and no traditional happy endings either. These factors made this
film very hard to get a real feeling for, because if violates much of what the American movie-going public has come to
expect from its "entertainment" venues.
The film moves along like a traditional drama through the disaster that strands Hanks character on the island. Hunt's character
is likable, and intelligent, but we see too little of her with our own eyes through the film for us to develop much of an
emotional attachment. Similarly, Chuck's best friend Stan (Nick Searcy) is likable, but seen for too brief a time for the
audience to develop any real sense of him beyond his loyalty to and affection for Chuck.
The most well-developed supporting character isn't a real character at all, but a volleyball that Chuck finds. It is made by the
Wilson Sporting Goods company, and after Chuck gives it a face, he names it "Wilson", and this becomes his only companion
on the island for his long stay. Wilson becomes Chuck's inner monologue externalized, and allows the character to stay sane
and expose his inner thoughts to the audience throughout the film. Wilson becomes the only other "character" to endear
himself (itself?) to the audience, as I found myself beginning to empathize with this inanimate object due to Chuck's
interaction with it.
The ending of the film is also non-traditional, as it provides no clear-cut, pat ending for everyone to walk out of the
theatre feeling a specific way about. Most times, I review a film immediately after viewing it. This time, however, it's been over
a week, while I came to grips with my feelings about it and my reaction to the ending solidified in my mind. The ending allows the
audience a rare thing in films these days: a choice. You, the individual audience member will be allowed to make up your own
mind about what the ending means, and how you feel about it. Of the three other people I saw this with, I got three different
interpretations of what the ending meant, and that provided for an evening's discussion that I enjoyed greatly, but didn't accept
as what would become my own personal take on it.
Overall, this film deserves an A+ on so many levels, it would be hard to discuss them all. Originality, character
development, quality of acting, soundtrack (and lack thereof), action, drama and a level of maturity and sophistication
rarely seen in today's homogenized Hollywood. I can only hope this film is indicative of what the mature, intelligent moviegoer can expect out of the studios in the near future. It's so much nicer being allowed to "consume" for yourself, rather than
being spoon-fed, and I applaud Zemeckis's decision to do so with great gusto! Prof J's Movie Reviews
http://gn003.k12.sd.us/lessons_from_cast_away.htm
http://www.bangkokpost.net/education/site2000/ptjn2300.htm
Cast Away
5.. ANSWER KEY
1. ____ The flight crew were experiencing turbulence.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
____ The plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
____ Tom Hanks used a raft to stay afloat.
____ He landed on a lonely island.
____ He called out for help.
____ He split open the coconut with a stone and drank the juice.
____ He walked round the island and climbed a hill.
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8. ____ He found a dead body floating near the beach.
9. ____ He took off the dead man’s shoes and flash light.
10. ____ He buried the dead man and wrote him an epitaph.
Cast Away