Schools of Omar Bin Al-Khattab Independent Complex
The Secondary School
2009-2010
Grade 10
2nd Semester
Cast Away
A. Read the review of the film Cast Away and decide whether it is a positive or
negative review. Underline evidence for your answer.
After back-to-back Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, and because
Tom Hanks is regarded in Hollywood as such a nice guy, it has become
almost a joke to say, "OK, what's Hanks going to be nominated for this
year?" In fact, even his voice work in the Toy Story movies didn't seem out of
the question for an Oscar nomination.
But one of the reasons Hanks gets talked up for awards every time he makes a movie, the reason
we often forget, is that he really is that good. In Cast Away, Hanks gives possibly the most
compelling performance of his career – and he probably won't get all the credit for it that he
deserves.
Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a FedEx executive who absolutely, positively has to run his life by
the clock. "Time rules over us without mercy" is his motto. His Day Planner rules over his job,
his vacations, even coordinating time to spend with his girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt) – with whom
he parts one Christmas night when he has to ride along on a cargo flight over the Pacific.
Then the plane crashes in the ocean and Chuck, the lone survivor, washes ashore on a deserted
island. Alone with his wits, a lot of coconuts and the occasional FedEx package that drifts in,
Chuck figures out how to survive – both in body and in mind – as he realizes he may be in this
for the long haul.
Hanks reveals Chuck's mental plight with a minimum of dialogue (he doesn't start talking to
himself until late in the story) and an economy of body language. Director Robert Zemeckis
(who teamed with Hanks in Forrest Gump) gets to indulge in his love for digital effects – the
plane crash is a nail-biter sure to keep the movie off any ‘in-flight’ lists – but his greatest
service is in his restraint, in letting Hanks' small moments speak for themselves.
Whatever you think Cast Away is about (which may be a lot, if you have seen 20th Century
Fox's advertising), it's 's about much more than that. Though he travels many miles, it's Chuck's
emotional journey – as his inside chronometer resets from seconds to days – that makes Cast
Away worth the trip.
B. Read the review again and number the following topics according to the
order in which they appear in the text.
( ) A final appraisal of the movie.
( ) Tom Hanks’ performance in the film “Cast Away”.
( ) Why Tom Hanks is frequently nominated for an Oscar.
( ) A quick summary of the plot of “Castaway”.
C. Answer the following questions about the text:
1- According to the film summary, what is the meaning of the title “Castaway”?
a- a tough fighter
c- a fantastic actor
b- a lonely worker
d- a lone survivor
2- It is understood from the first paragraph that Tom Hanks
a. had problems with his voice in Toy Story
b. starred in many successful films.
c. tells a lot of funny jokes in Hollywood
d. was a nice guy in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump
4- According to the text, what kind of company is FedEx?
a- a food company
c- a shipping company
b- an airlines company
d- movie-making company
5- What is the most important quality about Tom Hanks as an actor?
a- His performances are all brilliant
b- He like taking long vacations
c- He doesn’t care about his career
d- He never lies to his girlfriend, Helen Hun
6- Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word ‘plight” in paragraph 5?
a- situation
b- character
c- problem
d- feature
7- What does the pronoun “it” in the last paragraph refer to?
a- the journey
b- chronometer
c- advertising
d- the film
8- In no more than two sentences, write an explanation to the motto, “Time rules over
us without mercy.”
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