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‘Cast Away’ With Bill Simmons

March 19, 2020 · Cast Away (2000) · Adventure · Drama · Romance · 1:08:01

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 39:15The Helen Hunt scene when Chuck goes back to see her - the whole sequence from him showing up at her house through the rainstorm kiss and final goodbye

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 39:39The movie as a widescreen HD home theater experience, dental surgery parallels/irony, Chuck examining food and lighter at welcome home party, the Nashville pro football team line, and the volleyball in the front seat at the end

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 42:33The Titans coming off a Super Bowl season, Gilligan's Island references that younger audiences won't understand, and Chuck's suicide plan/scenes that were later removed from the movie

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 44:34Couldn't find any casting what-ifs

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 44:43Nick Searcy — Nick Searcy (Chuck's buddy whose wife died in Castaway)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 46:28Bettina — Bettina, the lady who comes in at the end

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 47:53Comprehensive trivia including: Tom Hanks originated the movie idea from FedEx article, filmed on Manariki island in Fiji, Alan Silvestri's Grammy-winning minimal score, FedEx's extensive production support, Wilson volleyball creation by screenwriter William Burroughs Jr. who stranded himself for research, Hanks' staph infection during filming, Lost TV series being inspired by Castaway, Wilson connections in Hanks' life, deleted suicide scene, and actress Laurie White's passing

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 52:51Chris Noth — Volleyballs (due to 2000 Olympics and Wilson the Volleyball), Chris Noth (peak Sex and the City/Cast Away era), Fiji (best movie ever filmed there), Nick Searcy, and possibly Tennessee Titans

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 54:00Chuck wouldn't survive the plane crash (questions physics of him lurching backwards, propeller would kill him); tooth removal worked too easily; Chuck would definitely open the last package after 4 years; he'd be hospitalized much longer than a month from sunburn/dehydration; Kelly would have spotted him at the airport; Kelly moved on too quickly - timeline is suspicious for dating/marrying dentist and having a kid in 4 years

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 59:30Multiple quotes including 'We're going to bring you back to life', 'I have made fire', and especially 'I know what I have to do now. I have to keep breathing. Tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide will bring.'

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:46Multiple questions: Chuck's lack of family, whether losing Wilson was actually good for him, if he went insane, did The Martian rip off Castaway, sequel plot 'Castaway 2: Wilson Lives', and his strategy for approaching Bettina

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:09Tom Hanks

Movies Referenced (19)

Philadelphia (1993)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forrest Gump (1994)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gladiator (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Martian (2015)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 29:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Almost Famous (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 10:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phantom Thread (2017)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 7:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

365 Days (2020)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A League of Their Own (1992)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apollo 13 (1995)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 51:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (2)

Robert Zemeckis

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Contact▶ 2:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Laurie White

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hoosiers▶ 51:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (31)

Tom Hanks

59 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 2:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Helen Hunt

12 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for As Good as It Gets, Twister▶ 11:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nick Searcy

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Shape of Water, Cast Away, The Fugitive▶ 44:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Noth

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Sex and the City▶ 32:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brett Favre

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for There's Something About Mary▶ 36:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Day-Lewis

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for There Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln▶ 7:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michelle Pfeiffer

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for What Lies Beneath▶ 15:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Russell Crowe

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind▶ 9:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Bob Thornton

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Sling Blade, A Simple Plan▶ 47:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Deep Dish

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 52:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John R. Favre

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Place Beyond the Pines▶ 36:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lloyd Braun

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

William Broyles Jr.

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Apollo 13, Cast Away▶ 13:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

J.J. Abrams

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Star Trek▶ 50:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeffrey Lieber

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗