The producers of "Survivor" only wish they could come up with a story as compelling and ultimately human as "Cast Away."
Besides the "stranded-on-a-deserted-island" scenario the two share, this big-budget holiday film couldn't be more different from the summer's smash hit television show — in fact, it makes the latter appear as superficial as "Gilligan's Island."
That alone should be enough to draw audiences in droves, but when you throw in Tom Hanks — who has been box-office gold this time of year — you've got the formula for something even bigger, if not better.
And as far as Hanks is concerned, he's getting to be so good at this sort of thing that it's easy to overlook his work. Believe it or not, his absolutely riveting performance here — much of which is without dialogue, forcing him to rely on body language and facial expressions — just might be the best of an already distinguished career.
By the way, remember those (seemingly) overly revealing ads for the film, which showed what appeared to be the entire storyline, right down to the ending? Well, it turns out that this isn't a film that relies on suspense anyway. (And besides, there's a whole lot more to this movie than what a one- or two-minute advertisement could possibly show.)
Instead, it's a very character-driven piece, one that centers on workaholic Federal Express systems engineer Chuck Noland (Hanks).
Chuck really likes his job, helping FedEx offices around the globe be more efficient. In fact, the only thing he probably loves more is his grad-student girlfriend, Kelly (Helen Hunt), to whom he's hoping to propose over the holidays.
However, he's called in to work on Christmas Eve, forcing the couple to have an impromptu gift exchange on an airport runway. As he gives her a ring, he tells her, "I'll be right back."
Famous last words, right? Probably, since the airliner he's on goes down in the ocean after straying far off course. He's fortunate enough to survive, washing up on the shores of an uninhabited island, with little more than the clothes on his back.
There, the prospects of his continued existence appear slim, and his prospects of rescue even slimmer, though he refuses to give up on ever seeing Kelly again. Thanks to some objects that also washed up onshore, and a little bit of ingenuity, he may be able to meet one of those goals — to survive.
The very idea of being deprived of everyday luxuries is so horrifying to most of us that the film's premise might seem a bit ridiculous. But the fine cast, which includes Hunt (who's very good in what seems like her 12th role this month), makes it very believable.
However, as good as the supporting performers are, this is really Hanks' film. And, to no one's surprise, he's more than up to the challenge (not that anyone would have questioned his commitment after he starved himself for months).
It probably helps that he's being directed by a familiar face, "Forrest Gump" filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, whose direction lacks its usual level of bombast and trickery (most noticeable recently in "What Lies Beneath") and instead sticks to the basics.
Of course, both Hanks and Zemeckis are working from a smart script (by "Apollo 13" scribe William Broyles) that somehow manages to make a convincing, if not likable, supporting character out of a volleyball. It also includes a wry, fitting ending that might best be described as Capra-esque (as in Frank Capra, the maker of such films as "It's a Wonderful Life").
"Cast Away" is rated PG-13 for gore (as well as glimpses of a dead body), scattered profanity, plane-crash violence, brief crude humor and brief partial male nudity. Running time: 122 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com