This article is my tribute to the cult film Cast away and its ever green characters Tom hanks and Wilson the volleyball . I have seen this movie around 8 or 9 times ,each time it gives new new meanings. And I believe there is very active big Cast away fan base around the world as well . So its a dedication to all cast away fans. The most touching and emotional portion  in that movie is the relation between Tom hanks and his volleyball Wilson.

• About Movie cast away ?

Cast Away is a 2000 Oscar won American adventure drama film directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as a FedEx employee stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific.

 

• Who is Wilson the volleyball:?

I f you’ve ever seen the film Cast Away, you’re probably familiar with Wilson, the only volleyball (in animated volleyball ) to ever make you cry. Wilson the volleyball was the only companion of the stranded protagonist Tom hanks in an in habited island  and later they developed very emotional relation as well .

 

1: Tom hanks and Wilson met before Cast Away movie ?

Well go through the words of director of the movie

• To keep himself(Tom hanks the protagonist of the movie ) from going insane(to make the char more genuine ), early on in the film he takes a Wilson brand volleyball and has regular “conversations” with it (these conversations were just him having a dialogue with no audible response).

So even before shooting tom hanks and  Wilson started chatting .

2: Blood-Relation 

• Well  we have seen in many stories and films that, to impress  the partner   most often the protagonist shed some blood.But in our Cast away case its bit different. Tom hanks made Wilson with his own blood ,and each time when blood fades he re createed wilson using his own blood.Think about it.? its such a rare blood relation right ?

 

3: Better emotional love story than Twilight 

• Widely twilight love story is considered as the most subtle and emotional love story ever in Hollywood . But I believe truly that our tom hanks and Wilson affair is  more deserving for that title (title of best love story in hollywood).I have watched twilight and Cast away many times ,As a movie analyst I could tell with out any doubt that emotionally cast away  has a bit upper hand . Wilson and Tom (Chuck ) were emotionally connected in deserted island .Even though it was just volleyball,tom considered  it has his life with in it .What you guys think?

4: Wilson and tom hanks Costumes 

• Over the years  along with movie its costumes also became very famous.  Even now you can see many couples wearing  Wilson costumes for Halloween days. Still  Wilson t shirts are available in market .

Not only in T-shirts ,even in ladies nail polishes domain Wilson became trend.

 

5: Wilson american company 

• Actually there is Volley ball company in america called Wilson Sporting goods. It was actually gifted marketing channel for the company through castaway Wilson volleyball .And later after the success of Cast away ,company started designing Cast Away Wilson model volleyball and it was huge success as well .(Wilson’s “face” printed on it.)  Though no longer available as regular store merchandise, the balls have remained listed on the Wilson Sporting Goods website.

 

6: Does washed out wilson found by anybody 

“Wilson come back! I’m sorry, please come back…”

• How many remember that heart breaking scene ?. I still cry when ever I see that last scene . Well According to this interview with the cinematographer of the movie Cast Away,  all the climax raft scenes were shot at sea.So likely they would have lost Wilson to sea while shooting(I believe tom hanks has done it in one shot ). But does any one found that later some where ????…Thats a scary question right ?..There were rumours doing rounds for years ..what do you think?. lol

7: Will they re-unite?(Cast Away 2)

• Around the world people (including me ) are hopefully looking forward for the squeal of cult film cast away.Actually in the movie at the end Wilson and tom hanks were separated leaving  tears in the eyes of viewers . But in the squeal we are expecting a reunion of both .lol. My fingers are crossed and my heart is praying for that moment .

8: Awards 

After watching Wilsons performance how many thought that he would get a award? .Of course he deserves Oscar i believe .Lol. But see at least he managed to grab some award even though not Oscar.

• Best On-Screen Duo Tom Hanks and Wilson:

For 2001 MTV Movie Awards tom hanks and his Wilson nominated for best On-screen Duo but failed to win the nomination.

• Best Inanimate Object Wilson:

In  6th Critics’ Choice Awards Our Wilson won the award.

9: Science behind  

• Group of Researchers at the University of Chicago and Harvard , those studied people’s tendency to anthropomorphize inanimate objects. Explained clearly about the science behind Wilson and tom hanks relation .

“Castaway depicts a deep truth about the irrepressibly social nature of Homo sapiens,” .  “the team found a correlation between how lonely people felt and their tendency to describe a gadget in terms of human like mental states.” The team also found that lonely people were more likely to believe in the supernatural, whether it be God, angels or miracles, than when they were not feeling lonely.

The results of their experiments are to be published in the February issue of Psychological Science.

 

I dedicate this article to all Die hard fans of Wilson the volleyball ,Tom hanks and movie cast away fans.