REVIEW: CAST AWAY...WHO KNOW WHAT THE TIDE COULD BRING?

Yesterday I watched “Cast Away” movie on TV… I know that many consider it the copy of “Robinson Crusoe” novel – I haven’t seen its movie by the way – But, I can’t deny that Cast Away touches me much more…

 I have always admired the way Tom Hanks managed the role, starting with the physical appearance changes and ending with the outstanding facial expressions… Have always stood still in front of the change that happened to a man who considered time to be everything and his life used to be planned minute by minute, to a man who had to learn to let go of the idea of time in general… learned it the hard way though…

I have always been touched by that scene where he loses “Wilson” – the volleyball – his only “friend” … I can’t but imagine myself in his place… I mean… I’m one of those who get emotionally involved with places and objects in my life… in addition to people… and I feel bad with the loss of any intimate – inanimate – object… how does it feel like then when it’s the only intimate “thing” he had…

Every time I watch the movie I stop at the scene where he uses the lighter at the end of the movie… to produce fire… something that he had worked on for days and days to be able to “create fire”… I stop and think of how ironic it is…  Likewise, I noticed yesterday a sentence that I haven’t seem to pay attention to before… Just before he left the car heading to his flight, he told his girlfriend – Helen Hunt – “I’ll be right back”… How sarcastic this sound to you!! We always assume that things will just move the way we want it to… it took him 4 years to “be right back”… and he came back not even the same man who left that car… Did it ever cross his mind while uttering these words before he left that the “be right back” will be equal to “four years of isolation”?

I have seen this movie dozens of times, and every time I watch it I seem to be getting a very harsh slap on my face all over again… it always triggers these thoughts of not taking things for granted… for me this movie is far beyond someone surviving on an isolated island… For me, it is about setting your priorities and preferences… about not taking things for granted… about appreciating the moment while living it… and not after it is gone… It is about keeping the faith that even in the worse situations, tomorrow will come… and tomorrow might be good for something…

 Below is a very touching conversation that took place between “Chuck Noland” – Tom Hanks – with his friend “Stan” at the end of the movie…


Keep the faith,

Rou… – Who knows what the tide could bring…?



“We both had done the math…

Kelly added it all up and… knew she had to let me go…

I added it up, and knew that I had… lost her… ‘cos I was never gonna get off that island… I was gonna die there, totally alone… I was gonna get sick, or get injured or something… The only choice I had, the only thing I could control was when, and how, and where it was going to happen… So… I made a rope and I went up to the summit, to hang myself… I had to test it, you know? Of course. You know me… And the weight of the log, snapped the limb of the tree, so I- I – , I couldn’t even kill myself the way I wanted to… I had power over *nothing*…



And that’s when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket… I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive… Somehow… I had to keep breathing… Even though there was no reason to hope… And all my logic said that I would never see this place again…



So that’s what I did… I stayed alive… I kept breathing… And one day my logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in, and gave me a sail…



And now, here I am… I’m back… In Memphis, talking to you… I have ice in my glass…



And I’ve lost her all over again…



I’m so sad that I don’t have Kelly… But I’m so grateful that she was with me on that island…



And I know what I have to do now… I gotta keep breathing…



Because tomorrow the sun will rise…



Who knows what the tide could bring…?”



PART II


So many times when we go through struggles that last longer than your typical issue.  Struggles that can last seasons, even years.  We can lose all hope.  Like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away, we can feel abandoned, lonely, afraid and utterly hopeless.  If you have not seen this movie, then this blog won't make total sense.  I apologize, but have to draw from this analogy regardless as it is near to my heart.

Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) has discovered, after a horrific plane crash, that he is the sole survivor  and has been washed ashore on a deserted island.  He then desperately begins searching for signs of life, trying to signal for help and last but not least, making his own raft and trying to head out to sea.  All these attempts fail early on in the movie.  Sadly, his sloppily made raft is smashed to pieces by the wind and waves and all hope of escape seems lost as Chuck realizes his own powerlessness. 

Ever feel that way?

Have you found yourself in a lonely and desperate situation that feels like it will never end?  Do you feel that your dreams for your life have been dashed against the shore?  Has your new "home" become one filled with sorrow and mourning mixed with a tad bit of insanity?  Have all hopes of a rescue or escape been faded by the time that has elapsed?  Have you tried to make courageous attempts to move out of of this season or situation and found you and your man made "raft" overpowered by the wind and waves?  Chuck felt all these things and more to be sure.

Yet, on a random day, just another ordinary day in his lonely life on that island...lo and behold, a make shift sail washes ashore.  You see, the reason he was unable to escape the first time was because he did not have the sail that would catch the wind and use it to lift him over the waves.  He also did not have the favor of the right direction of the wind.

This was Chuck's time.  This was his day.  God's hand was in it this time.  This was not a man made escape.  This was divine intervention.  He had to try...one more time.  Chuck's brave escape with the help of that make shift sail and the favor of the east wind led to his rescue in the end.

Just like that "sail" washed ashore for Chuck, your answer is on the way as well.   Maybe your first few man made attempts to save your marriage, reconnect with a wayward child or find an answer to your illness ended in defeat.  Do not despair my friends.  Your God given sail is going to wash ashore any day now, when you least expect it.   The wind is going to blow in your favor.  This time, you will be prepared.  This time you will know what to do.  This time the wind won't break you.  Rather, you will use it to push you past the breakers, lift you over the mighty waves and deliver you right into your victory. 

Chuck spent 4 lonely years on that island.  I'm sure they felt more like 40.  That's a lot of "wait time."  What about you?  What will you do in the mean time?  How will you handle your 4 months or 4 years or maybe even 40? 

I would recommend following Chuck's advice from a scene in the movie where he is talking with a close friend:

"I knew that I was never gonna get off that island.  I was gonna die there.  Totally alone.  I mean I was gonna get sick or injured or something.  The only choice I had, that I could control, was when and how and where that was going to happen.  So, I made a rope and I went up to the summit to hang myself.  I had to test it, of course, you know me.  And the weight of the log snapped the limb of the tree and I thought, "I can' t even kill myself the way I want to."  I had power over nothing.  That's when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket.  I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive.  I had to keep breathing, even though there's no reason to hope.  And all my logic said that I would never see this place again.  So that's what I did.  Stayed alive and kept breathing.  And one day that logic was proven all wrong because one day the tide came in and gave me a sail.  And now, here I am.  Back in Memphis, talking to you.  I have ice in my glass...and I know what I have to do now.  I have to keep breathing.  Because tomorrow the sun will rise.  Who knows what the tide could bring."

Stay alive inside your soul.  Keep breathing.  Keep moving.  Even when there's no reason to hope.  When you've done all else as the bible says, then just stand.  Stand with all your might.  Tomorrow the sun WILL rise and you never know what the tide may bring.