Cast Away - Saying Goodbye to the Island

Another great scene from Bobby Zemeckis.

[adamclark]

It's strange that he once called the island a 'shithole' and wanted to get off it but as soon as he did he realised that the island actually saved his life.

[as]

No matter what or where the position you are in, the moment you look back, it becomes nostalgic.

[francisalbert]

If it wasn’t for the island being there he would’ve been dead. He knows that. He’s thankful for the island

[lonewolf]

that island has a meaning for him, afterall he stayed there for 4 years, it’s like his second home

[Nathan-sdtn]

I absolutely love the use of music in this film. I never noticed until the third time I watched, but for the entirety while Hanks is on the island, there is no music whatsoever. Is only plays when he looks back to the island that he spent four years on disappearing into the distance. That is when this peace begins to play. So powerful.

[TeddDecker]

This scene always had deeper significant meaning. The idea of how we become attached to the prison in which we are contained. The familiar, the habits, the comfort that we have made keeps us from really living life and to venture out, back into danger and into the unknown, which is the real world. With real people. that is how we are called to live

[zackthezombie]

0:13 I hope it’s not just me, but it almost looks like the island itself is saying goodbye to him.

[MrNobody-cyze]

He hated the island but at the same time he loved. The island was his home. The island gave him water, food and shelter. Thank you for everything is what I read from his face reaction.

[kevinholmes]

I remember when I first saw this part. It was pretty emotional. I was like, "go back, go back"! When I left prison, even though I was glad to be gone, when I looked back this, song popped into my head. Something about being somewhere for a long time and then leaving, even if it's somewhere you don't want to be, yall feel me?

[brianb]

This scene reminds me of my leaving small apartment in Dominican republic after finishing medical school. It was brutal 4 years of learning spanish and finishing med school and survival in horrible living condition. I was looking back through the window of the taxi the apartment. Many memories were overlapping over the last view of the apartment and it was getting blurred by tears. I hated it so much yet strangely I start immense love and nostalgia for it. I think I can feel the pain Chuck felt while leaving the island.

[danieltroconis]

It requires an immense amount of courage to leave safety behind and throwing yourself to the horrors or beauty of the unknown.

[stevenmoore]

Seeing the island pass away in the mist really gets me

[lonestar]

Never thought I'd shed a tear for a load of rocks, sand and trees but there you go.
Now as for the

[scholarlycat]

The island still saved his life and was the place Chuck called home for four years. His face upon leaving is so heartfelt.

[fisherhatakeyama]

I don't know why but this scene made me cry.
This is one of the best scenes in this movie.

[NJ]

I don't know if many people noticed this, so I'll share this observation: This is actually the first time in the movie that we hear the actual movie score (which is one of the most beautiful and also memorable ones ever written in my oppinion). And the movie is already quite close to it's end at this point. Genious choice by Zemeckis. The scene is already emotional on its own here in this YouTube clip. But when you watch the whole movie this hits you even stronger and I'm convinced the music has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I feel like people don't fully realize how truly great Cast Away actually is.

[JuanTorres-keul]

It really makes you wonder what Tom Hank was thinking while he did this scene, this has got to be the most hard to explain emotions you could ever get, insanely difficult to put to words what this character is feeling in this scene, but Hanks figured out a way to act it perfectly. This truly is a man escaping an island he spent years trapped in.

[andyorwig]

I remember being in the theater when this scene came up and it definitely puts a lump in your throat. What we have we take for granted until it's gone.

[arkay]

That island's like, "dude... that's cool. I only saved your ass. Sure I'll just fade away now."

[truth]

Oddly enough this was the most moving scene in the film. They played this scene well having him look back on the island that he so desperately wanted to leave for so long.