It took Apollo 13 screenwriter William Broyles Jr.
But Hanks’s long beard and survival scenarios generated an iconic character and film. Deemed an “existential blockbuster” for the 21 st century, not a whole lot of action occurs during Cast Away’s 143-minute running time. When FedEx employee Chuck Noland’s plane crashes, he ends up stranded on a deserted tropical island for four years, with an inanimate volleyball named Wilson as his only friend.
