There are some really valuable moments in Cast Away, which might be overlooked for the action scenes and the island adventures. However, there are some dialogue gems to be found as well. When Chuck Noland talks with his coworker and discovers his wife has a fatal disease, we get a sense Chuck is rather distant from his interaction with coworkers, but yet dedicated to the job and the success of making sure the job is complete.

If you have a fairly good-sized widescreen television, the 1.85:1 Anamorphic film looks great. When Chuck Noland makes it to the highest point on the island, looking over the cliff, the scene looked inspiring and majestic.

Being alone on an island is not the only angle of Cast Away. Initially, we see Tom Hanks' character being unable to express emotions and having difficulty expressing himself, but towards the end of his ordeal, we observe him expressing his need for "Wilson" as they are separated forever. This changes Mr. Noland, and gives him a new perspective on his life.

Cast Away is one of those movies where there is a group of resentment, not because of the movie itself, but the more you investigate how the movie was made, the more you come to understand the amount of computer generated effects were used, the inconsistencies, and how unreal the environment would be in real life. There will always be technical inconsistencies, and if we listen to the audio commentary with Robert Zemeckis, we learn just how problematic shooting this film was. Zemeckis and his talented team managed to create a movie which would be almost impossible to create only a short period before it was made.

A note about the lack of music during the movie. Can you hear any music during the movie? This was done by choice which makes the viewing experience much more personal. If more music was added during Chuck Noland's experiences, it would have distanced the viewer from the movie. Cast Away is a rare movie, which is almost a "silent movie" of the 21st Century, because the only sounds you hear, are those created from the scenes.

Another reason why Cast Away is still popular and repeatedly viewed, is the way Zemeckis created the perspective of you, the viewer, being a part of what Chuck Noland is a part of, and empathizing with Chuck Noland as he experiences critical points in the film. This is certainly not an easy task. Because you need to be extremely focused as a director, on the message of the film. As most of us know these days, there are many movies made which lose the viewer about 1/3 of the way through and by the time the movie is done, you feel cheated. Cast Away is just the opposite. It keeps you entertained throughout the entire two and a half hours.

The Audio

• The Dolby EX and DTS ES soundtracks sounded wonderful. However, I noticed the volume needed to be turned WAY UP to get the most benefit. It seems to me the volume was mixed rather low. I compared the volume to a number of movies and they all were irritatingly loud, so it's definitely the Cast Away soundtrack. But the soundtrack itself is exceptional. Separation was full and dynamic, and with a widescreen television, I felt like I was right alongside Tom Hanks on an island.